At 56, Salma Hayek Rejoices In ‘Wisdom’ In Getting Older & Having White Hair

Aug 03, 2023

Salma Hayek is one of the most successful and gorgeous actresses on the planet, but Hayek led a rather humble life in her native Mexico before she was famous. Having worked on her craft since the age of 18, Hayek's passion for acting eventually propelled her into the stratosphere. Although she's at the top, she still finds time to advocate for causes that she's passionate about. She's most known for her work in combating domestic violence against women, as well as her advocacy for immigrants and charity work in helping disadvantaged children in Mexico. 

While Hayek's known to be one of the most beautiful actresses working in Hollywood, she's now 56 years old and looks rather different than in her younger years, but she's still every bit as gorgeous. From her upbringing to finding stardom, the 56-year-old actress is still in incredible shape.

Known for her famous appearance in the 1996 movie "From Dusk Till Dawn," many fans love Hayek for the scene in which she danced with an Albino Burmese Python Reticulus on her shoulders while wearing a brown bikini that left little to the imagination. 

Now a mother of one daughter, Hayek is still comfortable in her own skin in her 50s. On her Instagram, Hayek shamelessly posts bikini photos, as well as no-makeup photos that feature her gray hair. The actress frequently takes to Instagram to post both throwback photos, as well as new photos of herself and her busy life. 

Over the years, Hayek has also shown off her aging hair with streaks of white and gray in her typically darker locks.

Born on Sep. 2, 1966, in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, Salma Hayek once described her childhood as being pretty idyllic. Raised by her mother Diana, who was an opera singer, and her father Sami, an oil company executive, she also had a brother named Sami. She told The Guardian:

"It was a close community, we lived near the ocean and we would be outside all the time with the neighbours' kids, running free, playing football on the streets and at the beach. What better place could there be for a child?"

In another interview with O, The Oprah Magazine, Hayek detailed her close relationship with her grandmother, Maria Luisa Lopez, and described her as her "greatest inspiration." The actress was incredibly moved by her. "I still have her inside of me and I always will," Hayek said and explained that she was a scientist who was ahead of her time.

Despite her calling to become a star, Hayek enrolled at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City but dropped out soon after, to the dismay of her family. But she knew that acting was what she was destined to do, so she stuck with her decision.

Well, it didn't take long for the decision to pay off — after getting her first part playing Jasmine in a theater production of "Aladdin" for kids, Hayek went on to bigger things, landing her first TV gig in 1988 on "Nuevo Amanecer." The following year she got the titular role in "Teresa," a telenovela that catapulted her to fame at the tender age of 22, making her one of Mexico's biggest soap opera stars.   

Not satisfied with what she'd achieved in her native Mexico, Hayek set her sights on Hollywood. One of the reasons for her desire to work in an industry outside of Mexico was to appear in films in which Mexico didn't have much of an industry. Despite the odds against her, Hayek packed up her things, landed in Los Angeles in 1991, and began acting lessons with the renowned actress and teacher Stella Adler.

On top of moving to a foreign country, learning the language, and having to build her career once again, Salma Hayek has talked about the racism she faced upon arriving in the United States. She was told she'd never work and that she'd be limited to playing a maid. In an interview with NPR, she said, "I have had to fight, very, very hard for every little mediocre part I ever got."

In another interview with O, The Oprah Magazine, Hayek talked about being one of the first Latin women in the mainstream Hollywood industry:

"Because there was no industry or parts for Latin women when I came here, there was really no competitiveness. Jennifer Lopez and I were the first, and I think Jennifer was my partner at the beginning."

After building a career, Hayek is now often posting on Instagram, shamelessly loving herself and her signs of aging.

With a mix of old and new photos, the 56-year-old is still posting bikini pics unapologetically. According to an interview with ET, Hayek said it was "liberating" to take photos in her bikini again.

Hayek said:

"I had to lose a lot of weight and exercise to get into the bikini towards the end of last year. I'm glad I took a lot of pictures, I have no shame on it, because it was the first week of the vacation."  

The actress showed off the results of her efforts in a few simple pics showcasing her beach body. One of the posts had the added capture: "Last days of 2020. Never been more grateful for being healthy and in contact with nature."

Back in September of 2020, the actress also posted a selfie showing off the gray hair she had at her roots. The post read:

"The white hair of wisdom. 
Las canas de la sabiduría. 
Les cheveux blancs de la sagesse.
#whitehair 🤍
#hairinspiration."

Aside from her hair, the actress's glowy skin was enviable. According to Harper's Bazaar, she doesn't use Botox or fillers and doesn't think it's necessary to wear makeup all of the time. 

In an interview on Kelly Ripa’s podcast, Hayek said that she uses frequency machines and meditation to help with her youthful appearance.

“Because of a lot of things in my body and health issues, somehow I developed this strange meditation that I keep evolving,” she explained. “I can do it for hours because you don't feel the time, and it's so much fun.”

Hayek furthered, “So, I do a lot of the frequency machines and they work on me better than on anyone.” Some people have even likened her to a 20-year-old despite being in her 50s.

In an interview with Glamour in February 2023, Hayek talked about getting older. “I thought getting older meant I wasn’t going to work; I’m working. I thought getting older maybe meant that you’re not in love anymore; I’m in love,” she said.

While some people may think it’s too late to reach their dreams, Hayek has reveled in success at a variety of ages.

“I was also told that, as an actress, you kind of stop working around 30. Imagine? I did really feel it at the time, and it’s unfair,” she said. “If I had said instead to myself, ‘Don’t worry, your best professional moments are going to be in your 50s,’ I would have been devastated: ‘Oh my God, do I have to wait that long?’ But it’ll happen.”

In July 2023, Hayek once again proved that she is a stunner at any age. The 56-year-old took to Instagram to post a photo that showed off her white hair — and she also disclosed her trick to hiding it from the world if she wanted to. In the photo’s caption, Hayek wrote:

“Here is a tip to cover your white hair without dyeing it ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… don’t wear your glasses 👓 on your hair!!! 😜😹. Bring on the wisdom🦉.”

The first and last photos in the carousel showed Hayek’s streaks of white hair poking through, while the second one, sans glasses, showed her hair in its signature dark state. 

Nonetheless, people couldn’t get enough of the actress’ beauty and left plenty of positive comments on the post that were filled with heart-eye emojis and fire emojis. It’s safe to say that Hayek’s beauty and humor will always be appreciated by her fans.

What do you think of Salma Hayek's photos that show off her white hair? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones!