I think that for women, there’s more of an emphasis on looking young. Yes, a woman can look vibrant and beautiful with gray hair but society places value on looks and looking young is part of that. That’s why we see more mature looking male anchors on the news but women, not so much past their early 40’s, save for a few here and there (generally the big ones like Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer, and of course Barbara Walters). I am willing to bet that about ¾ of hair color sales (including professionally done) are to women, and at least half of those are to color gray, as opposed to just wanting a different shade. I bet that 80% of plastic surgeries performed are to women, too.
When I was little (1970’s), middle aged and older women had gray hair, short, curly hairstyles, and looked old. My elderly aunt expressed annoyance that my mom was 40 with below the shoulder, straight hair. My aunt felt that women over 30 should have short hairstyles. Now women who are 60 dress like women who are 30. That’s our culture. It’s not the opinion of just the few.