I would have to say that after fretting and thinking about letting my natural silver shine for over 20 years, I finally made the choice to be free at the age of 50. So, taking that and this blog as a cue that maybe now is the time. This became so much more than a journey about hair! My husband is 10 yrs younger and 80% gray. In fact, the complexion gets darker and the skin gets tough. December 9, 2021. . I have my next appointment in 2 days. Add to Cart . I have used their images and names with their permission. As far as men are concerned if they care so much about the color of my hair , then I wouldnt want to waste my time with them . So liberating to let go of colouring. I was ready to show the world the real me. Why grey hair is bang on trend. I'm now almost 43, and I'm about . Could a normal, every day woman feel beautiful going gray? I love this blog and have been enjoying reading about everyones various experiences. And, this might sound funny, but my eyebrows didnt match my dyed hair color! The truth was that the dark brown had turned grey a long time ago, it started turning gray in my late teens. I wasnt afraid; I was excited! Im still amazed at how much prettier and more unique I feel with my own color. Get hair style inspiration. My colorist says highlighting isnt a good idea because it will add another color to the hair. I would get compliments all the time on the gray!!!! For anyone planning on growing out gray hair or for anyone wondering how long it will take, I would say to plan on a solid 2 years for the grays to grow past your chin. For full Affiliate and Copyright Details Please Read My Terms & Conditions Page. Hahaha! I just turned 65 and have been coloring my brunette hair for 30 years. Im now 48 (49 in a couple months) and am so over all of it! If you choose to go short, you can cut that time down tremendously. My husband is very supportive and anxious to see the end result, I might just make it this time. I still remember how very scary the concept of grey hair was to me. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can transition without looking like I stopped taking care of myself? Color correction, cold turkey, shave your head, try a pixie.Whatever floats your boat. Not white, but light. Never found someone to support my idea of going gray. How To Survive Going Gray: The First Year: Tips, Tricks & Hacks, The Dye Strip Technique for Going Gray in Secret, The Surprising Truth about Transitioning to Gray Hair, Its Time to Bust These Tired Myths About Gray Hair, Color Lounge Answers All Your Salon Transition Questions, How to Piss Off a Gray-Haired Woman in 5 Seconds or Less, 7 Unexpected Benefits of Going Gray From Dyed Hair, 10 Mistakes NEVER to Make If You Want to Successfully Transition to Gray Hair. I guess I feel insecure and afraid of rejection or just being invisible. Mix a little in with your conditioner and experiment on strength. Youd think Id just told them of my plans to commit a capital crime. I support yours, mine and all others in this huge decision and process. But for my personality and my temperament, the cold turkey grow out was the only option I considered. It took about 2 years and I was fully transitioned. Add to Cart . I had always had long dark hair, and I was so desperate to keep it that way. Required fields are marked *. I feel beautiful, I feel proud, I feel free. hope that goes silver soon! It was absolutely thrilling. . I have been coloring my hair since I got my first gray hairs in my early thirties. What kind of styling tools should I use and what is the bet product to use for black American women with graying hair. Hi Maxine! We cut through the marketing B.S. , I just need support, I did also use some of sallys temp grAY HAIT COLORS BY ROU. It's a must-read gray hair transition story! 3. In the grocery store, I just love to pass the aisle with the hair dyes, and feel so thrilled I am done spending my time and money looking for the perfect colour every 2 or 3 weeks.I had the perfect colour all along.. AVEDA Blue Malva Shampoo for Gray Hair, and neutralizes brassiness in 33.8 fl oz/1 litre. My going gray journey. Do you. No, no, and no. I am now mostly silver- and I have never felt so free. I just have to deal with the auburn left on the ends till it goes away in time. It will be a shade of light brown or even orange. I have considered putting in highlights/lowlights if I want some pizzaz, but so far, I get a ton of positive comments. lot's of lean protein is important, avoiding too much fat, eating the right carbs, and drinking lots of water is key. My husband is very supportive of whatever I decide. I dont know if anyone is still on this blog. I think maybe God is wanting that too because my colorist/stylist had gone down to part time (shes a little older than me) and now her two days a week are on days I cant make it in for appointments! A light-bulb moment! Unfortunately, at 52 - after at least 25 