Enjoy Denise’s story featured in our Color Me Gray ebook.
My first gray hairs were noticed as a teenager. I was constantly told, “You’re too young. You should dye it.” I started the slavery to salon dyeing at about 35 years old. By 45, I had enough of the constant maintenance trying to hide what my hair was insisting on being! I had my hair cropped really short in an attempt to grow out whatever the real color would be. After a few weeks, the two-tone color was so horrible that I took my horse clippers and shaved my head. It looked bad, but no worse than the two-tone crop! I wore a ball cap and stuck it out. It was a rough six months but at that point, I got a glimpse of the amazing gift I had tried so hard to hide.
A year into the transition, I grew a classic bob with the most astonishing silver hair. And it was mine. As it grew I was in constant amazement over this gift, and how life-changing the whole process really was. I felt like I finally got it. I was finally wise enough to listen to my body instead of what society said I should do. Choosing to go gray gave me the confidence to be me. I am part hippie and part cowgirl, so my natural graying long hair suits me and my lifestyle perfectly!
One of the cutest comments on my hair came from my daughter’s friend. She asked her, “Who was that lady with the long silver hair at your apartment? I want my hair to be like that when my hair is gray!” It was then I realized, wow. Not only are 20-yearolds noticing beautiful gray
hair on older women, they visualized themselves going gray instead! It felt great to be who I was.
Women stop me to ask how to transition and they want to know how I did it. The only way to I can answer it is this—it’s a personal journey. Everyone does it in a different way. But more than the beautiful hair, you also gain wisdom, become a role model, and as a bonus, turn lots of heads along the way – whether you like it or not.
Need more inspiration? Enjoy 23 more stories and gorgeous pictures in our Color Me Gray ebook!
I was chatting with a lady about 50ish and told her that I am not going to color my hair anymore( I am 43). She said oh no I can't do that because I work with all young people. Seriously what kind of answer is that. Are we trying to model after the young ones or be someone they can admire and look up to???
The silver looks amazing on Denise with the contrast to the long dark curls and smooth skin! A keeper! She should do some modeling.
Why do women with graying hair always try to cover it up, hide it or wear hats?! I like a woman who wears it with pride!
I'm 19 weeks into the process of letting my silvers shine and the more time goes on the more I know I have made the right decision. I love the colour that is slowly but surely coming through. It's fun adjusting your wardrobe and I am wearing less makeup but using it wisely to accentuate the colour of my face and hair. It makes me laugh out loud when I catch myself in the mirror and think, 'Wow! That's the real me!' I love it! There is so much less tension and much more acceptance and joy in knowing that you can age and still be beautiful. If anyone is in doubt, I highly recommend it
@jackie we agree! Thanks for your comment. @stunning silver Denise does model. What an inspiration! @hidiing the gray – we agree!! @karen keep us posted!
Denise is sexy. Definitely turning heads!
I'm so tired of fighting my gray!! I started going gray at 21 and I'm now 39, and it's really kicked into high gear. My hair is naturally a very dark brown and the contrast between my regrowth and my (now) dyed hair makes me look as if I'm balding!! Awful. I've always loved the look of all naturally gray hair. I've been trying for years to get my Mom to let her hair go back to it's natural beautiful silvery white (same as I have), but she won't have any part of it. I've always known it would the route I'd go one day, but never expected to be considering it at 39 years old!! My biggest concern (and I feel sort of silly saying this) is that I have young kids.. ages 3 & 1, and I worry about people forever thinking I'm their grandma. lol Again, I feel rather silly for feeling that way, but I do. Are there any Moms out there that transitioned to gray when they had young kids?
continued…..
If I could guarantee a result like the gorgeous Denise's I'd change in a heartbeat. I just haven't ever had it long enough to know whether it will completely wash out my face or not. I guess if I hate it I can always dye it again!
Hi Melissa, I too started going grey in my early 20's. I am now 41.
I have decided to go natural.My hair colour is a dark brown and my greys are snowy white and silver so I too looked like I was going bald when my regrowth was not coloured.
My son is 17 and daughter 13 so they do not worry. My son thinks I look great with grey hair. His friends think I am cool. I did not cut my hair off – it is just a little longer than shoulder length. I had my hairdresser put through a full head of foils with an ash white toner.
It took me 3 hairdressers to find one that LISTENED to me. The first said I can keep you looking young for years, the second said you will look great as a blonde ( I don't look good blonde I feel I look like a trash bag as a blonde). The third I am happy with.
As my Dad said to me if you really hate it or you feel you look really old it takes an hour to go back to coloured hair.
Most of my friends were mortified when I told them I was going grey – they are all older than me. I told them their reaction reflected more about them than it did me. They are now telling me I look great, my skin looks fabulous and I think I look much younger.
I say GO FOR IT.
Yes Melissa, I too started turning grey early on – a few grey/silver hairs at 19, and now at 42 my regrowth is completely white at the temples and steel grey with silvery bits on the top. I'm seriously thinking of letting my hair be it's natural self – the beautiful ladies on several websites have made me think my curls will be better off without the bleaching and colouring. My daughters are 10 and 12 and have had a mum who spends four hours at the hairdresser every 8 weeks for their whole lives! My 12 year old is cautiously OK with it, and the 10 year old doesn't care as long as I don't start wearing "grandma clothes"……. lol! I completely get the grandparent comment, as I have mistaken grey-haired gentlemen for grandads regularly! I am still pondering whether to maintain my blonding regimen for now and get my (very!) overgrown roots redone, or whether to cut it short to let it grow out naturally…..
It is nice seeing young gray/silver moms out there. It is attitude, confidence, and spirit not artificial/dyed color that makes a woman young! I see women with dye jobs that look like helmets . .those are aging!!
Denise gets more beautiful as she ages and her hair turns more white/gray! Gorgeous.