It was becoming harder to keep the line of gray covered and on top of that, my hair was starting to fall out. I had always had long dark hair, and I was so desperate to keep it that way. Check out the Boom! I felt rebellious. Why would I not want to look my age? It felt like it was going to take forever and I was never going to get there. But I did. I love my gray hair. Despite some mean comments from neighbors, I didn’t care and went on with my daily life. 1 year-- growing out gray hair. I would have to say that after fretting and thinking about letting my natural silver shine for over 20 years, I finally made the choice to be free at the age of 50. 3 years ago I did what many of my friends thought was crazy and foolish. To find out all there is to know about this trending color, we tapped hair and color professionals Lee and Denis De Souza for their expert advice. 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. Let Your Roots Grow Out. I had people walking up to me, asking me if my hair was real. You come out the other end more confident. Do you. It took approximately 9 months to fully transition but it was so worth it. My hairdresser was very supportive of my decision, as was my husband. Gray Hair Growing Out Grow Hair Going Gray Gracefully Aging Gracefully Natural Hair Styles. This year I turned 40 and decided to start this epic journey to embrace my silvers! If growing out the dye is something you want to do, I’d make sure your current dye color is close to your actual hair color and make sure it has little or no ‘red tones’. This has been one of my most popular posts. You could be done with your gray hair transition in 3-6 months, depending on how short you go! Meanwhile your grays will be growing out in other parts of your hair unbeknownst to everyone else. I was never really happy with that dark red color, and kept asking my hairdresser to tone it down, but she loved it with my skin tone and eyes. My hair grows so slowly. And in isolation, much easier to do. I was so tired of the monthly visits that kept my hair looking “good” for 2 weeks, only to be followed by 2 weeks with roots popping up and constant heavy conditioners to attempt to keep my hair healthy. Later in her journey, she did end up cutting her dry hair off because it was so very dry from the chemicals. It will sound so cheesy, and others have said it, but you grow in many ways on this journey, and it is so much more than hair. Know that there may be some rough spots but in the end, you’ll love your natural color and the bonus is healthy hair.~Janice C. I stopped coloring April 2017 at 57 yrs. The truth was that the dark brown had turned grey a long time ago, it started turning gray in my late teens. When I see older people with no gray hair- the first thing I think is, they color their hair. It was absolutely terrifying. And maybe you think that you should look at hairstyles for gray hair. I can honestly say that I LOVE my gray hair, and that’s something I never said when it was dyed.~Lisette P. OWN it! See, I was never really a girly girl, and primping, and time spent doing so, just annoyed me. I saw many young girls coloring their hair grey. Now, that’s the key, am I right? ~Michelle Ray For Full Affiliate and Copyright Details Please Read My Terms & Conditions Page. You can use a conical iron or a flat iron to create them. I was just SOOOO done with the cycle that I did not want to prolong it another day. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links to Amazon.com. Let your hair go gray! I love promoting the beauty of ageing. I love being part of changing the world by changing the way we women look at ourselves. It was literally; WTF am I doing??!! PART I – Growing out my gray hair using cap/bleach with Olaplex method . How sad that instead of celebrating what time has done in our lives, instead of appreciating the beauty that can only be earned by time, we try to stay stuck in the past, in our youth. I am salt and pepper and I colored my hair to as close as possible to my natural color before starting the grow out process. Since I have so many. I was horrified. Be well. It became and is about…discovery, patience, courage, confidence, personal connections, and loving friendships made near and far!~Tracey H. Once upon a time, I swore I would dye ‘till I died. Sara K says: November 19, 2016 at 2:24 am. Who knew that our real beauty is only acquired through time and that grey hair is a crown of glory? At that time, there really wasn’t much out there. A decision was made. And don’t give a f#ck what other people think. Use Pinterest to create gray boards of women whose hair you admire. Look at the different Facebook groups (Instagram too) and do 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. Though some women do whatever they can to cover up any grays, others embrace it by proudly rocking the newly trendy hue, even dyeing their hair gray, long before the silvery strands appear. I am also trying to grow out gray hair, from a brunette color. I stopped coloring my hair just over 2 years ago; I’m not a big social media person, but thought I’d throw my hat in the ring to be part of Grombre because these pictures of strong, confident women with beautiful natural hair served as a great inspiration to me during a grow out phase that was very challenging for me. Both Uva and Bradbury said growing out grey hair completely is actually a fairly high-maintenance process. After all, a 40+ year old woman shouldn’t choose a hairstyle certain 20 years old would have, right? Enjoy! They are a tremendous help getting you through the rough patches of this process. I've been growing it out for the past two and a half years and it looks stunning! I could feeeeeel that I wasn’t “that girl.” I went on a great adventure to find myself. Thanks for making it.” Thank you, Angela! First step in a pretty big color correction today •before photos on the left(not done by me), after on the right• This lovely client went…, Art In Aging on Instagram: “Self proclaimed foodie @mindy.gale is on a journey to be mindful of all things. It took me 9 months to be done with several big chops. I filled my head with knowledge and my heart with self-love.And it changed my life!!! My only regret is that I didn’t stop dyeing it sooner. In my collage, you can see that I tended to straighten my ‘frizzy’ wavy hair. Irene Smallwood-Bosma on April 03, 2018: I love the liberated feeling I get from not having to schedule another hair color appointment! I made some other, heart wrenching, difficult decisions at the same time. Do the Full Transition to Gray Hair your way. I had been coloring my hair every 3 weeks for over a decade. ?”They love it and want to have this color too. Pure bliss!