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Unlocking the Silver Revolution: The Truth About Grey Hair and the Empowering Journey to Embrace the Grey

In a recent poll by midlife connection organisation, Connected Women reveals that two-thirds of women over the age of 50 haven’t embraced their grey hair (67%). With hair starting to go grey in our 30s and 40s, that’s a long time to hide those pesky greys! What causes grey hair? According to Harvard Health, hair doesn’t ‘turn’ grey. Once a strand of hair is a particular colour, it will stay that way unless it is dyed. After the age of 35, hair follicles produce less colour, so when that strand of hair falls out it will be more likely to grow back grey. Can stress cause grey hair? There is very little evidence to indicate that this is true, however, research shows that in mice, in response to a fight or flight situation, hair follicles are impacted and the pigmentation-producing stem cells can be lost. Without stem cells available to produce pigment cells, the hair will go grey. So, can we now legitimately blame our grey hairs on our kids, or our husbands. What happens when you pluck your grey hairs out? Don’t do it! Not only will it simply grow back grey, but according to Trey Gillen, hairstylist and creative director of education at SACHAJUAN, doing so can also traumatise the follicles which could mean NO hair grows back. When is the right time to go grey? This is something that only you can decide. If your hair is dark brown or black, your greys will be more noticeable, so you’ll need to have regular (two to four weekly) trips to the hairdresser to cover them up. At some point you will most likely grow weary of trying to stem the tide and it will be time to just embrace the grey. You will know when you’ve had enough! If you have lighter hair, then your greys will be much less noticeable. Lighter hair gives you a much longer window between coloring appointments in the initial stages of going grey, and later you can use the greys as ‘herringbone highlights’ as per Sarah Jessica Parker’s beautiful mane, which is wonderful way to gracefully embrace going grey. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/05/Phoebe-headshot-EDITED.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Phoebe Adams is the founder of Connected Women, an organisation providing a community for women over 50 to connect with each other and build meaningful friendships. With a rapidly growing community in Perth, Sydney, Wollongong, and Melbourne, Connected Women provides a safe and welcoming space for women to come together and share experiences. To learn more about the organisation and how you can get involved, visit <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" href="https://www.connectedwomen.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connectedwomen.net</a>. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Simple trick to remove tarnish from your silver

A tarnished piece of jewellery or cutlery can cause you to think that you need to call in the professional cleaners. But it’s actually quite simple to make your own homemade remedy to get rid of the black marks. You will need: <ul> <li>A glass dish</li> <li>Aluminium foil</li> <li>Baking soda</li> </ul> How to: <ol> <li>Boil the kettle and pour 1 litre of it into a jug.</li> <li>Mix in 4 tablespoons of baking soda, stirring well to dissolve.</li> <li>Place a sheet of foil on the base of a glass dish and put the tarnished items directly on to the foil.</li> <li>Pour the water over the top of the silverware and leave for a few minutes.</li> <li>Rinse the items under some tap water and then wipe dry with a clean cloth to remove any stubborn marks.</li> </ol> Have you been able to salvage any favourite items using this method? Image: Getty

Home & Garden

Olympian who beat bone cancer sells medal to save toddler

Olympic medallist Maria Andrejczyk has decided to auction off her silver medal for a very worthwhile cause. The Polish athlete, who won the silver medal for her outstanding performance in javelin, is auctioning off the medal to help fun a toddler's life-saving heart surgery. After beating bone cancer herself, the Olympian wants to help the young boy and his family pay for the operation, which comes with a hefty cost of $246,000. The 25-year-old athlete took to her Facebook page to call for her fans to help her. She said, “Miloszek has a serious heart defect. He needs an operation." “He already has a head start from Kubus — a boy who didn’t make it in time but whose amazing parents decided to pass on the funds they collected." “And in this way, I also want to help. It’s for him that I am auctioning my Olympic silver medal.” Maria missed out on an Olympic medal at Rio in 2016, before having to sit out the following year for a shoulder injury, which later led to her cancer diagnosis in 2018. After making it to the podium in Japan, she explained why she will be using her medal to help those in need. On a Polish television show, she said, “The true value of a medal always remains in the heart. A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others." “This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet. That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children.” Maria's personal best of 71.4 metres is the third longest ever thrown by a woman in javelin, but her kind action will go much further. Image credit: Getty Images

