Going Gray
Want to embrace your gray hair? I did it! I transitioned from the warm, deep color of brunette to that of a fierce snow owl that stands out in a crowd. But I don’t stand out because I’m fierce — I stand out because I now look like a walking Q-tip!
To the younger female population, I now might be considered #ontrend or #trending, which I would say is accurate. I mean, after all I am 44 years old, so pretty young to go gray.
Generation Z may consider this a trend. But for my Generation, which is Gen X, this “trend” is more of a necessity at this point of life.
And honestly, I love my gray hair.
Initially, the gray was a little shocking. Both for me and my family.
You can imagine the unfiltered responses I received from my tween and teenager daughters. “Um, ya, I don’t like it,” and, “What did you do to your hair, Mom?!”
At least my 15-year-old son was a bit more tactful.
And by the time my husband’s response of, “It isn’t bad,” rang in my ears, it sounded like a huge compliment!
Reflections on My Gray Hair
Do I look older?
Yes. I am just in my 40s.
But do I feel older?
No, I honestly don’t.
I even feel as though I have become slightly wealthy (in very loose terms) since I don’t need a hair appointment every other month to keep my silver at bay.
How I Did It
I admit I took the easy way out.
Most would think that it would be easiest to simply let my gray grow out. But I withdrew the more sensible option and had my stylist strip the color out of my hair.
The Pros
- One pro of stripping the color is that there is no “wait” period for growing out your gray. As much as I love to watch True Crime, I didn’t want to look like someone on the show who’s incarcerated and no longer has access to a stylist/salon.
- Not having to wait months for the gray to grow out was a huge pro for me! I know I would likely only last about a month past my normal color appointment and would’ve caved, scrambling to get into any stylist to have my hair colored.
The Cons
- It is not a healthy option for your hair.
- My hair ended up as a yellowish blonde color. The stylist informed me that although it wasn’t my desired color, I would have to wait a few months before adding in other tones because my hair needed to recover from its dramatic transformation.
A Slower Transition to Gray
If you’re not quite ready to make the full gray transition, you can start to color your hair lighter/blonde. My stylist suggested this option, adding in more blonde/platinum highlights which kept my gray more blended and concealed.
I did this for over a year, which was a good segway to transitioning into gray.
Embrace Your Gray Hair
I am now truly embracing the new look and color of my hair.
And I have enjoyed being able to use different semi-permanent hair colors in silver and platinum. Silver blue and rose gold are also on my list of colors to try! The color stays in for a few days before washing out, giving me a quick new and fun look!
Gray means without color. But think of the extra “green” that you’ll have in your wallet if you embrace your natural hair color!
And for more on going natural, see How to Embrace Your Curly Hair: Tips + Tricks.
