When I finally found ME, I was both confused and ecstatic! It washes out after a few washes if you are too heavy handed but takes away all the yellow at a fraction of the costs of going top the salon.. thanks for creating this blog! All submissions for consideration: info@grombre.com (include your IG) 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. It gives me hope that I might find a way to live with it! Good luck, Hi, I just turned 52 and retired from 30 years of teaching. I dont want to look like I am letting myself go. young. Sooo.tried it again and my stylist made the cocktail a little stronger and left it on longer.huge mistake! I decided to ditch the dye at the age of 45 for a number of reasons. How long does it take to fully grow out gray hair naturally? Hi I'm 48 and suddenly I just don't feel me, being brunette. Why I'm Going Gray. I opted for the short pixie to grow out my grey 12 months ago. I am reading this and it speaks as if it was I speaking. This past 2-3 months has been a very good exercise in patience and humility. Ive changed so many bad habits, use hood clean products, I dont over-brush, I always use a clip no hair ties, I wash my hair 1-2x a week because its dry, I use masks on my hair I can only think this dye is damaging my hair. Im only 44 and dont want to be viewed as old or frail, which I definitely am not! My nutty calico-colored hair doesn't bother me in the least - in . A business with endless ideas of how we can support other women on this journey of truly living our authentic selves. Something about turning 50 that made a shift in my psyche. We cut through the marketing B.S. I had expected to keep adding some color low-lights for contrast, but really liked my own color. Color correction, cold turkey, shave your head, try a pixie.Whatever floats your boat. The next fastest is a pixie cut. The only thing that bothers me is i will have to cut my long curly hair. Hoping I have the courage to do this. 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. you go girl what ever gets it done ;-)) your a brave lady ;-)). On rocking it: When I was in middle and high school, I was insecure about the rate at which my hair was turning gray. But this journey that started with hair ultimately became so much more. I had a 25 square scarf on hand, so I folded it and tied it around my head, with the know beneath the pony. Anyway, long story short, I took the plunge, and could not be happier with the results. Instead of highlighting my hair blond, she highlighted my hair silver and gray. I got my hair highlighted with 60-80 foils, cut/styled. Right now I am at 7 weeks and for me the roots color is a cool shade while my blonde is brassy. He is a silver fox and very supportive. The first months were the hardest because it was so weird to see my gray/silver roots grown in. I have gotten nothing but positive comments, and to be honest it was quite liberating! I have always been obsessed with my gray hair since I started growing them in at 19-years-oldand not in a good way. Being myself, accepting myself and not caring about other peoples opinions that was the true self I was about to embrace completely, I went to my hair salon and asked them to lighten my hair. If you have wavy or curly hair, rock it! I was ready to take the plunge. Gray Pixie Haircuts. One thing you can consider is getting a clear gloss dye applied. My hair is very long and dyed dark brown and my roots are growing out gray with silver highlights. It's fun to cut about 1/2 inch per month and watch the grey take over. 3. The most drastic part of this whole process was coloring it the dark brunette in September. I just want to be myself now. SITE CREDIT. Katie at Katie Goes Platinum has many full transition stories including mine on her blog. I will be turning 40 next month and have been going grey since I was 16 (Early grey runs in my family). Here are six reasons for going cold turkey with long . What happened to my hair! Hey, gals - it has been TWENTY-ONE freaking months of growing out my grey hair cold turkey. I look forward to having long, natural hair once again. Now, I am proud of meat 53, Im finally comfortable in my own skin, and hopefully, my own hair! The transition was difficult but totally worth it. SACHAJUAN Silver Shampoo, 8.4 Fl Oz (Pack of 1) Add to Cart . I could feeeeeel that I wasnt that girl. I went on a great adventure to find myself. 29 following. I love the white that frames my face as my hair grows between clouring appointments. Explore. Now I have to start again. I'm doing it because it grows in every 2 weeks, its exhausting and tedious. I very soon discovered that there was a strong movement going on on Instagram! Maybe you can relate. I realized as I read through the articles and comments that feeling the need to color and cover was from my desire to fit in and please everyone else. I loved it. I felt like I want to rebel against anything that inauthentic. I love all of these women ! Thank you. If your hair is already a few months into the transition. Your email address will not be published. Honestly, its a thing! Im not. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It is so healthy, and actual looks so much prettier on me than my dyed hair ever did. Lisa is the founder of The New Knew. Product information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Around the age of 45 she asked me, now, *why* do you only want highlights/lowlights instead of color? I've been coloring every 2 to 3 weeks for over 20 yrs. My hairdresser said we would have to lifts my hair so much it would turn brittle and break off soI took her word for it. There wasnt much thinking behind my decision; I had just had enough. Be well. But why did I never question the idea that we have to cover gray hair? Contrary to popular belief, stress has not been shown to cause gray hair. Thanks, Kramerdog! My name is Lisa. I relapsed oonce or twice last year I am seeing a lot of gray once again I am now age 55 I turn 56 in april, I have a little aubturn on the ends, I am pretty gray in my top of my head and sides. I guess this will be a journey and ill probably have to come and read your wonderful posts often for encouragement!! I was thrilled and somewhat curious about how my real hair color would look. I was frustrated by the fact that I was having to color it every two weeks to get rid of the new grey regrowth coming through and I resented putting chemicals onto my scalp which might not be a healthy thing to do. What if its ugly? People have mentioned the grey especially round the face and a large patch which you can see when I put my hair up but now I just say yep we are all getting older. It has been one year since I have not dyed my hair and there were times when I considered starting again and I am now at that point of no return. The 3rd month was my breakthrough; I got a pixie haircut! 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). Make sure you feel strong enough to deter the most negative comments.Im hardheaded, so when I make up my mind to do something, its going to happen. To give myself the opportunity to officially say goodbye. Your email address will not be published. Blue Grey Hair. Its shiny & lovely after I color but that fades and then I need to color again. xo, Lisa. I'm 37 and have been growing it out since Jan. 1st 2014 and have received nothing but compliments from both men and women. Among people who try to quit smoking cold turkey on their own, only 3 to 5 out of 100 stay off cigarettes long-term. Little by little we will change the world! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, it! I started colouring for real by the time I was in my mid-twenties. #greyhair #grayhair #goinggray #over50beauty besides, living in Vermont makes it easier too- women here seem to be more natural. . Another poster mentioned that one had to change their color palate, but that's fun and I don't mind. It took me 20 months, and I was done just before my 46th birthday. It's going to take some time and just like growing out a . Hi Roxanne My husband is also behind me in my decision. My decision was based on repeated allergic reactions (that were steadily progressing to a sever breathing emergency) to dye. By Lindsy Van Gelder. Using some of the root cover-up products temporarily. Hello everyone I am a new member of the silver club just three weeks in. Roots show and all around my face as well. I had been coloring my hair every 3 weeks for over a decade. I don't like myself in short hair, so, I bit the bullet and decided to go gray cold turkey. It is used when a person suddenly stops consuming a substance such as alcohol, tobacco, or another drug, instead of gradually . My husband is totally behind me so that will help. So the following month I made a hair appointment anddyed my hair. if you decide to go gray do not let others bring you down i did that for a few years but no more!!! This can be your sister, mom, friend, husband, wife or finding anyone else who is going gray to connect with. The hair care content is also for educational use, I am not a hair care professional or dermatologist, please be careful with your hair and skin. This is the most gentle technique next to cold turkey. All subscribers are eligible for the annual giveaway on Dec. 1st. I purchased a great book at this time, and it really helped me to keep going: Going Gray by Anne Kreamer. I wasnt feeling good with my hair dye, so I made the decision to stop using it. The reaction wasnt satisfying at all. 