Welcome to the 817th Metamorphosis Monday! When my son was in elementary school, I worked in his school as a “Media Parapro” assisting the librarian. I was in my early 30s, probably around 32 or 33. when I started getting teased by the teachers because I was beginning to get a few gray hairs. I hadn’t even noticed since they were on the side of my head where I couldn’t see them. I didn’t think that much about it at the time, but when the teasing became a regular thing, I began to think about coloring my hair. In my mind back then, having gray hair in my 30s was completely unacceptable!
One day during lunch, probably after having yet another person point out my gray hair, I mentioned possibly coloring it but how much I disliked spending hours in a hair salon. One of the teachers chimed in saying that she colored her hair at home. I was astonished to hear that because it looked so completely natural. She shared the product she was using and a few weeks later I got up the nerve to color my hair. That was the start of a 35-year process of being a slave to hiding my gray hair every 4 weeks.
Over the years, whatever gray hair I had was fast becoming resistant to dye. Whenever I colored my hair, after just a few shampoos my gray roots would start showing through again, so I had to resort to stronger dye that was made for hair resistant to color. At the time, I didn’t understand why my hair was so resistant, but now I realize that my hair was probably turning more white than gray.
Around 20 years ago, during a haircut, I asked my stylist if I were to stop coloring my hair, what color he thought it would be. My hair was due to be colored, actually a couple of weeks past, so my roots were showing a bit more than normal. I was stunned when he said that it appeared to be almost all white. That started the wheels turning because I’ve always liked the way white hair looked and thought it was pretty on other people, but being in my 40s, I wasn’t mentally ready to have a head full of white hair. I was still foolishly thinking that white hair made you look older.
A little over a year ago, I started coming across photos on Instagram of women around my age and much younger who had “ditched the dye” and were growing their hair out. The images I was seeing blew me away because these women looked beautiful! Their hair looked gorgeous! Some of the ladies had first stopped coloring their hair during that time when so many of us were stuck at home, unable to get to the hair salon. That period didn’t even slow me down since I always colored my hair at home.
I became enthralled with the photos I was seeing online. Some of the women had long, thick, beautiful gray/white hair, not the short, permed hairstyles that a lot of us remember seeing on our aunts and grandparents. The beautiful, long hairstyles I was seeing reminded me of an image I’ve had stuck in my head for many years.
A few years back, I was shopping in Dorothy Lane Market in Ohio when all of a sudden a woman went flying by a few feet away. She was cutting through the center aisle that ran across all the isles in the store, and she was obviously in a very big hurry. She reminded me of myself back in the day when I was entertaining a lot. Sometimes I would have a party planned with guests due to arrive in an hour, and suddenly I would realize I was missing some key ingredient for the champagne punch I planned to serve guests as they arrived. I sympathized with the stress she must be feeling as she raced by.
I only caught a brief glimpse of her as she flew by, but I couldn’t help but notice her gorgeous, long silver hair streaming out behind her. Her hair looked like it would have been halfway down her back if it hadn’t been flying out behind her, and it was beautiful! I’ve told so many people about that experience because it left such an impression on me. I wish I had followed her now so I could have gotten a better look at her. How old was she? Was she an older woman? Did her silver hair age her? I wanted to see more!
When I saw all those beautiful women with their gorgeous silver and white locs on Instagram, it sent me down a deep rabbit hole. Over the space of a couple of months, I watched so many videos on YouTube of women who had embarked on the journey of letting their natural hair color grow out. They all said the same thing—that they wished they had done it much sooner. I read all the comments under those videos, as well as the comments under the pictures I saw on Instagram. So many women wanted to grow their hair out, but were afraid. They were afraid it would age them, that they would hate it, and they were worried about what people would think or say. A few mentioned having grown their hair part way out, then during a moment of panic, impulsively colored it again. Now they were filled with regret and were starting the whole grow-out process all over again. I learned so much from reading the comments!
Those images and videos truly inspired me. I was so sick of having to fight the never-ending, every-4-week-battle to hide my roots. During my next haircut, I asked the stylist if I were to grow my hair out, what color did it appear that it would be. My roots were again showing since I often delayed coloring my hair if I knew I was due for a haircut since shorter hair was always easier to color than longer hair. I had let my roots grow out just a little further than normal this time, hoping the stylist would be able to tell. It had been at least 20 years since I asked a stylist that question and the answer was the same, it appeared to be all white, except underneath in the very back just above my neck where it was a bit darker.
I made a decision that day: With all those beautiful Instagram images floating around in my head, I decided I would grow my hair out just to the point where it reached my chin. If I hated it or decided it instantly aged me, I would go right back to coloring it. The reason I chose chin-length is I figured that was long enough to really see how I felt about having gray/white hair. I’d had my hair that length in the past so that seemed like a good length at which to make a decision.
Again, I told myself that if I hated it, I would go to a salon and have it professionally colored, starting the whole coloring process all over again. There would be no shame in that because there is no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to hair color, it is simply a choice, a preference. Oh my gosh, what a journey this has been! The hardest part was the first 3-4 months when I’m sure I looked like I had just missed a hair appointment.
When you quit coloring your hair, after about the 4th or 5th month, it becomes pretty obvious that you haven’t just been too busy to color your hair, and that this change is intentional. Here’s a photo I took in January, around 5 months into this journey. Notice the gazillion little short hairs sticking out everywhere. If you pulled any section of my hair up or over, you would see a gazillion baby hairs growing in. They were everywhere!
One of the happy side effects of no longer coloring your hair is you get a ton of new hair growth, or at least that’s what I experienced. You would think after torturing my hair follicles with dye for 35+ years, they would have given up the ghost and stopped working, but no! Somehow they had hung in there and had reawakened and decided to grow! This is not uncommon from what I’ve read in the comments on Instagram. For a while, I had a sticking-straight-up-mohawk of white hairs with all the new growth I was experiencing. By the time this photo was taken, the new growth was still quite visible but at least it wasn’t sticking straight up anymore.
Here’s a photo taken three months later (April 2024) right around the 8th-month point of growing it out. My hair looks a little frizzy because I had just washed and blow-dried it. It was still a couple of inches (2 inches =4 months) away from reaching the top of my ear. In the beginning, I took a photo every month to document the growth as a way to encourage myself to keep going. After this photo was taken, I completely forgot to take any more photos until I reached the 1-year point and decided to write this post about my journey.
The reaction of others has been so interesting! During the early days, if I was shopping in a place where the sales associates knew me, I felt it necessary to explain my appearance. I’d say something like, “Please ignore my hair, I’ve stopped coloring it and I’m growing it out.” They would inevitably say something polite like they hadn’t noticed, or that it looked great. After about the 4th to 5th month, I had gotten so used to how I looked, I no longer thought about it anymore when I was out running errands.
Once, when I was around 4-5 months into growing it out, I was shopping in Williams Sonoma and I had a question about some dinnerware that was on display. I was talking with an associate who was probably around my age, maybe a few years younger. We had been talking for a while when all of a sudden in the middle of discussing dinnerware, she told me how much she loved my hair! I was so surprised because no one had ever said anything without me first mentioning what I was doing. Since this was around the time that my hair had grown out enough to look intentional, I guess she felt it was safe to say something. I was so glad that she did because that was the first comment/compliment I had ever received on this big change I was making.
Another time I was shopping in a local, very high-end jewelry store as I was thinking of upgrading my watch. By this point, I was no longer self-conscious about going out shopping or running errands. I was totally in the mindset of owning it! The sales associate and I had been talking watches for at least 10-15 minutes when she suddenly burst out telling me how much she liked my hair and how she wished she could grow hers out. She said that she was coloring it just until she retired in 3-4 years.
It’s so funny when people comment, it comes in a sudden burst out of nowhere, like they’ve been dying to tell you and just can’t keep it inside any longer. It’s the best thing ever when that happens, and I’m always so thankful that they were willing to say something. It has helped keep me encouraged through this awkward period, which I guess I’m still in. Ha!
Over the last few months, I’ve had two teenage guys who were bagging up my groceries tell me how much they like my hair. It happened once when I was in Publix, and the second time was when I was checking out in Dorothy Lane Market. What?! I was so confused why a teenage boy would even notice my hair, much less, like how it looked! I must have looked confused because the first time it happened, the cashier leaned in and quietly whispered something about the look being popular with younger people right now. I’ve been told by friends that this is the current trend, the ombré look. For the first in my life, I’m wearing a popular/current hairstyle and I didn’t even know it! Hahaha!
The most recent compliment I received on my half white/half brown hair color was while standing in line at UPS. Suddenly a voice from behind me said, “I LOVE your hair!” I turned to see a beautiful woman who was probably in her 70s with all-white hair. Her hair was so pretty and she looked so elegant, so beautiful! I thanked her and told her that I had finally, after 35 years, stopped coloring it. She told me that she had colored her hair for over 50 years before she stopped. Wow! I thought 35 years was a long time! I told her how much I loved her hair and how I hoped mine would look that beautiful once it was grown out. She told me that it was the best decision she had ever made.
It has officially been 1 full year since I last colored my hair. The saying is, “A year to the ear” meaning at the growth of 1/2 inch per month, it takes a full year for the new growth to reach the ear. It looks a little shorter in the photo below since my hair is parted on the opposite side, but when I part it down the middle, it’s right around the top to the middle of my ear. The true growth length is more visible toward the front in the photo below.
If I could go back in time to my 30-something-year-old self, I would tell her to ignore the teasing and never start coloring your hair. After watching videos on YouTube of women in their 20s and 30s who are going (or, have gone) gray and look beautiful, I wish I had never started.
During my research phase, I read that over 50% of women first start going gray in their 20s and 30s, so you may wonder, as I did, how gray/silver hair ever started being equated with old age. If over 50% of women start going gray in their 20s and 30s, how could having gray hair be considered a sign of old age? I watched a movie that explained it all started with the companies that make and sell hair color and the ads they were producing. Some of the ads even implied that you could lose your husband if you didn’t color your hair to stay vibrant and young-looking.
