Kicking the Dye Habit: Going Gray

Q: Who are your gray-haired idols?
A: Two great English actresses — Helen Mirren and Vanessa Redgrave. Jamie Lee Curtis is out there big-time, though very few other Americans are. Can you name one female senator with gray hair?

Q: What's been the takeaway from the experience?
A: I learned to focus on my whole appearance. Women think if they have the same hair they had at 20, they get a pass with everything else. In fact, I also needed to lose weight and buy some new clothes — which I did, and I look better than ever. Hair color does not camouflage all sins.

Q: Will you ever go back?
A: Never! To be the only person with my particular color hair is thrilling. It shines more now than it ever did. I love the idea that every year for the rest of my life, my hair will change color naturally. And I found out I've got great natural highlights.

Anne Kreamer is the author of Going Gray: What I Learned About Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity and Everything Else That Really Matters, from Little, Brown.