Welcome to the 840th Metamorphosis Monday! In early February I received this lovely comment from Helène asking for an update on the hair grow-out process I had blogged about in September 2024 in this post: A Personal Transformation, This One May Surprise You! When I read Helène’s comment, I didn’t think I had much of anything new to share—it seemed like my hair had been growing super slow during the winter months. Curious, I did a search online to see if hair slows down its growth during the winter. Normally hair grows around 1/2 inch per month. The information I found online confirmed that hair actually does slow down during the winter due to the change in our body’s temperature. That same article stated that hair grows its fastest in the spring and summer, slowing down again in autumn. I never knew that!
When I first ditched the dye and started growing my hair out, I took photos every month or two to document my progress, hoping it would keep me encouraged to continue. I began the grow-out process in September 2023, with August 2023 being the last time I ever colored my hair. This photo below represents my progress after about 5 months, so that means this photo would have been taken around January 2024. As mentioned in that previous post, I was experiencing a lot of new growth, thus all the little hairs sticking out everywhere. Apparently, dormant hair follicles will forgive you once you stop abusing them with hair color and will spring back to life. lol
I shared several progress photos in that previous post last September, including this photo that represented the one-year point of growing out my hair. I had my hair parted on the side so the best indication of how much it had grown out can be seen toward the front part in that photo. The white was right around the top of my ear.
It’s been almost 6 months since I shared an update (Gosh, life is going by fast!) and here’s where we are now. It’s weird to me how some hair(s) grow faster than others. I asked the stylist who cut my hair last week why it does that. She said that hair doesn’t grow at the same pace all over the head—some strands grow faster than others. Interesting, huh? It takes approximately two years for hair to fully grow out from the top of the head to the shoulders. My hair seems to be right on pace with that timeline.
So far, I’m happy with my “new” hair and do not plan to ever color it again. The freedom of knowing I will never have to worry about my roots showing again has been awesome! But there is one thing that I don’t especially like about my new, mostly white hair, and that is the texture. My colored hair felt like it had a bit more body. From reading online, I know hair color works by actually swelling each strand of hair since it has to lift the hair cuticle to let the pigment enter the hair. So, though my hair still looks and feels as thick as before, maybe even thicker, the individual strands feel silkier and softer, almost like the spun angel hair we used to put on our Christmas trees back in the day when I was a kid. Remember that stuff?
It’s been really bugging me how fly-away and silky soft my hair feels now. It could partially be due to the time of year we are in—my hair always feels more fly away and staticky during the winter when there’s so little humidity in the air. Maybe it will feel more coarse once spring gets here and there’s more humidity.
Anyway, I miss the coarser texture my hair had when I was still coloring it. So the last time I washed my hair, which was about three days before the above photo was taken, I used this “body/texture amplifier” product called, Rusk. Though Rusk has great reviews, I didn’t expect it to help that much with my overly soft/silky white hair, but it did! I applied it generously as recommended on the bottle, lifting my hair up to get it all underneath, and it made a big difference in the texture.
The bottle states that it can be added to wet or dry hair, but I think it works best when added to towel-dried, wet hair, which is how I used it. Once I blow-dried my hair, I saw an immediate improvement in how much body my hair had and how much less staticky it was when brushing it. I think it helped hold the curl I added with my Calista Tool, as well. I’ve purchased two other hair products to try that are supposed to add texture and body to hair, but so far, I’m really happy with this Rusk texture amplifier. I know most people love soft, silky hair, but I much prefer hair with a lot of body and texture. When I first started growing my hair out, I was looking forward to the coarser texture that supposedly gray hair has, but that’s not what I’ve experienced with my hair. So I’m giving it back some body/texture with Rusk. I love how the body lasts and doesn’t leave after a day or two. It’s been three days since I washed my hair and it still has plenty of body and zero static. Love that! (Rusk is available here: Rusk Thick Body and Texture Amplifier.)
One More Fun Update: Here’s one more fun update before I end this post. If you saw my last post, you know I recently purchased my very first Stanley cup. I resisted the craze until I saw this floral Love Shack Fancy version. I’ve been having fun purchasing little covers/caps for the straws. The floral Love Shack Fancy cup/tumbler came with a cute, pink, bow straw cap, but I didn’t want to use it for fear it would get lost or damaged. I found these online and I think I like them even better.
I mean, how adorable is this kitty! (Straw cap covers are available here: Straw Covers for Stanley Cups.)
Happy Monday! I hope you have an amazing week! 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.
You look gorgeous !
Aww, you are so sweet, Deborah! I need a better haircut with a few more layers once it grows out more.