Though my “new” hair color has only just now reached ear level, I already know that there will be no going back. The freedom of never having to worry about my roots showing is the best feeling ever! In addition to all the compliments I’ve received on my hair, I’ve even had compliments on my eyes. When I went for an eye exam a few months back, the ladies there commented that the white hair framing my face made my green eye color more visible.
I wanted to share this 1-year journey that I’ve been on in case you’ve been thinking of ditching the dye. Obviously, there is absolutely nothing wrong with coloring your hair, I did it for over 35 years thinking if I stopped, it would immediately age me at least 10-20 years. What I’ve learned is hair color doesn’t make you look younger or older, it is literally just hair color.
I wish I could share the photos of all the stunning women I’ve seen on IG who were the inspiration I needed to stop coloring my hair. You will find them all here: #SilverSisters. I’m so thankful that they were willing to share their stories and photos because in those first 2-4 months when I wondered if I was doing the right thing, their beautiful pictures kept me going. I love the freedom this change has given me, there’s no turning back now!
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Pssst: Did you know Between Naps On The Porch is on Instagram? You’ll find me on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch. Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your e-mail will never be shared. Subscribe for free post updates here: Subscribe.
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings, save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, you’ll need to link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.
Susan, I have seen all the photos on IG and they are
all beautiful. I have been coloring my hair for 30 years, always by my stylist. I am tired of every 4 weeks having to go and sit while it is being colored and of course the expense of it all. Thank you for sharing your story. Your hair looks great!
Susan, I could have written this post! I had been coloring my hair for over 30 years at a salon, with DIY touchups at the 2 week mark. I finally realized how crazy that was and with the help of my stylist, I made a gradual change. I asked a young mother at the grocery store if she would share the name of the stylist who was coloring her beautiful silver hair and she told me it was natural! I have now been silver for 6 years and, like you, sometimes I wonder if I should go back, then I remember that silver streak down the middle of my dark hair and I say “no way”. I receive compliments all the time and one young lady at the appliance store, finally burst out after the sales transaction that she loved my hair. I always tell them (if their hair is the same color as my original) that they will someday enjoy the same results. So liberating to be authentic!!
I have a friend that got tired of coloring her hair and let it just grow out and it is now all white and looks very pretty. My father turned completely white at 40 and always got compliments! Your hair looks beautiful and think of the money you will save!
I colored mine for 35 years+. I decided to go natural when I turned 61. Best decision ever! Mine is silver grey with a lot of dark streaks. I get compliments on it all the time. And I am saving money and time. My husband LOVES it!
Susan, welcome to the club!! I stopped coloring my hair about 8 years ago and love it! I am fortunate to have a white color similar to yours and receive many compliments from people of all ages. I have to say that while I love it in person I do feel that it makes me look old in photos. Of course, that could be because I am “old”, even if I don’t feel it (I’m 63).
A fun book to read about the process is Going Gray by Anne Kreamer.
The ONLY good thing that came from COVID is that it gave me the excuse to try going grey. I am a natural blonde, then a bottled blonde for about 35 years. It would be nice to have freedom from the expense and timing of dyeing my hair. The problem is, you are not sure what “color” grey you are gonna be. I have now been dye free for a good 2 years and it is freedom! I do feel it was easier for me going from blonde to grey, as they are both “light” colors. I miss being a blonde but not enough to ever go back. I get compliments all the time and my husband and family were very supportive during that awful “grow out, transition time.” I would encourage anyone to try it; it is hair; it will grow back or you can always start dying it again. Also, I had people tell me that you can have your stylist “dye it gray” to make the transition less painful. Enjoy the new you!
Welcome to the party!! Isn’t it great? So many women did it during the shut down. I did it right before…. of course – who knew? I do get more compliments since I went natural. Of course it was the right choice. But I couldn’t talk my girls out of it! They are hitting 40 and going through the same angst. Sometimes I think we are our own worst enemies.
Hello, Gorgeous. You look terrific! Welcome to the Natural Hair Club.
I started getting gray when I was in my early 20’s. I decided I was too young to be grey. A few years ago I started teasing that when they did an autopsy on me my brain would be medium brown. So, I decided I would see how bad the gray was. I have been quite please, so far. I probably have one more hair cut to get the last of the color off. I’m not fully gray but I have quite a bit of white in the front. But, I’m not going back. I like not have the hassle of coloring.
Your hair color is Spectacular! You go girl!!!
Wow – your hair looks fantastic! Welcome to the “no-more-dyeing” club. I started my journey in 2020, but not because of the pandemic – I had my first consultation with a stylist in January 2020. I started coloring my natural very dark brown hair in my early 40’s and did it for 20 years. I had to retouch every 2 weeks because of fast growth and because, like you, a lot of my hair was pure white. After 20 years, I was DONE! I went through an attempted color removal with the stylist, which didn’t work. Then we bleached it and it looked nice, but she didn’t seem to get i wanted more silver white – she made me pale ash blonde. Then the pandemic started and I ended up growing it out “cold-Turkey” anyway. It took over a year of wearing it pulled back because that made the line of demarcation less noticeable, but I’ve really enjoyed not having to color. Mine is now a mix of salt & pepper with pure white streaks – people ask me who does my white highlights – ha!
