Time for true confessions, ladies: Is it hard to count the number of different hair colors you've tried in the past 10 years?

And, if you're a certain age, have you at least flirted with the idea of "going gray?"

Yes... and yes.

Check my family photo album and you'll find enough colors and styles for a documentary on boomer hair: Cropped, punk and hennaed in the '70s, busy working mom perm in the '80s, straightened brown bob in the '90s...

And, since 2000, the telltale temples that showed my true color. Was I ready for those white strands that looked so sophisticated on Dad?

No.

And so the search began for a way to retrieve whatever color I should be - blond highlights... brown with white streaks... and back to pseudo-blond again. (Coming soon: a new blog photo.)

So why all the fuss? Good question. We'll cut corners, bag lunches and skip a manicure to pay for our date at the salon. And we wouldn't dare admit that the cost of maintaining the look we love could buy us a week in the Caribbean.

Anne Kreamer, who hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., faced the same dilemma. But while she dived feet first into the transition from brown helmet head to a "natural" woman, she also wrote an ode to our female obsession: "Going Gray - What I learned about beauty, sex, work, motherhood, authenticity and everything else that really matters."

The book is a must for anyone who's glanced longingly at another woman's sophisticated silver locks and wondered "what if..." Kreamer's conversion to gray takes her on a sociological adventure - real-life tests with an online dating service and in bars to see if her hair made a difference; interviews with image consultants for their take on gray; interviews with celebrities and conversations with women who do and don't color.

It's funny, enlightening and full of great hair-coloring facts. And it begs the question: Why are we so intent on clinging to youth when embracing our age and mature sexuality might make us even more attractive?

I wandered down to Simply Chic on Exchange Street for a chat with co-owner Missy Tasker. Three years ago, at 40, she noticed her gray strands and decided to go with it. The result: naturally curly hair that's almost platinum on top and darker underneath. It's funky and suits her perfectly, sets off her blue eyes and ... everyone loves it. Including Missy.

She's not afraid of gray; it's her own fashion statement.

So, ladies, what are we waiting for? I'm off to the salon this afternoon... stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I'd love to see your silver or gray styles. Send me before and after photos or thoughts on going gray. We need your inspiration.

Missy Tasker with her to-die-for hair.

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