My nutty calico-colored hair doesn't bother me in the least - in . thank you for the words of support, Joy. I wasnt afraid; I was excited! I have never loved my hair more. She went grey cold turkey with long hair and looks fabulous! Bec Wilson. Well, no! I havent been ready to feel like I look old but seeing so many women who look terrific with gray hair like Helen Mirren is encouraging. To give myself the opportunity to officially say goodbye. My going gray journey. I really like my new, natural hair color and I LOVE saving time and money that used to be spent dying my hair! 5. 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 hardest part about going gray was actually deciding to go gray in the first place, committingto the process, and just starting. There are SEVERAL ways you can grow our your colored hair to your natural gray hair. I would say its a solid 9 months to 1 year of making due and then another year of just waiting it out. All Images in this blog belong to the women in the picture, myself, or were used with purchase or commercial permissions. My point in all this is, this hair journey can be about more than hair. I am embracing aging in very apparent way. Don't worry your friends come around eventually. I thought it would be a good solution for me too but now have come to find out that my hair has been stained and so the 10 months I thought I had under my belt is now starting anew. it has good reviews. Product information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. One way people cope with quitting smoking cold turkey is learning to recognize the triggers that make them want to smoke. , You have many options from highlights and low-lights to pixie cuts. Quitting addictive drugs such as heroin can be much harder cold turkey. I never questioned what I was putting on my scalp, 3-4 times a month, or even considered quitting despite it causing severe hair loss and itching. 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. Now that I am fully transitioned, I enjoy the freedom of truly being me. I went 'cold turkey, ' and it took me about a year, with a lot of patience, to grow out the dyed colored hair. Why I'm Going Gray. Also joined Gray and Proud! I have absolutely no regrets. At this point, I was unstoppable; I was determined and excited about my new path! A New Going-Gray Solution. I sit here with a huge desire to do it but the doubt that I have the strength and perserverance to stick with it. That is what I am thinking of doing this week. Right now my hair is dark brown with Carmel highlights, is quite long and has very loose waves and ringlets. Anyone who has started going gray knows that this doesnt happen overnight; its a process that seems to take forever, and you have good and bad days. For a very long time, my hair will be two tones and I am not sure what I will look like. 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. Approximately one year and three months into the grey hair transition, the overall effect is, er, patchy. . PS the relief of not doing my hair every two/three weeks is worth the 60 I spend on a t section blow dry and cut every 8 weeks do the maths x. Hello. More ideas here! . And check out a few of the support groups on Facebook. People are saying it will age me, but as been shared, I feel the brown dye is ageing me. I asked my hairdresser, if possible, to color my hair closer to my roots, so as not to have to color it as often, and jump on that trend. I am now torn on what I should do to grow it out, although this time form blonde not dark brown. These how-to steps will get you started as you go from your cover-it-up-color to the gray . I just want to keep going. It was absolutely terrifying. As I searched the internet some more, I found that natural grey looked even prettier than dyed grey. Thanks, Leigh!! I found my first gray hair at the age of 11, and since my dad went gray at a young age and I only knew him when he was gray, this didnt surprise me much. Try low-lighting or highlighting your hair to blend in your new growth with your existing hair color. I remember my friends being helpful by pulling out my gray strands in high-school. I havent mentioned it to anyone else. Was it hard? I am 55 and have dyed it for about 8 years with semi permanent. I have since found a new salon. This is the first time visiting the web site.. 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. For me, deciding to go grey was the outward manifestation of deciding to be real. I've never colored before, but lately have been tempted as people do comment on the grey. maybe your stylist could highlight more towards the ends and less closer to the roots to blend into the gray? I have dyed my hair black since I was a teenager, I have light skin and blue eyes and the contrast was beautiful. I got the half size. This means no touch-ups or anything, except for a haircut here and there. I wasn't, although I believed I was at the time. My grandmother had snow white hair and so does my mother. I am 64 years old and a Qigong teacher- hoping to show the world that we can age with health. Nevertheless, I have decided to go natural gray/white hair and have done some chemical peels for my face, body exfoliation for good measure, and physically getting into shape; practicing Aikido Martial Art(Brown Belt) and weight training to tighten various places, let to the imagination. Thank you, and good luck to all of is going gray gracefully and we are going to be beautiful. Rock it! Im now 48 (49 in a couple months) and am so over all of it! Services: Full Highlight $145. Help Is on the Way! I no longer worry about what others think, I have fun creating sassy looks, and I have more confidence than ever before. My hair stopped falling out, my scalp felt better, the dye was drying it out, and my hair was shinier. 