The hair issue! I use a temporary rinse that lasts a long time. One time when it was in a “pretty stage” (LOL) I was getting a haircut and we talked about coloring hair, one of the stylist told me People come in here every day and pay to have your natural color. Nope. I am very pale and I wanted to be a strawberry blonde or a redhead. I think when it first turns gray, the more you do to it, the more it changes. One time, I had these silver feathers on the sides that never came back after I colored my hair. I have thin baby fine silky hair. Right now it’s way too long. Because of a neck injury, I cannot go to a salon or put my head in their sink. The drama continues. To dye or not to dye.
Allowing your hair color to go natural is very apropos for Metamorphosis Monday! I love your new hair color! You will likely find that clothing colors will really stand out against your hair. I started coloring my hair after a friend’s comment made me self-conscious about going grey. I then colored my hair for many years, and finally just got worn out with the time-consuming appointments and the cost. If I run into someone who knew me during my hair coloring years I just tell them that God is coloring my hair now! 🙂
I had dyed my hair for years as I went gray in my late 30s and am 66 now. The one and only good thing I can say about COVID was that it gave me a good jump start on the “conversion” from dark to gray. I did work from home and would have zoom meetings and we all laughed that we were measuring the time we had been in lockdown by how much more gray my hair had gotten, and quite a bit grew out before I was back out in public. My hair is so much healthier and I do not dread it for one minute, especially the cost of coloring and the more and more frequent trips because the color did not hold as well. You look great! More and more of my friends are doing the same thing; of course, gray is “in” these days.
Your hair looks beautiful! My sister (who is an auburn color and I am blonde) went “natural” a few years ago and it looks fabulous. Enjoy this new freedom.
Susan, because I use my phone, things went haywire again. My response is sitting there and if I try sending again, it says I already said that. Be aware on your end !
Isn’t there a product that improves your color in this stage to even it out ? I can’t remember now.
I’m not sure, but I don’t want to risk goofing it up and making it take longer to grow out. Just doing it “cold turkey” as they call it.
It’s beautiful!! Please show us a picture when it’s all grown out too!
Thanks, Sylvia! Will definitely do that, it will probably be another 9 months or so.
It has been 8 years since I stopped coloring my hair blonde and embraced the natural salt and pepper color. A number of total strangers have told me they love my hair. It is very shiny and just about to my waist. I also wish I had never started coloring it in the first place. I never put any heat on my hair nor product containing silicone. I have also seen young people with their hair dyed my color!
Well, Susan, your hair is looking amazing. I still don’t think I could do it, not yet. I have six sisters, and only the oldest one (81) doesn’t color her hair, probably because she’s so frugal more than anything. It’s been 30 years for me, so maybe at 35. Lol.
Your hair color is gorgeous. I would probably go natural if my hair was white & not gray. The white is stunning.
Your hair is simply gorgeous! I messed around in my early 50s with salon dyes for a short time, but became allergic to anything in permanent hair color soon after. So I bit the bullet in my mid-fifties and never looked back. Mine is more gray than white, but I’m still happy with my choice. And every woman knows (if she’s honest) that no one makes it to 60 without graying hair so my dying it was just an expensive exercise in futility.
I love your hair! I have been wanting to do that but my gray is a really ugly color, not white. I love the way yours looks!
Beth,
You really don’t know what it will look like until it grows out. You might be surprised!
Oh my goodness Susan I loved the post and it rings home in several ways. I have never colored my hair, am in my 70’s and have always also loved that beautiful silver/white look I am close to being all white and have the ombré thing going in the back of my hair. I have lost some hair and told my husband the other day I’ll be one of those little old ladies with white hair and pink scalp. Then I said, hey I’m one of those little old ladies now! My sister who is a year younger than me has been one of those that has colored her hair for 40+ yrs. I cannot imagine being a slave to any such practice and have tried to convince her to go natural however she shudders at the suggestion. I even gave up the nail salon pink and whites because I hated sitting there when I could be doing something much more productive. But as they say, “To each his own!”
Good for you! Your hair is gorgeous!! If my hair were all white I would stop dying my hair right away. My Granny had beautiful Snow White hair and I always loved it.
Your hair looks great. II’m so glad you went for it. XO- MaryJo
So smart! I didn’t come to this conclusion until I was 60! It was really hard looking like a skunk for a year but I have never regretted it for one second. Only wished I had done it earlier! Since going white, I have had more compliments about my hair than EVER in my life. Welcome to the silver club! Freedom!
I envy your white hair – it looks great. I stopped coloring mine a little over 5 years ago and ended up being platinum blonde. My stylist helped me transition by adding blond highlights periodically until the new growth blended in. It has been the most freeing experience ever!