Caring

Team GB rocked by doping controversy at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Great Britain's men’s track team is in danger of having their silver medal being stripped, after one of its athletes tested positive for banned substances. Britain's Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist Chijindu 'CJ' Ujah has been provisionally suspended for allegedly breaching strict anti-doping rules at the games. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) reported that athlete had returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from a test carried during the Olympics in Japan. The substances detected were Ostarine and S-23, which are both classified by the World Anti-doping Organisation, as they have similar effects to steroids. The substances have been banned from the Olympics for some time, as they help build muscle and enhance overall sporting performance. CJ responded to the news of the doping scandal with a cryptic Instagram post that said, “Stay focused… Because truth is madder than fiction.” CJ is allowed to request independent analysis of the sample to prove his innocence and keep his Olympic title. If he is found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs, it could be devastating for his fellow members of the relay team. Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake will also be at risk of being stripped if the positive is confirmed. The news comes after three other track and field athletes were suspended during the Games for suspected doping. Moroccan-born Bahraini 1,500m runner Sadik Mikhou, Georgian shot putter Benik Abramyan and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo were listed for using performance-enhancing drugs, and remain under investigation by the AIU. Image credit: Getty Images

Legal

“One silver lining”: Lisa Wilkinson offers glimmer of a bright side

Following the announcement of 239 new COVID-19 cases in New South Wales on Thursday, Lisa Wilkinson has described the numbers as a “gut punch”. “Like most people in NSW at the moment - that number that started with a two today felt like a real gut punch,” Lisa said on The Project on Thursday night. “I think we thought that it might nudge close to 200 but the fact that it was so far over the 200 number really felt like the game has changed - we’re in a whole different realm. “I don’t think anybody thinks for a moment that we will be out of this at the end of August.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR6QCEeHrOj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR6QCEeHrOj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Project (@theprojecttv)</a> </div> </blockquote> But, Wilkinson has found one positive during these dour times, pointing out that vaccine hesitancy has lowered. “There is one silver lining, because I think a lot of us are looking for a silver lining at the moment, and that is that in NSW the vaccine hesitancy has halved from 33 percent at the end of May to down to 14.6 percent. So at least that’s going to lift those numbers and hopefully give a lot of people who get the vaccine a fighting chance,” she said. “And, unlike other states, there’s no supply issue, really, in NSW, because AstraZeneca is now being recommended for everybody to have,” co-host Waleed Aly added. “So it’s not like you’re waiting for vaccines to arrive - and you can actually fulfil that increased enthusiasm.” The Melbourne Institute has found that the rate of vaccine hesitancy has been significantly reduced in NSW and Victoria following recent outbreaks. Seven percent of adults in NSW are still unsure about getting vaccinated, down from 14.3 percent at the end of May. <a rel="noopener" href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/research-insights/ttpn/vaccination-report" target="_blank">The report</a> produced by the institute has said “policies to reduce vaccine hesitancy need to be carefully targeted at populations most vulnerable and most likely to transmit the virus, as well as geographic areas with the lowest vaccination rates”. Image: Channel 10

News

Lowly silver coins to be phased out

Aussies may have to bid farewell to 5 and 10 cent coins within the next decade as the lowly silvers are increasingly rendered obsolete. Royal Australian Mint chief executive Ross MacDiarmid told <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-30/5-and-10c-soon-to-die-graceful-death/11910736?section=business">ABC Radio Melbourne</a> the 5c and 10c coins “will probably just cease to be used” in the next five to 10 years. “Retailers more than likely would be the ones that would stimulate a decline in the demand for 5c pieces because if you rounded up to 10 [cents] there’s not really much need for a five,” he said. Demand for coinage had declined by about 55 per cent in the last five years amid growing inflation and the rise of online and contactless payments. MacDiarmid said he expected the Mint to eventually stop the production of 5c and 10c coins, just like it did with the old 1c and 2c coins in 1990.