2. It took approximately 9 months to fully transition but it was so worth it. The idea that different countries have different standards of beauty is a widely accepted one. my hair grows fast, so after we colored it dark (what was my natural hair color) then we allowed time for the roots to grow enough that she could pick up and highlight from the root all the way out. Contrary to popular belief, stress has not been shown to cause gray hair. HOW TO GO GRAY FROM DYED HAIR. So many gorgeous greys! Will switching from permanent to semi-permanent dye make my transition to gray easier? I just dont want to be looked at as a grandma way before my time. Like every time I walk last a mirror or look in my rear view mirror I am like, holy cow! And, my hair was healthy looking. I consider myself a feminist. Today. Have been dyeing it blonde for years. It was the best choice I've made and the transition will be difficult in the beginning but I swear I go on Pinterest and look up pictures of women with gray hair as inspiration when I feel the need to turn back , This is my third time going gray, and I believe that this will be the last time. My thought is that this will allow the grey to grow in while still maintaining a professional image. I owe so much to Anne she gave me great hope and confidence to carry on. Photo courtesy of Michelle Ortiz. 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. I had 7 children, and the oldest 3 were in their late teens. "For my hair, I need a lot of moistureI started going gray when I was 15, so every three . Its undeniable that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It just is. After getting hi & low lights to make the transition less painful I've found the lipstick type color touch up sticks are definitely helping. In that moment, she kinda blew my world open. I just found you when I started looking for help on going gray. Another poster mentioned that one had to change their color palate, but that's fun and I don't mind. 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 . Im 56 and am seriously considering stopping the coloring and the highlighting! My husband is very supportive of whatever I decide. PROS AND CONS OF GOING GRAY COLD TURKEY WITH LONG HAIR. You can try Balayage which is lightening your ends. For me it is about finding my identity in something other than outer beauty. My hair is colored dark brown so it REALLY looks funny with 1/2 or more of gray! For more information on going gray naturally, you can follow along here where Ive journaled about my experience along they way. It took a year to complete grow out but so worth it. I am so happy I came across it. I had been considering going grey and so, this was the perfect time to attempt it as I could save a lot by not having my hair colored. get a regular trim every six to eight weeks to keep your hair healthy and growing. When I go out, though, I make sure I have lipstick and earrings on and look put together. Once I started, I found it very exciting to see my natural colors emerge. Be prepared to take more selfies than you have ever done! 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! 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. thats how i ended up putting auburn dye in my hair last year no more!!!! In the country I now live, people seem to be more relaxed about their looks and tend to judge less or not care at all about how others look. I have once again colored my hair because of negative feelings about being grey. Also, a vitamin B-12 . Reading these posts convinces me it is the right choice. Rock it! If you had asked me a year ago, I would have instantly replied that it wasn't for me. Now I can say that going gray and loving it is a reality. Toner $50. Why in the world do I want to look like Im in my twenties? Check out my first 18 months here. i did the same, i brought back all my dye and said I am EMBRACING my grey..sorry if you dont like but I am ready.plain and simple.. We added highlights, then low-lights, for 6 months or so as I was not open to cold turkey.. Give up??? How To Survive Going Gray: The First Year: Tips, Tricks & HacksThis is everything I could think to say about my year of transitioning to gray. 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 knew I could save a lot of money by not doing color anymore, but, I didnt want a line she suggested we color my hair one more time, but go dark to match my natural brunette color, cut it pixie short and then wait one month and frost it (long enough to allow the roots to show so she could match and also so it was not over processed). In many places, it still is, for men at least. Finally, there is no right or wrong way to do this Full Transition to Gray Hair; there is only your way. I strongly felt like shedding everything that wasnt truly me. In my twenties I would frost it to give it some style. So, I get my hair cut every month regardless of which length Im keeping it. I promise you, once you know those things, the negativity of the world may still sting sometimes, but it cant break you. I purchased a great book at this time, and it really helped me to keep going: Going Gray by Anne Kreamer. I have always been obsessed with my gray hair since I started growing them in at 19-years-oldand not in a good way. I cut ties with people and places that have not been serving me. My very expensive and expert colorist advises that it is nearly impossible to remove all of the semi-permanent color from my hair and it cannot be returned to gray just by removing it. I got a lot of positive and negative comments. We went on a cruise and between the salt in the ocean and sun bleaching out some of my dk. At what age should you stop dyeing your hair and let it go gray? Full Highlight, Toner & Haircut. The transition was difficult but totally worth it. Would I want to go back there? I like the cold turkey way and hope to keep it up. I started with blond. At 61, I feel better about my appearance than I did 20 years ago! I very soon discovered that there was a strong movement going on on Instagram! I was focused, had a goal in mind, and every day I was closer to it. I'm glad there are so many of us to lend support to each other! What happened to my hair! 