Susan,
Like you, I started getting some grays in my mid-thirties. I colored my hair until I retired in 2019 at age 72. Everyone tried to talk me out of letting it grow out, but I was determined. Plus my son had gray temples and was proud of them! I figured, if I had a child with gray, I could be gray. And I get more compliments now than I ever did as a blonde! It is just so freeing!
For many, many years I swore I was never going to have gray hair. When the grays showed up I started having them blended in with highlights which worked fine but always turned brassy in a few weeks. I endured this for too many years through different hairdressers and different products. Eventually I tired of it, had lowlights put in and let it all grow out. I love my gray hair. My front is all silvery gray with the back still being my natural dark brown. It has been one of the best things ever! Your hair is beautiful, don’t go back to dying it.
Your hair looks absolutely beautiful! I’m growing mine out, too, and in my 9th month. I’m glad you’re one of my silver sisters!
Beautiful and totally authentic!
Can’t wait for your After look and style!!
I did the same thing a few years ago when my hair would be orange in places after a salon color. It wasn’t the stylist. It was my hair. It turned out to be the most liberating decision I’ve made. Instead of blonde and/or highlighted, I’m silver now. One of the best decisions I’ve made.
Your hair is beautiful! Good on you for ditching the dying routine. If your hair grows fast, it’s a constant battle to hide the roots…particularly if ( like me) your natural color is a very dark brown. I started going salt and pepper in my early 40s and hopped on the dye train. How I wish I’d let that train pull out of the station without me! I called it quits almost 10 years ago when my root touch up jobs had to be done about every two weeks. Gah! Not only were my roots showing so quickly but, due to menopause, my hair was thinning and I’d always had long, beautiful, thick hair. It looked terrible. My ego was wounded. The hubs came home one day to find me in the bathroom, scissors in hand and hair all over the floor. To say he was surprised would be an understatement, lol! Glad I made that decision though. I looked and felt younger! That short and sassy, salt and pepper combo took ten years off my age! Suddenly, random people were stopping me to compliment me on my hair…and that hadn’t happened in a month of Sundays. I’m all for whatever makes a woman feel good about herself but, on the other hand, I feel like women have been hoodwinked by advertising into thinking that the only attractive women are those that have no grey/white hair, no lines on their faces and bee stung lips…perpetually 20 something’s. And what a fortune so many companies have made by eroding women’s confidence in their natural looks.
Bee stung lips. I haven’t heard that one before! Good line:)
Covid was the impetus for me to stop coloring my hair. I went to my aunt’s 100th birthday party and said “Do you recognize me? I stopped coloring my hair”. She responded “Saves you a lot of money, doesn’t it?” 100 years old and still sharp!
Susan, I don’t think you will ever regret going natural. God knew we needed lighter hair as we age to look younger. I was gray on front right side in 20’s and other strawberry blonde. I never wanted to color hair but my best friend was a hair stylist and always bugged me to cover my grey. I finally did for a year and said no more coloring. I hated the skunk look!! I’m 66 and absolutely loved the choice I made. I get compliments just about everyday how gorgeous my hair is and some think I get this look at salon. My hair is almost waist length but I have had Bob cuts over the years.
I stopped coloring my hair two years ago when I was 66. For thirty plus years, I’d colored it at home and then in a salon. When I finally decided to let it go, my amazing hairdresser gave me low lights that spread the gray evenly throughout my short hair. It was actually really beautiful! I’m OK with my hair now. I don’t really like it or not; shrugs. I do like the saved time and the much less expensive bill.
Your natural color is just beautiful! I used to dye mine too. My stylist would pull back my hair exposing the roots and say do you really want to look old? Well, of course, the roots next to the colored hair looked awful! So like everyone else during covid I did not go to the hair salon and just let my hair grow. Mine is very white underneath at my neck, but the rest has some blonde blended in. I would never go back to the nonsense of keeping up with the roots. I also like just putting it all up in a bun or pony tail. My problem is I have quite a few wrinkles so yes, I am old (and dyed hair doesn’t make you look younger). But women, like yourself, with smooth skin the silver is totally striking. The founder of Boom facial foundation is someone to admire for going silver. I don’t think you will regret or go back. It’s a very freeing experience!
Oh it is stunning, Susan. Good for you. I always remember my mom telling me all she wanted was to live long enough to (hopefully) have her hair turn white. She always loved white hair (like yours.) She died young, and never even went grey – but as I have outlived her oldest year now I started embracing it at shut down and have let it grow out – but didn’t have a huge begin area b/c I am a natural blonde – so it was easier for me I think. Last April I cut over a foot off and now it is still long but not as heavy and now I can wear it up. Good thing, being so hot this summer. Love your white. It’s classy. You’re classy.
Your hair is very pretty. Thanks for sharing. I’ve been thinking about doing this, too. I have the crown of my head colored every 5 weeks, but I’m noticing the sides are showing a little gray now. My cosmetologist told me a long time ago, she thought my hair would be pretty my natural color. I’m thinking about it.
It’s a beautiful color now, and will be stunning when completely grown out. A short, sassy bob will look smashing.
