Do our colours change with age?
We all know our hair will naturally change as we age. But did you realise our complexion changes too? The environment we live in slowly changes our complexion. So too do hormones, health conditions and our diet. Our hair may become sun-streaked and will naturally move towards grey. Therefore, it’s important to re-assess your colours when your hair and complexion change.
What might cause the change?
Our skin is an interesting organ! While we do the best to look after our skin, our ability to produce melanin reduces over time and eventually ceases. It’s surprising how many elements this can impact – our freckles may disappear, the depth of our eye colour lightens, and of course our head will become home to sweeps of silver, grey and white. Dark haired women will move towards salt and pepper, while blond haired women may become mousey grey and muted.
What does this mean about our colours?
With these changes, we’ll likely look cooler and more muted in colour. Even if you had warm skin undertone all your life, you may actually become cool in your colouring (who would’ve thought?!). That’s because grey, silver and white are all cool colours.
What to expect for our average milestones
Your journey is influenced by so many factors. Here’s a standard timeline – but everyone is different!
- There are so many physiological changes that occur in our infant and primary years - it can still be hard to tell what colouring we’ll end up with during this period.
- Our genuine complexion and colours are developing at approximately 12 years old.
- We are at our most natural colouring at 13 – 30 years old. This is the authentic you!
- Our colours start to mute at about 30 – 45 years of age, as our hormones change.
- We lighten more significantly (but may choose to dye our hair!) around 46 – 60 years old.
- We are much lighter and muted, and likely moving towards cool colouring at 60 – 75 years.
- Probability is high that we’re pure white after our 75th birthday! Time to embrace those cool colours.
Move with your changing colours – don’t get stuck in the past!
Our advice is simple – move gracefully through the colour stages! Listen to your body, your complexion, and your features, and follow their lead. That might mean getting a new Colour Analysis done each time you reach a milestone. But the true benefit is knowing that the clothes you choose are harmonising with your natural appearance at whichever stage of your life you’re in.
The key to fully enjoying each stage of life is staying true to yourself and living in the present.
You’ll learn your Colour Type with Science of Style’s image consultant Alison de Boer. Book a Colour Analysis to start aligning your wardrobe with your current colouring - you’ll find shopping and choosing outfits will become truly effortless.