GROWING OLD GRAYLESSLY: WOMEN SEEK ADVICE ON WHEN TO COLOR, HIGHLIGHT HAIR AS THEY AGE

Sitting in a vinyl chair with a black cape draped over her body and a blue hand towel around her neck, Carol Thompson waited Tuesday as the gray hairs that had slowly crept into her tresses became ashen brown strands mixed with blonde highlights.

It used to be that only a woman's hairstylist would know for certain if she colored her gray, but that's changing.

Today, people of all ages are coming to salons for hair colors and highlights, and many of them are Baby Boomers seeking to reverse some visible signs of aging.

It used to be a no-no to talk about coloring your hair, but that's not the case today, said Sami Reeves, manager and color specialist at Stage One The Hair School. "No one cares. Now everyone is hiding their gray."

Hair turns gray when the body quits producing melanin, the substance that gives hair its color. Scientists say that it takes 10-20 years to complete the graying process because the average person's head has hundreds of thousands of hairs.

Timing for turning gray depends on a person's genes. Some families tend to gray at younger ages than others. There is no way to prevent hair from graying, scientists say.

Thompson, 59, had always tried to hide her gray with a color that resembled her natural look. About two months ago, she decided to try something a shade lighter and add blonde highlights to her hair.

"I wasn't nervous to go lighter," she said. "I just wanted to hide the gray."

She recommends that women think about going a shade or two lighter than their natural color to help mask the gray. Thompson, of Advance, Mo., is a student at Stage One in Cape Girardeau.

"I think most women want to stay their natural color, but it can make them look older," Thompson said. "If you go one shade lighter, it could make you look younger, and you don't show your wrinkles as bad."

Cover or ignore?

Gray hair puts women -- and some men -- into a quandary. Should it be colored, highlighted or ignored? Hair stylists say the answer depends on how much gray there is and how willing a person is to change styles.

"If they've got a lot of gray, then I would suggest a color because it makes them look younger," said Becky Drury at Eclipse Hair, a salon on South Spanish Street.

But it takes awhile for some to accept that it's time to color, she said.

"Women don't want to go gray," Drury said. "They talk about it a few times before they make a decision to color."

You can look mature but never old, Reeves said. "Gray hair makes you look old, and nobody wants to look old."

Women and men -- as many as 10 a day -- come to the Stage One salon for coloring or highlights. More of the younger women choose overall color and highlights while older clients prefer temporary rinses.

Jeanna Weatherby of East Cape Girardeau, Ill., said even her 92-year-old grandmother comes in for hair coloring. Weatherby, also a student at the hair school, mixed color pigments and bleach for Thompson's hair.

The coloring process

Generally, the coloring process can take up to two hours for an overall color and highlight. When coloring over gray hair, stylists add color back to the gray strands and then add a second step for highlights.

"We can weave several colors into one with lots of highlights," Reeves said. Highlights give women more flexibility. "It's like Stella's catching her groove."

Yet, some women prefer to show their age with locks of dark gray or even white hair. Taking care of gray hair is just as important, stylists say.

Reeves recommends that customers consider using professional salon products that have enhanced botanical oils and vitamins to make hair more healthy.

"More of the women that are 70 or 80 years old do the rinse because they are afraid color might damage their hair," Reeves said. But shampoos can help keep hair from drying out or losing its shine. Toning shampoos help prevent gray hair from dulling or turning yellow, she added.

"We make an effort to educate our clients about product knowledge and what makes their hair look good," she said. "People don't mind getting old but they don't want to look it."