Hi Susan,
You have an ombre look in the last photo very on-trend. Your natural color is a beautiful shade. Helpful that you shared photos of the transformation online – Your confidence, kindness and generous nature give you the full package. It goes without saying that you are a beautiful woman inside and out. Great to save the bucks too- I’m jelly but chicken to take the plunge.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this post went viral. You nailed it on this one. Been there and went through what you are going through. Your hair is absolutely beautiful. What a fun post.
I knew we had a lot in common! We have the same color of “silver” (not gray) hair! I’ve had so many compliments since I let it grow out as well (my natural color was very dark brown). The first year is the worst. I’ve only seen a few women who I think might look better with their gray hair colored. Truth is….age shows no matter how much you color your hair….people can tell you are older. Why not “OWN IT” as you said?! It is freeing to OWN IT and much less hassle! Anyway…congratulations….it’s a beautiful shade or silver!
Susan, I too started coloring my hair at home in my 30’s when the gray started appearing. I gave it up much sooner than you did – I got tired of getting up early every few weeks to cover the roots. Now I’m 68 and it’s still “salt and pepper” with more gray around my face. So much easier to let it be what it is!
I used to have my dark blond hair highlighted and kept asking my stylist if I had enough gray to let it go naturally. Finally one day he said “yes” and that was it! I consider each of my grays a badge of courage. Three women I worked with liked my hair so much, they followed suit. I think the best part is that I’m no longer putting chemicals so close to my brain! I think your hair is stunning.
It looks great! I love how it’s blending in nicely as it grows
I found my first gray hair on my 21st birthday. Did the hair color thing, then went to the highlights. The pandemic was the turning point for me to ditch all dyes. I’m now 64 and have a mix of silver, white, what looks like blonde & some dark brown hair lol! One thing I can say for sure is that whatever natural hair color someone has goes best with their current complexion. We earned every gray/silver/white hair on our heads – be proud of them!!!
I am one of a few who have never colored her hair. As mine became gray, it came in very salt and pepper. I was not unhappy with my gray hair at all. I just let it become what ever color gray it wanted. I get complements all the time as to how pretty my hair is. I will be 80 tomorrow and people say I look like I am in my early sevenities. You are just as old as you feel. Love your gray hair. Beautiful
Beautiful! Good for you (coming from a retired hairstylist)! Your hair looks thick and full of body! Please give us an update again while it’s growing out.
Your hair looks great. A few months ago I decided to let mine go gray/white. I have very short hair and like the style because my hair is very curly and uncontrollable. Dealing with it long has been difficult and too time-consuming. I’ve had pictures taken while my hair was white, and it looks like it’s disappeared; therefore, I’m back to coloring it, which I hate. Very frustrated right now. Congratulations to you. Anyone out there with suggestions?
I stopped coloring during covid at the age of 72. I didn’t really start getting gray until I turned 70. I colored my hair just to make it a different color. Mine is not your beautiful white, but more of a gray with silver and white streaks. I never had anyone make negative comments to me, but have had many compliments on my hair since going au natural. I have very fine thin hair,so have always kept my hair short, so the grow out was pretty quick. God gives each of us the hair color that looks best with our complexion. I’m convinced that our natural grays, white and silvers make us look younger, not older.
Your hair is progressing so nicely, it looks great!
I was a hairdresser for many years. by the way my granddaughter followed in my footsteps! I have been highlighting my dark brown hair since beauty school as I like being blonde and my hair is fine and thin and coloring helps. In fact my boys have never seen my natural color! I’m behind you 100%. So many times I have seen women with beautiful silver hair and said to them, “Do you how much women pay to get your color hair!” Your hair is gorgeous!! I admire the persistence you have with growing it out! I don’t think you will ever regret it! Beautiful!
I let my hair go natural when I was 57 years old….almost 9 years ago…I was easy as I was coloring it blonde and since I wear it short and get it cut every 4 weeks, it only took about 3 months….It was the best thing I did and was oddly quite liberating….Your hair looks great…..
Thanks so much for hosting!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!! I hope you are enjoying your week and you are doing well…
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Your hair looks so pretty. My sister who was naturally blond morphed into beautiful white hair gracefully. My hair which was very reddish brown is now dyed reddish brown with lighter highlights. My roots show a lot of gray but not enough to go all gray and my natural hair is not dark enough to grow into that gorgeous mix of dark and gray or silver that some women are lucky enough to have. Someday I would like to be able to grow into a “nice” gray. Are you going to share more pictures when it’s all grown out?
Thanks so much, Iris! Sure, I will def do that. Will probably take another 9 months or so. The grow out time has been so much fun and exciting to experience, I’m sure I’ll kinda miss it once it’s all grown out.