Retirement Income

Teriyaki silver trevally fillets with sesame & zucchini

Serves 4 There are good commercial teriyaki sauces and marinades available, or you can make your own by combining equal quantities of light soy sauce and mirin. The name comes from the Japanese words “teri” meaning shine and “yaki” meaning grill, as meat and fish are brushed with the marinade while being grilled to give a shiny coating. This recipe is a super easy way to marinate fish in less than 20 minutes but still packed full of flavour! Ingredients <ul> <li>¼ cup teriyaki sauce</li> <li>2cm piece ginger, finely grated</li> <li>1 large clove garlic, crushed</li> <li>1½ teaspoons white sugar</li> <li>1½ teaspoons sesame oil</li> <li>2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted (see notes)</li> <li>4 x 180g silver trevally fillets, skin off, bones removed</li> <li>3 zucchini</li> <li>1 tablespoon vegetable oil</li> <li>3 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally</li> <li>Steamed rice, to serve</li> </ul> Directions 1. Combine the teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl. Add the fish, cover and marinate for 10-20 minutes. 2. Trim the ends off the zucchini and quarter lengthways. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Add the zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes, until they begin to colour. Remove to a warm plate. 3. Remove fillets from marinade, reserving marinade. 4. Return the pan to the heat, add the trevally fillets and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the edges have turned opaque. Turn the fillets, add the zucchini and the reserved marinade and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, adding a few teaspoons of water if the marinade begins to caramelise. 5. Arrange the zucchini on plates, top with fillets and garnish with green onion. Serve with steamed rice. Tips <ul> <li>Toast sesame seeds in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, tossing gently to prevent them burning, or under a griller (but watch them closely).</li> <li>Alternative species: Blue warehou, gemfish, ling, luderick, morwong, queenfish, silver perch, silver warehou, snapper.</li> </ul> Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/teriyaki-silver-trevally-fillets-with-sesame-and-zucchini.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

You hate your job: Is retirement really a silver bullet?

<a href="http://www.megangiles.com/" target="_blank">Megan Giles</a>, Retirement Transition Consultant, supports those approaching retirement to successfully transition and create a retirement they will love to live! There are people who hate their job and are counting down the days until they can retire. They share with glee that it’s only 673 days until they retire and are quick to point out the shortcomings of their job, their manager, the organisation and even their colleagues. You might know one of these people. You may even be one yourself! They assume that as soon as work is taken out of the equation, life will be great. They idealise retirement as an endless holiday, free of worry. The challenge is that for many like this, the dissatisfaction with their job can be all-consuming and it is not until they retire that they realise how strongly their job (and the associated complaining!) formed the basis of their identity. It’s positively exhausting to constantly complain and this means there is often very little ‘left in the tank’ to meet new people and try to new things outside of their job. Their world is work-centric and relatively small. I managed Sandie the Sandstorm. Clearly not her real name but that’s how I referred to her because in moments when stress overwhelmed her it was like a tornado whipping through the office! She had become cynical of change, regularly complained about how much better the ‘old days’ were, and frequently reminded me that she could retire now ‘if she wanted to’. Yet she worked well past the typical age of retirement. Why? I suspect because she was terrified of retirement. She worked long hours (I think simply so that she had something else to complain about) which meant she had limited time for friends and family and little else to talk about apart from work. Unconsciously she feared life without work. If you are miserable in your job, retirement may be a very appealing option. But without planning, retirement in and of itself is unlikely to be the silver bullet to your woes. Taking away something you dislike does not guarantee it will be replaced with joy and excitement. How to take action to ensure that retirement does, in fact, bring you (or someone you love) the joy you seek. 1. Start taking action now Plan for retirement, but don’t just think about it in abstract terms, e.g. to be ‘happy’. Consider what that will look like in practice. Does this mean an overseas trip, regular tennis matches, spending time with the grandchildren or going to the movies weekly? Plot what a typical week in retirement might look like. Now, look at your list and identify what you could start doing right now to distract from your mundane job. For example, what’s currently stopping you from going to the movies once a week? If you chose to make time, could it become a reality? 2. Establish a hobby before you retire Make time to develop an interest outside of work before you retire. Not only will this help to create a sense of continuity when work no longer fills your waking hours but will create events to look forward to even while you are still working. It might be joining a book club (with wine!), taking up worm framing or training for a 5km fun run. What if there was more to each day than endless reports and emails. Imagine actually looking forward to something, such as an evening run. 3. Reconnect with friends Make a call or send a message. Who is that one friend that you have been meaning to catch-up with? What can you do to connect with them today? It is refreshing to laugh about old times (and a good belly laugh does wonders for your mood) and talk about interests outside of work. It is also reassuring to know that you’ll have support around you when you step into retirement. 4. Spend time with people who energise and light you up Make time for the people who make you laugh, and who bring out the best in you. These are the people who will encourage you to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. They may not be the people you work with. Distance yourself from people who bring you down and drain your energy. Be curious and allow yourself to see the wonder in life, particularly that outside of work. Take action today and set yourself up for a retirement you will love to live! And you never know, you may just enjoy the journey!