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. At this time there was no more highlighted color, just my natural hair. The thing that really helped was browsing pictures of other brave women who took the step and let their silver shine. My husband is very supportive and anxious to see the end result, I might just make it this time. Cold turkey, shave, partial color, and strip color and add toner. So I dyed my hair. Joni's grey hair transition started when she was in her 50s, and tired of dyeing. But, after years of covering up, you can't just go cold turkey on the color. Please feel free to share. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Products for Natural Gray African American Hair, Thinking About Reinvention? I told my children and my boyfriend on my 53rd birthday. After I saw her, my thoughts started changing and instead of thinking I wonder. I started deliberately thinking; What if? and When?, And just as thoughts get louder and louder the longer you sit with them, it got to the point where I couldnt turn it off. At first, I started to get the stares. Use Pinterest to create gray boards of women whose hair you admire.Look at the different Facebookgroups (Instagram too) anddo whatever you need to work up the enthusiasm to get you through.To grow out my hair, I stopped dyeing in July 2014, and the last of my dye was cut off in January 2016. Thanks. However, I have my issues of my skin getting darker, such as age spots. I started to go gray in my very early 20's and have since then always had my hair professionally coloured. How about hats? Yes! Firstly, I decided to get my hair cut short - it had been in a bob style. 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 by doing this I am also proving that I dont care what others think and im doing this for my own reasons. Nothing looks right and Im frankly tired of trying to please others. IT IS A LONG ROAD BACK ONCE YOU CAVE IN I KNOW!!!!! 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. Confused because I wasnt that girl at all! There are affiliate links* in this post. Read my Terms and Conditions Page to learn more. I'm 56 (almost 57) and would be totally gray if I stopped coloring every 4 weeks. I miss that! She lifted the dark hair colour in three appointments, and after that, we regularly trimmed the fake colour off to get to my real hair. 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. I still have a 10, 12, 14 and 16 year old. Between the time, the expense and several horrible allergic reactions to the color Ive decided to stop coloring my hair. 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. Sharon, all the best to you too. What kind of styling tools should I use and what is the bet product to use for black American women with graying hair. jt is a very bold and couragous move to go gray.i too am tired of hiding my authentic self and recently shaved my head to start over fresh.i am excited for my new look!Solomon said that gray hair is glory and beauty and is found in the way of righteousness! The first photo is fresh from the salon, and the last day I colored.Look how stark that color is for my complexion! I am thrilled to have found this website! 4. Yes good luck & do keep us posted! Looking back now, it seems funny how exaggerated those fears were. This is just how I feel. Thanks all for the push in the right direction. I wasnt feeling good with my hair dye, so I made the decision to stop using it. I figure the process will take about 18 months, but generally I am OK with it. You have given me a lot of hope. Instead of highlighting my hair blond, she highlighted my hair silver and gray. I cut ties with people . Hope I dont change my mind:). What happens when you stop dyeing your hair? OMG!!! Something that will not leave it dull looking. A year later I have a T section of foils in with my cut every two months. you go girl what ever gets it done ;-)) your a brave lady ;-)). I changed hair stylists when I was 38, and we switched from pull through cap frosting to foil highlights and low lights. Thank you for reading. Guest contributor Denise ONeill shares her story on how to go gray. So happy you have this blog as it has convinced me to just do it!!!! We started on Instagram 7 months ago, and we already have almost 8K followers. I have very black dyed hair so the skunk thing is very obvious! This has probably made my transition to gray easier than it would have been in my home country. Looking at myself in my bathroom mirror and looking at myself in pictures is a very different thing. It helps to read about the experiences other women are going through and makes me feel connected and accepted as I am among my peers. The men in my family are a little harder to get through too. No regrets, except that I wish I had star. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links to Amazon.com. 6. to help you discover lifestyle and beauty products that are better for you and better for the planet. My husband is supportive as is one of my very close female friends. My children are in their 20s and both have a lot of grey hair. My hair is very long and dyed dark brown and my roots are growing out gray with silver highlights. Watch. Hi Im 47 and 40% grey. Add to Cart . Let us know how things go. In my 30s a few grey strands showed, and it helped to hide them. And I was a die-hard. Thank you all. I'm at 30 weeks now, and very happy with my cold turkey gray hair transition! . I realize that if I don't see how I like my silver hair now that I may end up coloring it for another 15 years just to keep him happy with how his mommy looks! I want to do it gradually. On average, hair grows half an inch a month. I intend to keep going like this till all the old dye is out which probably another year or so and then I will have grey tones put in, my hair cut shorter (although not sure about that one) and then leave it alone and grow old gracefully. Know that there may be some rough spots but in the end, youll love your natural color and the bonus is healthy hair.