Welcome to the Silver Sisters club! Your colored hair was very pretty, and very natural looking with all the highlights, but this is going to be even better for a multitude of reasons. 🙂
I come from a long line of family members who grayed prematurely so I started coloring my brunette hair in my early 20s and continued for more than 45 years. I had wanted to stop the dye madness for several years but dreaded the grow-out process. I decided in the spring of 2020 to go for it since we were all going out as little as possible. I ordered some wigs to wear when I had to leave home, which was a new, but really FUN, experience as it gave me the opportunity to experiment with a few slightly different styles I could never achieve with my own baby fine hair.
During the transition process, I was also whacking off my dyed brunette hair at home, every chance I got. Since I wear my hair in a short, piecey pixie, it didn’t have to look perfect, plus I had the wigs. It only took about 3 months for it to grow completely out.
After all the dye was gone, I was shocked to see about 90% of my hair is white/silver! It’s still somewhat naturally dark around the temples, nape and I have a few dark streaks through the crown. I love it though. I love the freedom. And like you, I get far more compliments on my hair now than I ever did when I was a brunette. My stylist raves about the color every time she cuts my hair and says, “You can’t get color like this out of a bottle!” I’ve even had younger people stop me in public, including calling out across parking lots, and say, “I love your hair!” I wish I had let it go natural years ago!
I stopped dyeing my hair almost 3 years ago. Mine is also all white except the very back underneath. I wish I had stopped coloring years ago. I get so many compliments now on my hair. Yours looks wonderful!
Love it, love it – I’ve never coloured my hair – been tempted – now in my 70’s – Salt/pepper look and I feel great.
Your hair looks beautiful and in such good condition. If possible would love to know what shampoo etc you use. I can’t actually colour my hair due to allergies. I’m 55 and extremely lucky that it has only been the last 5 years that grey/white hair has started to appear around my temple. My father only had a bit of white hair when he passed at 75. My daughter is 17 and has never coloured her hair and has no plans to, every hairdresser she visits tells her the same thing, never colour your hair, they wish they had never started.
That is awesome that your daughter doesn’t plan to color, wish I had been that smart back in the day! I’ve experimented around with a bunch of different shampoos, even buying some of the pricey “for white hair” shampoos and honestly, the regular shampoos seem to do just fine. My favorite brand that I seem to go back to is Kerastase. You can find their products on Amazon. Their conditioners are amazing! My favorite is this one: https://amzn.to/3XRHbTP . Amazon shows I’ve purchased 10 times and it goes a long way, so I’ve been using it for a long time.
If you live where you have hard water, like I have in Ohio, I recently purchased a shampoo that I had read great things about. You’ll find the two hardwater shampoos that I use occasionally when I think I need that here: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/all-my-july-favorites-including-a-shampoo-thats-great-for-hard-water-issues/
I also love Biolage products, I use their leave in conditioner a fair amount.
Another shampoo and conditioner that I use is this one: https://amzn.to/3TFRAiU
I like to alternate the shampoo/conditioner I use so my hair doesn’t get a lot of buildup or too use to one shampoo.
I just purchased this thickening/strengthening shampoo yesterday, it’s supposed to arrive tomorrow. https://amzn.to/3TFT3WA
The reason I purchased it is I’ve noticed my white hair is finer and softer than my color treated hair, so I thought I’d try it in case I start noticing my hair not having as much body as I like. It has great reviews and I love everything that Kerastase makes, so thought I’d give it a try.
Oh, and one other shampoo I really like is this one by Aveda: https://amzn.to/3BiLqz5
I’m not that crazy about Aveda’s conditioner, it rinses out almost too easily and just doesn’t leave my hair feeling like the Kerastace mask conditioner does, but I do love that shampoo.
Thank you Susan for all the recommendations. I will definitely look into the Kerastase, I actually used that brand many years ago and loved it. Where I am in Australia I don’t have hard water. Thank you again.
Oh my gosh Susan….your topic of going silver is really speaking to so many people (your ‘new’ color is wonderful, btw). And so timely for me! I JUST made the decision to go silver too! Literally last Friday. After years of trying to keep the grey at bay, I finally just got tired of it. The added worry about the amount of chemicals I was using on myself was wearing on me too. So….I had my hair cut very short to jump start the culling of the dark blondish dye. My mom had very beautiful white hair, so I am hoping that I got that gene, and maybe my white blond hair from childhood will show up too. Quite frankly, I am not sure what my actual hair color IS any more. 🙂 Soooo….I am thrilled to see your journey and am happy to start my own.
As with all the other ladies, I stopped dyeing my hair 6 years ago. I get stopped from folks to compliment me! I also let it grow out past my shoulders.
Ironically friends say I look younger; I think due to the color being more flattering on me.
Lastly, I do apply a gloss once a week to keep it from yellowing (just apply in shower). Excited to see final reveal!
Susan, your hair looks great. What a wonderful decision. I am 72 and have a few grays but my hair is very thin and a dull brown. I wish I had your thick hair. My husband has a beautiful full head of white hair. He said his hair turned gray very early too. We’ve only been married for 8 years so I did not know him with brown hair. My mother was 93 when she died, and her hair was still about 50% brown. My father had beautiful platinum blonde, wavy hair. Just my luck to get my mother’s thin, brown hair. Thanks for sharing. I always look forward to your posts.
