Young silver foxes: grey is the new black

Katie Holmes has grey hair. Not a full head of grey hair, but at least a few strands. And if the gossip websites are to be believed, those grey hairs mean she must be a) stressed or b) pregnant.

We have another theory. We think she might be c) human.

So she’s 33 and has grey hair. Big deal. In a world where most celebrities are doing everything possible to make themselves look younger, a celebrity who shows some visible signs of aging is a bit of a rarity.

So why does everyone make such a fuss about it? Why is it such a crime to start looking older?

Like Katie Holmes, you could count the number of grey hairs Circle host Yumi Stynes’ has on a couple of hands. Still, she’s spoken publicly about going grey and the choice she’s made to keep her hair dye-free, stating she didn’t want to pretend to be something she’s not.

We spoke to 36-year-old Yumi about going grey, hair dye and silver-haired style icons. Have a look:

When did you first notice your grey hair?

I found my first white hair when I was six years old! And ever since then they’ve been accumulating. It didn’t worry me then, it doesn’t worry me now.

Did they bother you at the beginning?

The onset of the grey has been so gradual I haven’t even thought about it. My hair is crazy thick so there’s still lots of lovely brown there too!

What’s the reason behind your decision not to dye your hair?

I dyed my hair twice in my life. Once, in 1995 I dyed it blue. This involved bleaching it white first which took FIVE HOURS IN THE SALON. I was so bored and the whole experience was expensive and vain and dull. The only other time I dyed my hair was when I was getting ready for the ARIA Awards – I used to cover the red carpet every year for Channel V. The day before the ceremony my boyfriend gave me a haircut that was SO SHIT that I thought dyeing it might distract everyone from the fact that I looked like a chubby 12-year-old boy! Fail!

So…I don’t dye my hair because it’s boring. And I quite like it the way it is. But if it ever gets to the point where I don’t like how it looks, I will happily dye it. It’s not a political point I’m dogmatic about.

Do you see any difference between dyeing grey hair and other hair colour changes, like blonde to brown?

My mum dyes her hair and she looks great. There’s definitely a difference between dyeing hair to cover up grey and just cosmetic coloring. I’m all for both – but I don’t have time for either.

Do you have any grey hair style icon?

I love Annette Shun Wah, she’s excellent. And stylish.

Any advice for people noticing their first few greys?

Do whatever you like! The one thing I’ve realized again and again as I get older is that it never pays to worry about what other people think of you. Laugh, eat, smile, love. I’d love to be a ridiculous old lady with wildly colored hair and lots of cats wearing beads and tie-died frocks.

With that in mind, here’s a gallery of our favourite silver-haired celebs…

Do you colour your hair? Do you have a problem with grey hairs?