MPR News with Angela Davis

The perception and politics of gray hair

A woman's selfie in front of a bookshelf.
Like many women over the past two years, journalist Sasha Aslanian decided to stop coloring her hair and embrace her natural grays.
Courtesy of Sasha Aslanian

When salons closed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many women decided to embrace their natural hair color. For some, that meant going gray. And now, many have decided to ditch the hair dye permanently. 

But the decision to embrace your gray can be met with ageism and sexism by those around you. In response, women have found support in online groups that celebrate the beauty of gray hair. What have men found? And why are young people who are decades away from going gray coloring their hair that way? 

Host Angela Davis talks about the way that society perceives gray hair. And she talks with two women who went gray. 

Guests: 

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