Good for you! Fortunately when my hair started to turn from dark brown to gray it was WHITE I love my white hair and would never want to have it any other color and like you the last part to turn white is at the nap of the back of the neck …but bingo it’s now white also. Love white hair over the mousey grey that some people have and thankful that I got this from my grandmother (dads mom) . You should take a picture of it styled the way you posted your “natural” color hair in this post from the back side view. And remember who cares what others think..it’s what you like and want and do that matters.
You do look gorgeous with your natural hair color! So much better to ditch the hair color on lots of levels. I stopped having my hair highlighted years ago as the product was burning my scalp, not to mention the time and expense. At seventy-seven my hair is white as did my mom.
Susan
I was born with blonde hair, Iam 71 yrs young now.
When I was younger I would put Sun In on my hair.
Then years later had it professionally tinted.
Up to about a year ago I just decided to go naturally gray.
No fuss no muss.
Love going this route.
Let nature take its course.
I love it, it looks beautiful. Show us a picture with your face showing so we can see how beautiful it looks.
I had dark black hair and started to have a few grays in my 40’s, luckily my husband was a Hairdresser, so he started using the Redken stains on my hair which covered the gray, but it wasn’t a permanent color, so as I shampooed it would gradually wash off my hair, I continued this until I was in my late 60’s and he retired from his Salon, so I decided to stop using any color on my hair, it is now salt and pepper, with a lot of salt around my face, which also softens my face so much more than the dark color did. I love my Salt and Pepper now, I’m 76. As my Mother use to say, God turns our hair gray so our face softens as we age, the lighter color gives us a softer more elegant look. He definitely knows what he is doing, so who are we to try and change it.
Susan, your hair looks so lovely! I’m 67, & @ 60, the cost of a haircut & color was over $200, & rising. I felt like I could use that money for so many more worthwhile things. It was actually my hairstylist who convinced me that my hair would be a pretty silver, not steely gray. I have a chin length bob, so in less than a year, I became a ‘silver fox’. (My sons’ nickname for me!).
Ha, I stopped coloring my hair myself too about two years ago! I think you may be a year or two older than me, but like you I was getting tired of coloring my hair (colored or highlighted for about 30 years) and I couldn’t afford to go and have it done in the salon’s. I colored every 8 weeks, not that it couldn’t use it by 4 weeks, I just kept pushing it out. LOL I started out using department store dyes, then went to the “salon” dyes that were delivered…eSalon. Everyone was embracing their gray hair, so I thought I should too. But as my natural color was growing out, I had the ombre look too and my SIL thought I had to done in a salon. I forget what they call it. But heck no, I couldn’t afford to have that done! Anyway, now all the dye has been cut out or grown out of my hair. I wish my hair was beautiful white like yours, but nope…I’m a salt and pepper look. Still, I’m so happy to not have to dye my hair anymore! Your hair looks gorgeous! Hugs, Brenda
Susan—I just have to ask—–What does your son and grand sons think of the change? I love it for you.
Thanks, Cece! My son and grandsons haven’t mentioned it. I’m not sure they have even noticed. lol My DIL loves it, though.
I love your hair as well. I’m 80 and the only grey I have is about 20 hairs on either side of my head. I keep saying I’m going to color them but so far have not. My grandmother had one white streak going from forehead all the way to the back and the rest was black until the day she died. I said I may be like her have two grey streaks on either side of my head until I die!! LOL
Congratulations! You look amazing. White hair is so classy. My great grandmother has beautiful white hair as well as my grandmother. My mother would as well I’d she stopped coloring hers lol.
You won’t ever miss coloring your roots!
Aging Gracefully….Naturally….Confidently….is Always MORE Beautiful..!!
YOU GO GIRL..!!
I was able to transition to my white hair during Covid. I had just commented to my hairdresser in February of 2020 that I would stop coloring it in the summer…well, the shut down moved that process up a good bit. I was blonde but my hair had become very resistant to coloring, like yours had. I would sit in the chair for over an hour just for color! My hair is much healthier and I think takes a style better as well. to me, the key is keeping a good haircut and using good product. I am so happy with this decision!
At age 70 I decided to go natural but did not want the growth to look like I was unkept. So I asked if my stylist could throw in some blond highlights to mute the color a little. It worked out great! In the meanwhile I grew my hair to the middle of my back and I loved that as well. I will be 80 in a few months and in June I decided I needed more color and since I was a natural redhead I made the decision to go for it and now a redhead with carmel highlights. My husband loves it and I get so many compliments on my very long red thick hair. Also I gave myself the freedom that I am not going to allow age, or others opinions define who I am and just embrace life and love the way I choose. You rock Susan!
I hadn’t seen your blog in several years, your screened in porch gave me inspiration for our big house- We downsized in late 2019, to a cottage home. I had gone thru the white hair transition much like your own in 2016, and have to say my hair actually is so much healthier and even has some natural curls. Color had stripped those away. It’s a journey just like downsizing! I’m glad I reconnected with your blog as our journeys are similar. Gloria