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 . And I was a die-hard. Tips for Going Gray. Its a little healthier. The men in my family are a little harder to get through too. This question is one many have and need an answer to that is a visual representation so they can see what start to finish looks like. My hair now naturally, has a salt and pepper look to it. QuickSilverHair is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I am literally crying at the thought of it even though its ME thats the driving force. I couldnt help myself. But its always there if I need it. Im now 48 (49 in a couple months) and am so over all of it! Id developed an allergic reaction to dye after dyeing it every 2.5 to 3 weeks for countless years. Rock it! thats how i ended up putting auburn dye in my hair last year no more!!!! I have no clue whats under there but Im excited to find out. I remember my friends being helpful by pulling out my gray strands in high-school. Right now my hair is dark brown with Carmel highlights, is quite long and has very loose waves and ringlets. Sadly my hair started to yellow.did not know about purple shampoos or the damage the sun was causing. I love this blog and have been enjoying reading about everyones various experiences. I have a short pixie hair cut already so I know growing it out will go quickly. That day, that woman not comfortable in her own skin, terrified somebody could spot her grays, decided to embrace her natural hair. Some of these approaches include: 1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new hair and wold never go back to colour. Martha Truslow Smith created Going grey with (grohm)(bray) in 2016 with a simple, yet difficult mission: to start a different dialogue . Could a normal, every day woman feel beautiful going gray? So, after looking at many, many gray-hairedwomen on the internet I took the plunge with the help of my supportive, skilled stylist. Turns out, a lot of women are sick and tired of society pressuring them into spending precious hours and dollars in hair salons. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can transition without looking like I stopped taking care of myself? I still feel that maintaining good health, grooming and diet are now as important as ever. This sit and wait it out method worked well for me. Let us know how things go. Please ladies, understand how that looks!!! For me, deciding to go grey was the outward manifestation of deciding to be real. Cut it as you want. I must say that I do have to remember to take care of myself better for yesterday I was rushing to get out of the house and forgot to blend my sunscreen and put on my tinted chap stick without lookingI looked in the rear view mirror in horror.. But that being said, its not 2 years of hats, scarves and hiding. I would get compliments all the time on the gray!!!! It's great. I'm in month 2-3 and it's going better than i thought. "For my hair, I need a lot of moistureI started going gray when I was 15, so every three . So I gave it a go. I got to experiment with different colors, until the age of 30, when I just chose to dye it what I thought was my natural color: dark brown. Going cold turkey is an inexpensive way to transition to natural gray hair as it does not require any salon visits or the use of any harsh chemicals. In my 30s a few grey strands showed, and it helped to hide them. I just decided to go cold turkey, and let the ugly warm brown tones grow out without tampering with the color. You can always dye it if you dont like it, LOL. My only thing now is that I do relax my hair and my gray hair looks its best when it is just relaxed. I felt that I looked like I was letting myself gothat I didnt care about how I looked. But even if the Internet culture is moving toward a change in mentality and generating debate about what we should consider beautiful or not, the social norms to which weve subscribed are so anchored in some of us that its really difficult to break free from them. L. Laura Patterson. So after a few more color sessions on the length only -Balayage- I was done! I stopped dyeing my hair in September 2017, after thinking about it for several years. I am so happy I came across it. When I mentioned it to my 18 yr old daughter she talked me out of it. We should feel good about ourselves as a whole, physically and mentally. Makes me laugh. Over the last 10 years or so, my stylist has highlighted it every 3rd visit to help mask the gray roots when they come in. RELATED: For more, check out 10 Ways to Grow Out Gray Hair. Be prepared to be a bit purple until you get it right! I love wisdom of the sages. Hope it goes well, I really want to stop the madness! As I said, I planned to retire when I turned 52 meaning a cut in pay, so, in August, I asked my stylist, what approach we needed to take to allow the grey to take over. I told my children and my boyfriend on my 53rd birthday. My colorist has said when Im ready shell help me grow it out!! But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The next thing I knew I heard myself say, Hi! It happened 6 years ago, I was 42. Thank everyone so much for the encouragement; so glad I found this site. Cold turkey, she decided to find out. Now that I am fully transitioned, I