“Rusk” ordered!! TY!! Your hair looks lovely for you!! franki
Let me know what you think, Franki! Hope it works great!
Susan, I love how your hair looks, the natural color is fabulous! I wish I had the courage to let mine grow out. I have to go to the salon every four weeks for color, otherwise I have that gray line showing in my part.
Thanks so much, Pam! I know what you mean, that gray line comes back way too fast!
I love your hair, I wish I was brave enough to let mine grow out, I’m afraid it would make me look older
Happy Monday, Frances
That’s what I used to worry about but I really don’t think it does. I think my darker brown hair actually aged me more. The first few months are the toughest, then it gets exciting seeing the transformation that’s happening. You’ll know when it’s the right time, Frances. Just wait until you’re ready.
Thanks for having us over, Susan. Your new haircut is amazing!
Thanks, Debra! Have a fabulous week!
You’re hair looks beautiful! I let mine grow out just before the pandemic started and will never go back!
I should have done it during that time, I wish I had done it way sooner. You were so smart to do it then, Gail!
XXX
OMGoodness I love your natural hair color. I’ve been wanting mine to turn that shade but alas, it has not and I’m 81. It’s still a medium blond with a touch of gray on both temples! lol Who knows I may never get the gray but I hope you’re embracing your shade because it looks wonderful.
So amazing how different it is for everyone. I started going gray in my early 30s and colored my hair for 35 years. That’s wonderful that you’ve never had to do that, Anita. You were smart to never start coloring it because it’s a pain in the you-know-what since it only last 3-4 weeks before the roots start showing again.
Love your natural white. I have wanted white hair all my life and now it mostly is…although I have had some parts bleached for a few years now to match. Hair stories! Last May I caught Covid for the first time. After taking awhile to recover
(it was an evil case) in July, August and September more than 1/3 of my hair fell out! ARRGH! Apparently this is common. It has been growing back slowly but steadily. Luckily I have very thick hair but it has been a challenge.
You’re right, it is pretty common to lose a lot of hair if you get really sick. I remember when I caught Influenza A on a trip to Germany. When I returned, about a month later, I had massive amounts of hair falling out for weeks! I was beginning to wonder if it would ever stop. About a month or two later, I started seeing a million baby hairs all over my head, so thankfully, as you’ve experienced, it does grow back. I read that when we get really sick like that, our body sends all its energy to getting us well again, so I guess all the hair that was in its “resting” phase, just goes ahead and falls out. Pretty scary when it’s happening!
Thank for the update on your hair. It looks great and I love the color
Thanks, Helene!
XXX
Susan, beautiful hair! Yes, wish mine would look that lovely with gray!
Question please: how do you store all of your themed/seasonal dinnerware. I am accumulating quite a bit and other than the soft dish storage containers, not sure what I want to do. HELP!
Thanks, Diane!
I used to store the majority of my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinnerware in my dining room china cabinet, but when my icemaker on my fridge leaked and I had to have the flooring in the downstairs of my home refinished, I had to unload all the furniture in the dining room. At that point, I took all that dinnerware to the Dollhouse in Ohio since I knew I’d be spending the holidays there with family.
I haven’t brought it back yet, will probably leave it there since I’ll probably spend holidays there in the future. You can see it in that room in this post:
https://betweennapsontheporch.net/cottage-living-a-whimsical-candlelit-halloween-table-setting/
Many years ago I created a bunch of storage in my garage…see that in this post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/the-great-dish-storage-experiment-plus-some-new-chargers-napkin-rings/
Thanks, Diane! I have a big basement, but I like keeping my dinnerware in the kitchen cabinets or in the garage which stays a pretty moderate temperature. That’s more convenient than hauling it up and down stairs since the garage is just off the breakfast room/kitchen which is close to the screened porch and dining room where I often set tables.
I do store a lot of my centerpieces in the basement storage room and in cabinets there…see that in this post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/basement-storage-room-renovation-a-fun-purple-workbench/
Your hair is spectacular. I’m jealous. Mine is more silver gray.
Thanks so much, Pam! I was surprised to see the color of mine was once it grew out enough for me to really see it. I’ve seen some gorgeous gray hair styles on Instagram under the hash tag #silversister. Gray hair can be really beautiful!
Your hair is such a gorgeous silver! What do the grandsons think? I’ve had a gray streak since my twenties. Now I have one on the other side, so am starting to let those areas go natural. Only random grays elsewhere so far. Younger sisters are gray already though.
That sounds so pretty, Mia! It’s amazing how different we can be from our sisters. My sister, who was 11 years older than me, had very little gray.
