What it’s Really Like Going Grey
Last month, I had a really fancy opportunity to help shoot a video about letting your hair go grey. I’ve battled it for years and I reached that point where the hair in front of my face was just too platinum to fight anymore. But I wasn’t sure what to do. Luckily I work for a really cool organization that focuses on every bit of life as we age. Going gray is one of those so my boss thought to feature my “going grey” process in a video. To do that, I had a chance to work with Katy at Cristophe Salon in Washington, DC to get rid of the dye line I had grown after I stopped dying my hair for three months.
Katy used highlights and lowlights based on my roots to get rid of the line and teach me how to take better care of my hair. It’s all about the texture, my friends.
Now that it’s more than a month since my hair makeover, I had to share some of the things I’ve learned about this transition:
1. Everyone wants to talk about going grey. And not just women. Men and women of all ages want to talk about this process. Before getting my new look, I’ve had very little reason to focus on my hair. I have kept everything very easy since I have other things I’d rather focus on. But with the new hair, I’m working on treating it better. I tend to style it after a wash. I also tend to fall into conversations about it all the time.
2. There’s a camaraderie with other women who took the gray plunge. I bumped into my new friend, Margit, after I spoke at an event during SXSW and I had to talk to her. Her hair is fabulous and kind of mirrors mine. There’s a bit of a smile and a nod in the grey hair world. It’s very interesting.
3. So many women tell me they’re too afraid to do what I’m doing. Some say they won’t look young, so they won’t make the change. Others say it will just be too much work. Others say they just don’t want to do it yet. But really, so many other women tell me they want to go grey but they worry how it will affect them culturally at work and on a daily basis.
4. Eyebrows are really a big deal. I’m not kidding. Keeping watch on my eyebrows and the colors appear to really make a difference with my lighter hair color. I’m going to keep focusing on caring for my brows. (See, I really have started caring a little more about myself since this experience.)
What kind of questions or thoughts do you have? I’ve had fun so far and I haven’t had to do a thing about my hair color. Knowing I don’t have to battle the grey but work with it can really be a relief.
Good for you! My grays are sneaky and popping up randomly, and are of a totally different texture than my “regular” hair. I’m going to look like a madwoman when it all goes gray!
You look great! For awhile I was getting highlights to try to blend the gray in, but I’ve stopped. My hair grows fast, and I was always terrified of dealing with the dreaded grow-out line so I never colored my gray. Also…
Eyebrows! I think they are so important. I realized several years ago that my eyebrows were thinning and it was making me look weird. And then I noticed that I have a higher percentage of gray in my eyebrows than in the hair on my head. I’ve been very fortunate that I’m going gray very slowly, but I’ll be doing something to my eyebrows for the rest of my life.
I get way more complimentary comments about my hair since I quit coloring it. Of course the compliments are from ladies who have a good 15 years on me, but i figure that just makes them wiser! I cant wait for summer sun to lighten it a bit more…and those highlights are free!
@Diana – I’ll take any and all compliments!
I am one of those who started going gray early – like at 29! It was a hereditary thing. But since I really didn’t want to look like my Mom when I looked at my own reflection so early in life, I began the process of getting it colored. Brunette with auburn highlights, the natural color of my younger days. I colored it right up until about 3 years ago (at age 54) when I first learned I would become a grandmother for the first time. I decided it was time to let the NOW natural silver/white hair appear!
To help ease the transition, though, my hairdresser helped with a plan that I continued until about a year ago, with using a light blonde highlight. It helped tone down the darker colored hair, and made the now silver/white hair less shocking in appearance until everyone around me – and I, myself – got used to it!
My hair started going gray at 18! It’s a battle I’m so glad to stop fighting.
I keep dying mine because I have a scar on my head and when I don’t color it looks to thin.
Jen, your hair looks great with the way it’s highlighted. I’m afraid to go gray but maybe one day.
I dye mine and it’s expensive, time consuming and a hassle. I am waiting for the day I embrace the gray. It hasn’t happened yet.
I will be dye free 2 years on Labor Day, and I love it! I’ve been asked if I had the white streaks done at the salon. So happy to not be spending that money!