Retirement Life

Steve Carell transforms into silver fox

Steve Carell, who starred in The Office and Anchorman, has stepped out to promote his new film Despicable Me 3. The pictures of Steve Carell have received much attention from fans worldwide due to his new hair and style. <img width="500" height="808" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38635/new-steve_500x808.jpg" alt="New Steve"/> The 54-year-old was seen in London on Wednesday, posing with minions, his co-star Kirsten Wiig and fans. Steve sported chinos, a round-neck sweater and trendy sunglasses but fans were most excited about his new grey hair. <img width="499" height="729" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38636/new-steve-2_499x729.jpg" alt="New Steve 2"/> Typically, Steve is cast as a nerdy character in his films and TV shows but Twitter has erupted in praise of his new look. One fan wrote, “Someone please tell me when Steve Carell got grey and turned into George Clooney's brother.”

Movies

Demi Moore embraces her new grey locks

Hollywood isn’t exactly known for embracing age, so it’s both brave and refreshing to see brunette star Demi Moore celebrating her emerging greys. The 54-year-old was first spotted rocking her natural silver streaks while having lunch with a friend earlier this month, and it seems they’re here to stay. <img width="500" height="608" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38269/image__500x608.jpg" alt="Image_ (349)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> At the premiere for her new movie Rough Night in New York City last week, the star opted to maintain the au natural look, pairing her new silver strands with a stunning Dior pastel rainbow gown. <img width="498" height="460" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38268/image__498x460.jpg" alt="Image_ (348)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Could this be the beginning of a new, age-friendly trend in Hollywood? We certainly hope so! To see more Hollywood ladies sporting their greys with pride, <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2017/06/famous-over-60s-prove-grey-hair-is-beautiful/" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Beauty & Style

Finding the silver lining can make you feel worse

We’re always told to keep our chin up, look on the bright side, and try to see the positives in a bad situation. But according to some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27738099" target="_blank">recent Australian research</a> this is not always the best option. In fact it can make us feel worse. The research, published in Psychological Science, found that the old ‘think positive’ concept only really works well when the person feels that they don’t have any control over the situation. The researchers were interested in the study based on the psychological theory of strategy-situation fit hypothesis. This theory supports the idea that those suffering from depression and anxiety should only try to positively switch their negative thoughts when they don’t feel that they have the ability to personally affect the outcome. The 74 participants in the Australian study (aged 18-32) were asked to complete a survey to measure their current levels of anxiety, self-esteem and so on. During the weeklong study, they were then instructed to indicate how they felt about certain situations they faced in the day, compared to how they felt earlier in the day. They also had to mention whether they had taken any steps to change their situation in order to affect the outcome. The results found that those who started the week with a more positive notion of well being were more likely to positive frame situations when they felt they had less control over it. Conversely, those with the lower well being at the beginning of the week tended to do the opposite – they tried to use the positive reframing more when they in fact had greater control over what was happening. The findings of this research have potential use for psychologists seeking to find a way to help patients that find it difficult to deal with emotional regulation. What do you think of the research findings? Have you found this to be true for you? Share your experience in the comments below.

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Unlocking the Silver Revolution: The Truth About Grey Hair and the Empowering Journey to Embrace the Grey

Simple trick to remove tarnish from your silver

Olympian who beat bone cancer sells medal to save toddler

Team GB rocked by doping controversy at Tokyo 2020 Olympics