~Janice C. I stopped coloring April 2017 at 57 yrs. The next fastest is a pixie cut. COLD TURKEY: LONG HAIR. Youd think Id just told them of my plans to commit a capital crime. I just want to be myself now. 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. 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. I was horrified. Turned 50 this year and have lost some weight and just decided its time to be healthy and fit. Mix a little in with your conditioner and experiment on strength. I'm getting a super short cut. Several of my silver sisters, who have been through the full transition, graciously offered up their transition collages so you could see. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Josh Rosebrook Hairspray to hold down the flyaways. Glad i went foxy white gray after years of abusing my hair with dyes. To book your free gray consultation with Joey today call him . For me, its not just the outer look; its how I feel inside too. My hairdresser is on board and has lightened me up in an attempt to reduce my skunk stripe as it gradually gets wider!! But this journey that started with hair ultimately became so much more. 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. Women who were transitioning to gray started to comment on my pictures and so did I! i am on facebook joann cooper troupe in a striped shirt with my husband jim. What changed? You can read a more complete list on that on the blog post: How Do You Transition from Dyed Hair to Your Natural Grey Hair. LONG GRAY HAIRSTYLES. We decided on a bob that was chin length. And then something came over me. Have a hair appointment this Thursday. I decided to go gray but I am feeling torn. So if you do speak to someone, please make sure that person has had experience with transitioning gray. I live in a very small town in Montana, and now that a few years have passed, I see women my age that stopped dyeing their hair and it is wonderful to see! I am naturally a dark brunette. Always fun. 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. I am changing up how I wear my hair trying to hide the transition. It is great Life ! Im about 4 or 5 weeks grown out. If you want to transition so no one really notices the change, then find a stylist who can take you through the process. As I reiterate over and over on this blog, there are SO many ways to go gray. I have been thinking Id start the transition at 50 but why wait?? Your young one may just LOVE having the cool mom with the awesome grey hair ? From there if you choose to use the help of a Supportive Stylist, it will depend on the processes you choose for your comfort zone. METHOD #1: COLD TURKEY. The reactions now are significantly more positive than negative to my grays. My husband told me a few months ago he was so happy my hair was getting longer as he really despised my pixie cut. No more color, just regular trims until all the silver hair grows in. To Tanya, dont worry how youll look and especially dont worry about what others think. I too am hoping for one last romance. They are my joy! I let all my hair (silver gray) come in and last summer folded under the same peer pressure . By Lindsy Van Gelder. I had 2.5 years (thats how long it took me to fully transition my hair color) to get used to the new me, and, with every inch of growth of my two-toned hair, I felt more free, more me than I had ever felt. Grrrr, I wish I had not started coloring again. Conscious consumerism and informed decisions will impact the marketplace, our health and THE WORLD! I am not sure I am making any sense. 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. During the growing out phase, my hair was such a mess, a mixture of the old dyed color, my new natural dark brown, and the gray coming through. Thanks for your comments. sounds great, maybe I can suggest my hairstylist to do the same. A kinder term for this is "grombre" now a major hashtag on Instagram, where women trade tips and help mentor others through the process. I am not looking forward to the next few months of transition I have some important work events and two big family get-togethers this summer but i know I need to stick to this. 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. When I mentioned it to my 18 yr old daughter she talked me out of it. ALTERNATIVES TO THE LONG GRAY COLD TURKEY GROWOUT. I totally hear you. if you decide to go gray do not let others bring you down i did that for a few years but no more!!! And my very best to you and your mother. It's a shame you'd gone through the hardship of it during the pandemic and then erased that hard work, but at least now you know how long the process takes and what it will look like! And there were strands that she did not highlight at all to give it the salt and pepper look. Or do you wish him to disregard your opinions entirely? It's a matter of confidence and comfort too. This is the most gentle technique next to cold turkey. By going cold turkey, a person's body can begin to recover immediately from the damage the substance was causing. all my best to you ladies out there who are going this route too- more power to ya! I got so fed up having to do my roots now every 2 weeks. You can also find amazing Facebook groups, such as GGG (Going Gray Guide), Silver Revolution, Grombre and Silver Sisters International. Honestly, its a thing! 5. It is so healthy, and actual looks so much prettier on me than my dyed hair ever did. I am 35 and resent using chemicals so frequently on my hair. Thanks for seeing us all through the tough transition! Wig Method. How did your hairdresser color it to avoid the line of demarcation? We believe that by simply CHOOSING, we can make a positive impact on our health and the health of the planet.