years of coloring my hair blonde from brown - I've developed a sudden but severe allergy to hair dye, even the more "natural" ones, so I don't have much choice, and cold turkey it's going to be! I hope that I can be an inspiration for them to also stop coloring.. Who knows what damage we are doing to our bodies with all of the chemicals! Since the mid-20th century most of the tea produced in Turkey is Rize tea, a terroir from Rize Province on the Eastern Black Sea Coast. Makes me laugh. Right now my hair is dark brown with Carmel highlights, is quite long and has very loose waves and ringlets. Happy Wednesday ladies. Unfortunately, the drugstore selection here leaves much to be desired. Im still young looking, but Im in my forties now. Turns out, a lot of women are sick and tired of society pressuring them into spending precious hours and dollars in hair salons. After getting hi & low lights to make the transition less painful I've found the lipstick type color touch up sticks are definitely helping. I think I needed it to really solidify that I made the right decision. I promise you, once you know those things, the negativity of the world may still sting sometimes, but it cant break you. I am so happy to have found all of you ladies that like me have made the decision to go grey! If I could just buzz cut it & grow out from there Id be fine but that would sure look stupid for a while lol. My hair will actually have more white than gray, I hope anyway. Be prepared to be a bit purple until you get it right! When I finally found ME, I was both confused and ecstatic! Thank you, and good luck to all of is going gray gracefully and we are going to be beautiful. I think I just needed one last time. Rock it! At six months, I could see my real color was bright and pretty! This "sit and wait it out" method worked well for me. However, my stylist keeps telling me she cant add silver or grey, so Dianne Farb, what did your stylist add to help you with the transition? How did you do it? So after a few more color sessions on the length only -Balayage- I was done! i am a photographer and just returned from a job where the client had cut all her hair off because she got sick of coloring. I will be turning 40 next month and have been going grey since I was 16 (Early grey runs in my family). I am finding these stories so inspiring. Yes, there is a revolution going on! So one day I casually mentioned to my husband, Maybe Ill stop dying my hair., Ill never forget what he said because it was the final push I needed. That day, that woman not comfortable in her own skin, terrified somebody could spot her grays, decided to embrace her natural hair. People stare, ask, comment and admire my decision to go natural. Black Hair. I learned that you cant always blend into the crowd, but the truth is this was never my goal. I am not ready to be old, although I am 56 years old, I still feel young inside. xo, Lisa. My hair is very fine and thinning so when the silver comes through under the reddish brown, it makes me look like I am balding (yuk). It made me jealous how good his hair looks and there's no monthly upkeep. She explains why she chose to go grey cold turkey and keep her hair long, and her favorite grey hair products. maybe your stylist could highlight more towards the ends and less closer to the roots to blend into the gray? I shamelessly ignored it for quite a long time, until April 2016 my first and only grow-out attempt! And that was it. In my bathroom mirror my hair looks good and the gray hair coming out looks like silver highlights. ALTERNATIVES TO THE LONG GRAY COLD TURKEY GROWOUT. At 61, I feel better about my appearance than I did 20 years ago! This woman changed my life. More ideas here! I am naturally a dark brunette. Innersense Hydrating Hair Masque to keep my hair conditioned, strong and hydrated. This will give you that shiny feeling but without the added color. Hi Roxanne My husband is also behind me in my decision. But I like it. But why did I never question the idea that we have to cover gray hair? Uncovering my natural hair colour after being a bottle blonde for 37 years makes for quite an interesting experiment. What is the most expensive way to go gray? Around the age of 45 she asked me, now, *why* do you only want highlights/lowlights instead of color? I thought I was just growing my hair out but little did I know I was growing and changing on the inside too. Who did we think we were fooling?!). Always no B.S. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated. The dark and silver are coming in full blown now. They are a tremendous help getting you through the rough patches of this process. Even with this super short, edgy haircut it will take 2 more haircuts before all the dyed hair is gone but, thanks to my skillful stylist, it looks pretty decent now. Over the past 20 years, I figure Ive spent almost $17,000 and just about 30 entire DAYS in the chair getting my hair dyed. The amazing women in my life tell me every day how stunning and sophisticated I look. I have absolutely no regrets. Hey Humor Consumers, In Episode 4 we talk about gray hair and the journey of letting it show. The idiom to "go cold turkey" refers to what happens when a person stops consuming an addictive substance or abruptly quits a habit. Your email address will not be published. I'm in the process of going from brunette to gray. It was absolutely terrifying. So, I do not think it will be a good idea to apply semi or demi permanent color with the expectation that it will just fade out to your gray hair. The second month, I just disguised the grow out stripe the best I could using a headband, hats, and other creative styling. Going gray cold turkey (i.e., without help from a salon) is a popular way to transition to gray hair as it is inexpensive and doesn't damage your hair. Enjoy! And my very best to you and your mother. If growing out the dye is something you want to do, Id make sure your current dye color is close to your actual hair color and make sure it has little or no red tones. But, after years of covering up, you can't just go cold turkey on the color. Now I can say that going gray and loving it is a reality. It will sound so cheesy, and others have said it, but you grow in many ways on this journey, and it is so much more than hair. Im still sexy, funny, powerful, and most of all Im still me.~Alethiea W. I believe if one knows themselves, has self-confidence, it makes the transition easier when outside noise tries to interfere. All my best to all of you women out there who are considering, or in, or complete with this process. Hope I dont change my mind:). I have a hair appointment tomorrow and have been going back and forth about starting now or dye one more time for the holidays. WHICH I LIKE , STEEL SILVER IS ONE OF THEM. Between the time, the expense and several horrible allergic reactions to the color Ive decided to stop coloring my hair. That covers my roots nicely, although now I have more courage to go to the store and even to church with my gray showing and without my scarf. A bit of color on your cheeks can add a rosy glow to your face. My hairdresser lightened me up as well. PROS & CONS TO TRANSITIONING TO GRAY HAIR AT THE SALON. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer for the fastest hair dry. I have been to many countries; I spent 1 year in the U.S. at the age of 16 and moved to Austria 18 years ago. Then 2 months later, cut pretty short. I feel like my hair went gray really fast over the course of last year and it is making me feel old! No more expense, no more time spent in the coloring process, no more fretting over gray roots every two weeks. Share. I felt comfortable, then; finally, I wasnt being conditioned by anything other than my free will. Thank you, Anne! The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 American science fiction film serving as a loose adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name (which itself was based on the 1940 short story "Farewell to the Master"). I bought hair clips, metal hair like barrets, colored bobby puins grey bobby pins. A decision was made. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Over 60 Hairstyles. Their tutorials and advice are priceless! I was so tired of the monthly visits that kept my hair looking good for 2 weeks, only to be followed by 2 weeks with roots popping up and constant heavy conditioners to attempt to keep my hair healthy. My goal now is to find the right shampoo/conditioner products to keep the grey from being dry/coarse and to look as soft and silvery as it can. Please feel free to share. There are moments at work when I feel a bit insecure about it, but no one seems to be staring, so I guess i'm ok. I think the important thing here is to create a social conscience rooted in respect for other humans, to eliminate labels and break beauty taboos. I decided to stop coloring about 4 months ago because I estimated that I have spent around $27,600 on hair color over 26 years and, also, I hate that grow out skunk line at my part. The cry for authenticity came from deep within. I love my silver hair, so I created this video to explain w. All these point to it being time to stop coloring it but I am terrified. My hairdresser (who wants to be supportive) warned me that some people are going to ask if I'm his grandmother, which does worry me a bit, but I'm hoping to keep myself current and fashionable enough to not look like a dowdy granny. i am on facebok if anyone wants to be friends , i am married age 54 i recently got my hair cut really short hopefully 1 more cut and i can find a gray type color to help accent what i want my hair to look like, i buy some products at sallys beauty supply, but some stores carry some of the products for gray hair. Apr 25, 2019 - Feeling blah while going gray? Cheeks - When going gray, blush is