Do you have a question about gray hair? Ask us! Photo courtesy of goodhousekeeping.com
We love mail!
A lot of you have reached out to us about growing out gray hair, and here at the Going Gray Blog we take your courage to make this step very seriously. From here on out, we thought it would be a good idea to highlight your questions (with your permission, of course!) and open them up to our readers. Last week, we received this message:
“Hi my name is Christy, and i know that i have salt and pepper gray under my dye job. I color it a medium golden brown; I’ve been coloring it for a long time. I’m now 53yrs old and curious, but I feel I will need to go to my hairdresser to make the transition because it will be something that makes me nervous. I used to go to my hairdresser and she would do my hair a medium blonde with highlights. It was pretty but i was getting tired of doing all that so now i do it one color myself at home, and i still have never seen my gray.. do you think i should try letting it grow out some and decide from there?”
- Christy
Thank you Christy for allowing us to share your question and we hope you know there are many others just like you thinking about the same thing. Feel free to chime in, and keep those questions coming!
Thoughts, anyone?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Having sprouted my “1st” gray hair in my wee 20′s (taking after my momma!) I’ve used the desire for “gray cover-up” as my motivation for embarking on decades of playful color application! Always “mousy brown” I’ve lifted, hi-lighted, low-lighted and have even boldly pinked -out (I’m a breast cancer awareness activist). The past 5 or so years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with a color application that resulted in uneven tones (self inflicted) and Gray OUTGROWTH around my sideburns & temples within a couple of days – sending me to fits of “okay – eyeshadow! yep use eyeshadow to camouflage that mess”! Frustrating. Keeping short hair, gray outgrowth almost appeared as “bald spots”. Not a favorite look, for sure!
After discussing my frustrations with constant work, worry, and increasingly -challenging textural changes to my damaged, mature hair – my buddy, colorist-stylist offered me a couple of options that helped me make one of the most significant decisions of my lifetime: embrace ME! Go / grow GRAY! (without looking like a skunk in the process)
It took mental preparation. A couple of months of it. Convincing myself was far harder than convincing my family. When I decided to “go for it” I knew, deep down, that if I couldn’t “handle it” – I could always re-color! (chicken!)
A total of 7 hours, covering 2 days 1st week, and subsequent follow ups – totally 2 months – my hair was lifted to mostly “translucent” allowing my white around my face and pepper/salt at crown and nape to begin to reveal itself it all it’s glory!
Still a work in progress – in process – I cannot begin to express the FREEDOM! I have felt #1 – in making the decision #2 – in beginning the lightening journey #3 when the silver around my ears (last 2 trims) was FULLY “ME!” #3 the JOY in embracing myself as an mature woman #4 the attention I get!
Hate to admit it… I love this season of my life. I’m enjoying the VISIBILITY. I’ve never felt, nor looked better – because I am so at peace with myself.
I have certainly not “arrived” – but this is a far better place – the outward appearance reflecting the calm assurance I am growing into.
(sidenote: my hub of 19 years repeatedly lavishes compliments on me, stating: “oh baby, you’ve never looked better!” gotta love that!)
Judy: When you talk about the lightening process, did you color your hair progressively lighter, did you strip it or did you cut shorter each time? I need help and am not getting a hairstylist with much knowledge or enthusiasm! I have been thinking about going gray for awhile now. I am 63 years old and I am at least 75% gray or white, I don't know yet as I've been dying dark brunette. My husband is 66 years old and hasn't a gray hair on his head and actually has a full head of hair. That in itself has made me second guess my decision. Please let me know what process you suggest.
Hi Christy,
I say go for it! Since you have never seen your gray I think it is a great idea to let your hair grow for a few months, see what your natural colour is doing and then decide if your are ready to stop colouring it and grow it all out. Let us know what you find growing under there and what you decide to do.
Kori
I want to go gray gracefully, and can find very little info about how it can be done without looking like a skunk. When I asked my hairdresser, she discouraged me from doing it, and wasn’t able to give me any good options. Thanks Judy for letting us know how it can be done.
Barbara
Barbara, I too asked my hairdresser and she was negative about it, so I found a colorist. There was a hairdresser there who was listening to the conversation and said she didn't want to encourage people to go gray because of the loss of income. Well I'm actually spending money to transition with the colorist since I could continue to color my own hair but I'm actually paying for help. So I say, find a colorist or two until you find one who is positive and willing to work with you – took me two consultations to find someone.
Hi Barbara!
Check out my profile pic on the following link – that’s my hair from 4 weeks ago. I started this process August 09 – so that’s 6 months in the process. Having colored dark red/brown for many years – it’s quite light! my outgrowth is a little darker than the tips – and am probably 1 cut away from “all me”! Again, I’ve never felt more free! BUT I would encourage you to find a colorist who has NO reservations about taking you through the process. ( I had NO breakage! although gray is coarser – was soft after all the processing!)
http://profile.typepad.com/judeswords
.-= Judy´s last blog ..Jude commented on ’33 and gone…’ =-.