In a recent television interview, a well-known international actor, politician, and respected activist did not appear to be aging well. The reason was that his hair color was very flat and unnatural looking. His facial hair was as gray as some sections of his hair.

He would have looked much sharper with just letting his hair go gray. Coloring hair becomes very difficult when it has been done for many years. Gray on men always looks better than a dye job.

Hair is the frame of the face. For some it is glaring statement of identity. A crowning glory. Take Kim Russell, the star of Americans and before that, Dawson’s Creek. She has long and spectacular curly hair. One day, she cut it very short. It almost cost her career! Her long hair had become her trademark.

Then you have Halle Berry as a completely opposite example. When she was starting out, she changed her long hair to a short pixie cut which ended up defining her brand. The bald head on Bruce Willis has made him more distinguished. So, the crowning glory can sometimes make or break a personal brand.

It is important to keep updated and fresh. Anna’s rule is at least once every two to three years to take a look at your hair style, eye wear and clothing choices. When was the last time you refreshed your hairstyle? As women age, makeup can either go lighter or need more color.

Men’s hairstyles change. A young man’s hair style can look foolish on a man over 50 unless he is updating his clothing choices appropriately. Jewelry styles change but good classic lines never become dated. Men’s pant styles rules get broken everyday based on the age, figure shape and industry.

We always want to stay contemporary, especially in a professional environment.

Gray will not age a man if he is wearing an age appropriate hair style. Brian Williams, the anchor on 11th Hour on MSNBC, has streaks of gray hair. It would age him if he tried to dye his hair.

Recently, I was at an event where a man looked older because the dye in his hair looked so fake it aged him. Once a man begins to color his hair it is hard to keep the color from fading. It ages instead of making him look younger.

It is interesting to note that ponytails on men gave signals that they might be artists (very popular in European countries) or musicians. There has also been an uptick in ponytails for technology entrepreneurs.

The neatly kept ponytail and freshly washed hair always looks smart. As long as the rest of the person is well groomed, appropriately dressed, with clothes neatly pressed, it can be a unique look.

The question often comes up about whether or not you should color your hair. Coloring hair has become very popular for both men and women. And it is not just about covering the gray. Recently Michelle Obama was on the cover of Parade Magazine with golden highlights in her hair. Years ago, it was considered a theatrical move when an Asian or African American that colored their hair blond or red. Today it is just about a variety of looks.

The color one choses for the conservative environment is best when it is close to the natural look. For those who want to be more fashion focused, chose a color close to your color temperature. If you tend to be warm, going jet black may not be favorable to your skin or clothing choices.

Another example is that if you are very cool in color temperature, selecting a very warm hair color may look cheap. When Elizabeth Taylor when blond for a short period it did not enhance her natural skin tone or the color of her eyes.