your best friend. SITE CREDIT. During a period of depression, I colored it and had so many comments about how it took off ten years of my age. We should feel good about ourselves as a whole, physically and mentally. For women who want to go gray cold turkey or who have always used hair color from a box at the drugstore, Vaczi and Crosby offered some tips. This is more of an option for lighter-haired people. I get compliments often on my color! I love the white that frames my face as my hair grows between clouring appointments. She went grey cold turkey with long hair and looks fabulous! . People would say you look so much younger with the blonde. On average, for mid length to long hair cold turkey grow-out, it takes about 20 months. i guess i am afraid to give that up- personally and professionally. I hate the blonde and am debating colouring it back to dark brown and starting over in March. Today. Here are a few ways to make your cold turkey gray hair transition fun and easy! I haven't been happy with the color of my highlights and their tendency towards brassiness for many years, so about 6 months ago, I decided to go cold turkey. COLD TURKEY: PIXIE CUT. 3 years ago I did what many of my friends thought was crazy and foolish. I look at this blog every night when I come home from work. YOU CAN DO IT LADIES, , DO NOT LET ANYONE FORCE YOU BACK TO DYE. Also a good check up, especially a thyroid test would be a good idea.Mari, After much soul searching Ive decided to go gray! Have a weird yellow bit on top even though my hair was brown . I have received positive comments to date excepting only my origianl hairdresser. For me, deciding to go grey was the outward manifestation of deciding to be real. Anyone want to buy a few boxes of dye, cause Im never going back!! So I'm doing it. HOW TO GO GRAY FROM DYED HAIR. Copyright disclaimer: All content is written by Joli A. Campbell or Guests, that content belongs to QuickSilverHair or the respected author. At that time, there really wasnt much out there. Glad i went foxy white gray after years of abusing my hair with dyes. I'll take a good long time sitting on the fence, but once I make a decision, that's it. Wed love to know the name of the product your hairstylist uses! Sadly my hair started to yellow.did not know about purple shampoos or the damage the sun was causing. My husband's hair is snow white and beautiful. Going, Going, GRAY! What changed? Which ever way you choose to go with your gray hair Seattle be sure you only make this transition with a seasoned stylist. The most popular theory was repeated by the San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen in 1978: "It derives from the hideous combination of goosepimples [sic] and what William Burroughs calls 'the cold burn' that addicts suffer as they kick the habit." In Cop Speak: The Lingo of Law Enforcement and Crime, Tom . Firstly, I decided to get my hair cut short - it had been in a bob style. I very soon discovered that there was a strong movement going on on Instagram! Wow, it has been so inspiring to just sit and read all the encouraging posts on here. Question Two: What is the fastest way to get completely gray hair? Not everyone has self-confidence, but it is attainable to us all. My hairdresser was very supportive of my decision, as was my husband. So thankful and inspired from all these comments. Its a little healthier. My hair is colored dark brown so it REALLY looks funny with 1/2 or more of gray! Lisa is the founder of The New Knew. Rookies (and I used to be one!) I am so sick and tired of coloring my hair and 2 weeks later I dont like it. My problem is that Im SO impatient for the old colored hair to grow out. We want all of these people to feel supported, educated, and empowered. I am reading this and it speaks as if it was I speaking. I went 'cold turkey, ' and it took me about a year, with a lot of patience, to grow out the dyed colored hair. By going cold turkey, a person's body can begin to recover immediately from the damage the substance was causing. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. In my twenties I would frost it to give it some style. Why in the world do I want to look like Im in my twenties? So if you do speak to someone, please make sure that person has had experience with transitioning gray. Again, my hair grows fast, We cut at least an eighth to a quarter of an inch off every month, and, more sometimes depending on what length/style I want. I had a 25 square scarf on hand, so I folded it and tied it around my head, with the know beneath the pony. I just ran acrossed it today. That is what I am thinking of doing this week. Not all stylists/colorists are created equal either, my semi permanent was applied at the salon who had assured me it would wash out.. Not so, unfortunately. I am active and happy and I am not the color of my hair !! Growing out your grey is a process. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I didnt start coloring my hair until I was 45 and at that point I was probably 1/4 to 1/3 gray. Product information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It was literally; WTF am I doing??!! Thank you all for being there. To begin with, it was a trend that was spurred on by the pandemic. Honestly, once you decide to go gray and you get through the first 6 months or so, it gets so much easier! I must say the hardest part for me was the patience. I have been tempted to hit color, but I keep reminding my self, that anything worth having usually takes time and patients. We added highlights, then low-lights, for 6 months or so as I was not open to cold turkey.. 3) I did not want to go gray quickly . i also look for products online too!! I had expected to keep adding some color low-lights for contrast, but really liked my own color. In many places, it still is, for men at least. Of course you can wear cute hats, scarves and headbands. We agree that going gray does not mean not taking care of yourself. But, then we wondered how we could take this virtual experience and bring it into the real world, so we decided to create a business. And, this was the basis to deciding to bring the virtual silver community into the real world and create a convention: Silvercon! I work out and eat well. So, I get my hair cut every month regardless of which length Im keeping it. Apparently, if the color you are transitioning away from is almost black, like mine was, this would cause irreversible damage to the hair, and it would cost lots of money and time! But, I do think gray hair can be so beautiful and cool looking. . Bypassing the entire grow-out by either shaving your head or getting a cute shortie or pixie cut. Through interviews, field experiments, and her own everywoman's chronicle, Kreamer probes the issues behind two of the biggest fears aging women face: . Recognizing that I have more to offer than a pretty face has led me to considering living simpler. How long does it take to fully grow out gray hair naturally? Do the Full Transition to Gray Hair your way. Hair grows out to 1.5 cm per month, thus, after a few months, you will have a complete gray hairstyle and a new exciting look. I'm glad I joined this website. Guest contributor Denise ONeill shares her story on how to go gray. From dark brown to silver was too major and went with a short feathered cut which I have kept. I tried it: Going gray. I got the half size. Something about turning 50 that made a shift in my psyche. So, here i go and I think this time I won't start coloring again. My transition to gray hasnt only shown me the plan nature had with me and my silver strands., but it also has shown me what I am capable of doing. These past few years were simultaneously the most difficult, most scary, most rewarding, and most freeing of all. I never dyed my whole head, just had lowlights but in, but I still ended up with a white part. all my best to you ladies out there who are going this route too- more power to ya! Lets make some change. What is the least painful way to go gray? . Of course, this is not trueI really cared! Now I am older and the contrast doesnt look as beautiful anymore. One evening, I was on FB, and a page popped up, Going Gray, Looking Great. At this time there was no more highlighted color, just my natural hair. I started colouring for real by the time I was in my mid-twenties. In the light some of my gray hair strands show sparkly silver glints and as a result I now wear brighter colours that I've not worn before and silver jewellery. How sad that instead of celebrating what time has done in our lives, instead of appreciating the beauty that can only be earned by time, we try to stay stuck in the past, in our youth. Not all women have the guts to carry the two-toned hair for 15-20 months. A proven go-to hairstyle for growing out gray hair is also one or two French braids. And, I still wouldnt have the color I was expecting! wonder when/if I will! If you have the same ideas about feminine beauty and want to join our community of like-minded women, visit our community of silver sisters (www.silversistersinternational.com) and follow us on Instagram. Turned 50 this year and have lost some weight and just decided its time to be healthy and fit. Also joined Gray and Proud! Id developed an allergic reaction to dye after dyeing it every 2.5 to 3 weeks for countless years. Rachel, research coordinator at UC San Diego. Most comments come from strangers, and I feel flattered and honored to now know that I have inspired or encouraged some women to go gray, as well! First month I tried using a semi-permanent dye. Last summer, when I decided I would be retiring this spring, I knew I needed to revamp my budget. Every four weeks it was time for a touch-up. I think grey is beautiful I just needed the courage to do it. Head up darlings, or your crown slips. What I dread is the transition.