I love your white hair. You have a gorgeous head of hair. THX for recommendations.
Thanks so much, Michele! I’m still surprised every time I look in the mirror after having brown hair my entire life. lol
Your hair looks fabulous! My granny and a grand aunt both had beautiful white hair. If I could have all white hair I would grow out my colored hair.
Thanks so much, Mary! The white was such a surprise! I think it’s been white for probably 20+ years based on what a stylist told me when my roots were showing many years ago. I really wish I had stopped coloring it then. You may be surprised if you grow your out, how much you love it. Gray/silver can be really pretty and dramatic!
Susan, your hair looks beautiful! Kudos to you for making what must have been a hard decision and having the patience to grow it out. Thanks for the tip about the Rusk – I have short very fine hair and static makes me crazy, so I think I’m going to give it a shot. Happy Monday to you!
Thanks so much, Kim! The hardest part and biggest test of my patience was those first few months. After that, it’s been kinda fun. I think I’ll miss the process a little once it’s fully grown out.
I know, static is so annoying this time of year! Let me know how the Rusk works for you. I did it to help give my hair more body but was thrilled when I realized it also fixed the static issue.
Susan!
Your hair is beautiful! What a transformation. I was sad when you stopped coloring. This looks better than when you colored! I’m 3 mos into going gray. Seeing your fab hair makes me happy I quit the toxic dye I’ve used for 60 years!
Thanks so much, Dawne! I know what you mean, I liked my brown hair color, too, but coloring my hair to hide the roots every few weeks was the like bailing water out of a boat with a huge hole in the bottom. Never-ending! I’m so glad you quit, too! That’s wonderful!
Love your new hair cut and color…I went natural 10 years ago at 57 years old and it was so liberating…My hair is in much better shape now than it was when I was getting it colored…
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
Thanks so much, Debbie! Yes, liberating is such a great way to describe it! I wish I had quit long before now!
XXX
Your hair looks awesome, Susan! I am really disliking mine right now. You give me inspiration. I have 6 older sisters, and only the oldest does not color her hair. Hers is still very little grey, more original dark brown, and I don’t care for that blend. I wish I had the nerve to go naturally grey.
I love your hair. I bit the bullet three months ago and stopped coloring my hair. I have short hair and my stylist suggested doing a different cut while it grows out to make it less noticeable. I actually love the new cut. I think I’m only a haircut or two away from a complete grow out. It’s exciting! I’m actually pretty surprised how much natural color I still have in my hair. I’d convinced myself I was completely grey and that detered me for several years. Happy to stop exposing myself to all those chemicals and hours spent at the stylist!
Love your white hair….and I would stop coloring if mine would be that beautiful white color. May stop coloring, but not yet. But, I have baby fine hair and use Thick, and recently found Rusk Thickr…which provides a little bit more hold. I like it because I have a pixie cut that I like to “spike” in places, and the Thickr helps with that. I can usually find it at a great price at Marshalls or TJ Max. Have a great week!
Your hair looks amazing. I just ordered the Rusk Thick!! My hair, unfortunately, has been falling out at an alarming rate bc of some meds I have to take. I’ve been taking all sorts of supplements and using a LED helmet, but progress is SLOOOOW! I’ve also been using a thickening shampoo by Derma E which I really like, but the effect only lasts the day I shampoo so I’m hoping the Thick will help keep what volume I have between shampoos. Thank you for testing out so many good products for us!!
Your hair looks beautiful! I tried not dyeing my hair, but my natural color made me look so washed out, I had to go back to some type of color. I’m happy with the between color I chose
Hi Susan, your hair looks beautiful! I have been coloring my hair close to my natural color for many years to cover the gray, I started getting gray hair when I was young. But like you said, it is a pain in the neck and it’s also expensive. I’m used to seeing myself with dark hair and I don’t know how I would look if I let the roots grow out.
I quit coloring my hair last year, and never looked back! I love my hair it is mostly silver, and shines in the sun. I have very thick hair, and it has always had so much body. I don’t see any real difference in the texture, and am using the shampoo I have used for several years! I have waves an soft curls, and will never color again! Yours looks great!
Susan,
I would like to order two more of the blue rugs you bought for your new house in your study. I cannot find them on Amazon and I purchase them through your website. Can you help me with the link as I love these bright multi color rugs? This has been driving me crazy.
Becky
Becky, here’s where I purchased mine: https://amzn.to/3Fd8HUY
It looks like they are also available at Home Depot here: https://bit.ly/3XvgPq8