enjoy the freedom of truly being me. Help! For a very long time, my hair will be two tones and I am not sure what I will look like. Hopefully this site has given you some inspiration. It will be a relief to see my hair as it really is and not fret over the white line in the middle of my head after 2 weeks. I think I may look better al natural. She is married with a daughter and a son and works as a part-time administrative assistant. Its mostly silver-white on top with brown and some blond underneath. COLD TURKEY: LONG HAIR. My advice to anyone wanting to free herself from hair dye: make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. Black Hair. When a person goes cold turkey, the body and brain are deprived of the effects of alcohol and require time and support to adjust to life without the substance. The bold and sexy feathered hairstyle looks so natural and relaxed. However, I remembered how pretty my mothers hair was when she stopped coloring and allowed her grey to come in and, I had a couple friends and cousins who were allowing their grey to shine. Four weeks later, I got an even shorter pixie cut! I have a grown daughter (20 yrs old) and one still in elementary school (probably part of the reason I feel the need to still dye my hair). 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. I have used their images and names with their permission. to help you discover lifestyle and beauty products that are better for you and better for the planet. I wanted to ditch the chemicals. This sound like me. It helped but did not lift it all. I shamelessly ignored it for quite a long time, until April 2016 my first and only grow-out attempt! When autocomplete results are available use up and down . This means no touch-ups or anything, except for a haircut here and there. Somehow going back to my natural self has impacted on every aspect of my life and I feel so much easier in my own skin. I must say the hardest part for me was the patience. Octocurl Soft Heatless Hair Curlers Product Review, This is the ONE Downside to Going Gray from Dyed Hair. One day I caught myself fantasizing about going gray. I tried it: Going gray. Back in the day, gray hair used to be associated with wisdom and knowledge. Its working beautifully. My only regret is that I didntstop dyeing it sooner.In my collage, you can see that I tended to straighten my frizzy wavy hair. I think my hair was trying to tell me to stop and accept being naturally lovely. I hate the blonde and am debating colouring it back to dark brown and starting over in March. I just chose to go gray cold turkey, no color corrections, no interfering in my natural grow-out process even if this surely wasnt the most stylish solution. 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 . The plan was to frost it again in a few months if it needed better blending-but we didnt need to. Have a weird yellow bit on top even though my hair was brown . Thanks dad. I thought to myself, Stop fighting it, let the color grow out and see what I really look like. Wonderful! This is a movement. Full Highlight, Toner & Haircut. My thought is that this will allow the grey to grow in while still maintaining a professional image. 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! I just chose to go gray cold turkey, no color corrections, no interfering in my natural grow-out process even if this surely wasn't the most stylish solution Anyone who has started going gray knows that this doesn't happen overnight; it's a process that seems to take forever, and you have good and bad days. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I have long hair, so underneath my old dyed hair is about three quarters a way down and the grey is coming through naturally, The colours she is using on top blend in beautifully (using a mixture of high and lowlights and she will use different shades each time). More here! Rookies (and I used to be one!) The cold turkey method involves letting your gray hair grow as it is without putting any effort. ! NO!! She was awesome and very helpful. 243K followers. I got scared off by negative men and career worries the first two times, yet I had abundant evidence that the people who matter to me thought it looked great and were proud of me. Most people dont even noticeexcept men, who find it attractive. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated. At this point, I was unstoppable; I was determined and excited about my new path! Octocurl Soft Heatless Hair Curlers Product Review, This is the ONE Downside to Going Gray from Dyed Hair. I use 2 different colors. I loaded boards up on Pinterest of gray haired beauties like Yazemeenah, Cindy Joseph, Linda Rodin, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Also, a vitamin B-12 . She went grey cold turkey with long hair and looks fabulous! I have been thinking about letting my gray grow out for several months. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I have very black dyed hair so the skunk thing is very obvious! So I'm doing it. Vaczi said to stop using shampoo that is for color . Dallas isn't a city where you want to go out looking not great. I'm so glad I found this website to encourage me to keep going. On average, hair grows half an inch a month. What changed? But for my personality and my temperament, the cold turkey grow out was the only option I considered. Grey Hair With Bangs. Aveda Blonde Revival Purple Toning Shampoo 200ml. I love this blog! Please do not copy or redistribute anything from this site without further permission. I hate hate, hate doing it anymore. Hi Jennifer! We cant tell you how many women tell us that they become male magnets after they go gray or silver. Shave your head, no seriously. I was DONE! At the same time, box braids seem to be the best hairstyle for black women growing out gray hair. Thank you so much for this website! Lots of women have thought I have my hair professionally colored grey due to the sal and pepper back. I'm now almost 43, and I'm about . Curious to hear more about going gray, I spoke with four women of different ages. I didn't though. I love reading your article. For me, deciding to go grey was the outward manifestation of deciding to be real. Overall I would say months 2-5 are probably the hardest because you walk around looking like you missed a hair appointment. Its like the boyfriend you broke up with but you get together with that one last time just to kind of make it all final. It's the surgeries, the hair dying, the going to the ends of the earth to find the proverbial fountain of youth.All of this is creating skewed expectations of what a 40-year-old woman should look like. And then there is the cold turkey method which I personally chose to do. Photo by Carolyn Simpson Hair by Donna Dellaero, Donna Hair Design. I promise you, once you know those things, the negativity of the world may still sting sometimes, but it cant break you. We agree that going gray does not mean not taking care of yourself. Why in the world do I want to look like Im in my twenties? In those 3 years, Ive learned that nothing about who I am has changed. Once I made up my mind that I was going to go gray, I just had to lean into perseverance after that. I'm not sure how I'll deal with it when I start looking like a skunk, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I was so scared that I would look like a witchone of those on a broomstick. I am 55 years old and in the process of transitioning to natural. The amazing women in my life tell me every day how stunning and sophisticated I look. blond, he told me my hair looked awesome and that my roots were a beautiful color. My hair stylist and I came up with a plan to grow my gray out gradually. One of the best decisions about me I have made. A kinder term for this is "grombre" now a major hashtag on Instagram, where women trade tips and help mentor others through the process. My most favorite feeling is when the wind blows, I no longer worry about my roots showing. I just turned 50 in June and I have decided to ditch the dye. It made me jealous how good his hair looks and there's no monthly upkeep. Hahaha! QuickSilverHair is a Registered Trademark of QuickSilver Moon, LLC. I noticed too that, as is normal for women of the peri-/menopausal phase of life, my hair was getting a little thinner, especially at the front so my scalp was more visible through the dyed hair. No more expense, no more time spent in the coloring process, no more fretting over gray roots every two weeks. We cover everything from clean beauty to sustainablefashion to natural wine, organic mattresses and more. I'm going to go grey/silver again this is my second time letting it grow in. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. How did you do it? Not all women have the guts to carry the two-toned hair for 15-20 months. Will switching from permanent to semi-permanent dye make my transition to gray easier? I made the decision to embrace my silver hair just after my 48th birthday. I guess I feel insecure and afraid of rejection or just being invisible. I get compliments often on my color! Thank you all. . But..I know I look older than mid 50s, yet Im healthy but older. To add insult to injury we are going on a cruise together in February celebrating our 25th and I want to look fabulous! What do you eat??? I knew I was ready and I did it cold turkey. Joni's grey hair transition started when she was in her 50s, and tired of dyeing. Yes! Our first step was to create a convention, #SILVERCON, that will be happening in July of 2020 in L.A. I was shocked to find that embracing my grey hair would be a positive and strangely freeing experience. I strongly felt like shedding everything that wasnt truly me. I sit here with a huge desire to do it but the doubt that I have the strength and perserverance to stick with it.