~Laura C. “My best words of wisdom for your full transition to gray hair are ones I say repeatedly: You will never know what you’ve got until you grow it out. I had an epiphany. A post shared by @ helenmirren on Jan 16, 2018 at 5:25am PST. I earn money as an Amazon Associate from qualifying purchases. As I searched the internet some more, I found that natural grey looked even prettier than dyed grey. I get compliments often on my color! Of course, growing out gray hair—especially when you’ve been coloring it all this time—is easier said than done. It's just "that line", you know the line of demarcation between my roots and last hair color application -- I wanted it to disappear. Get the guide on the best way to grow African American hair quickly by retaining length. Not everyone has self-confidence, but it is attainable to us all. I have now made the Full Transition to Gray Hair. I loaded boards up on Pinterest of gray haired beauties like Yazemeenah, Cindy Joseph, Linda Rodin, and Jamie Lee Curtis. But it looked great when I was younger. Katie at Katie Goes Platinum has many full transition stories including mine on her blog. When drying your hair, gently squeeze the excess water from your hair, pat it dry, and comb it with a wide-toothed comb. A light-bulb moment! I love my shiny, healthy, one of a kind hair now! #24: Brown Hair with Blonde and White Highlights Gray highlights on dark hair go so well with some easy waves. And now I am tired of dying every 3 weeks, spraying with color to cover the skunk line. If you have any hesitations or concerns speak to your doctor or hair care professional for their support before using any information you find on this site. I allowed the entire underneath to grow out, then I flipped my part to the other side and allowed the rest of the colored hair on top to grow out. In the grocery store, I just love to pass the aisle with the hair dyes, and feel so thrilled I am done spending my time and money looking for the perfect colour every 2 or 3 weeks. I had the perfect colour all along.Â. This question is one many have and need an answer to that is a visual representation so they can see what start to finish looks like. 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. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, everybody’s journey is different. Best Ways to Transition to Natural Gray Hair. I promise you, once you know those things, the negativity of the world may still sting sometimes, but it can’t break you. Please feel free to share. Confused because I wasn’t “that girl” at all! My advice to anyone wanting to free herself from hair dye: make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. No, no, and no. Many women are happy to transition with a pixie. * Affiliate Links: QuickSilverHair is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Whatever you need to do to feel the most comfortable…do it. I’m still sexy, funny, powerful, and most of all I’m still me.~Alethiea W. I believe if one knows themselves, has self-confidence, it makes the transition easier when outside noise tries to interfere. It was exciting to see how bright my silver was. I had expected to keep adding some color low-lights for contrast, but really liked my own color. Honestly, it’s a thing! How to transition colored hair from dyed to grey, including with highlights, lowlights, salon, and at-home options for beautiful results before, during, and after going gray. I call it a finding of ‘self’ so to speak. Now? In the beginning, of my transition to gray hair I scoured the internet, Pinterest, and Facebook looking for women who had posted about their full transition to gray hair. I started dyeing my hair around 20 years old. Once upon a time, gray hair was seen as something to be avoided. Some other ways to help you get through the transition from dyed to silver hair: Wigs and extensions can help you get through times when you have events where you may be photographed. "Within the past year, my silver hair has been received in such a positive way compared with when I first started growing it out. I strongly felt like shedding everything that wasn’t truly me. Washing your hair with colder water will keep your hair smooth and healthy, which is also important when growing it out. I started to build my own self-worth, my own self-confidence, based on the person I found out I was. We added highlights, then low-lights, for 6 months or so as I was not open to “cold turkey.”. I think I still have another 12 months to go until it is all my own hair. I still remember how very scary the concept of grey hair was to me. At this point, I am still very eager and excited about this process, I like the gray growing in. For a more spectacular effect, get a layered haircut. Obviously, time has passed, I’ve grown older and wiser and I’ve earned a crown of glory that had been dyed over, time and time again. No one wants to see harsh lines of demarcation as their roots start to grow, which is why taking the right measures for your grey hair transition can make all the difference! I have absolutely no regrets. Now that I am fully transitioned, I enjoy the freedom of truly being me. 5 years dye free and happy to be me.~Rachel T. I started growing out my gray at age 44. We are returning the love by sending you a copy of our Color Me Gray eBook! Even tougher: ditching the dye and growing in your natural color. And ecstatic because I wasn’t “that girl at all!”. Then, I just kind of had a light-bulb moment…I probably have that grey! I was just too white on my crown to pull it off properly. It was absolutely thrilling. I love my hair and I feel blessed that I embrace it and let this color become me. Growing Out Gray Hair. I found myself looking at grey photos of women on the internet, I so loved the color. Once I made the decision, there was no stopping me. I have never loved my hair more. This is going to be a test of will and patience! Now, I’m not telling you this looking for sympathy, I tell you this because somewhere along my journey through this rollercoaster of life I felt that what I’d been taught all those years ago just couldn’t be true. No, wrong! The last picture is at 17 months dye free. I made the decision to embrace my silver hair just after my 48th birthday. https://quicksilverhair.com/full-transition-to-gray-hair-photos-videos-stories Though the 12-month mark is only a little over halfway for most women who grow out their color — typical transition time is 18 to 22 months, depending on how fast your hair grows and whether you’re willing to cut it really short — it’s far enough into the process that I know I can get to the end. I must say the hardest part for me was the patience. But you decided to judge people on their looks because of their hair color. I constantly have people—women and men—coming up to me and asking if it’s my natural hair color, giving me kudos for growing it out, and saying how cool it is. The only disadvantage I can picture is that it might be a shock to “go gray” overnight. The thing that really helped was browsing pictures of other brave women who took the step and let their silver shine. 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. If you had just talked about how hard it is to grow out dyed hair, you would have been fine. I was so scared that I would look like a witch…one of those on a broomstick. Was I happier then? “Going grey in one appointment doesn’t happen. When I finally found ME, I was both confused and ecstatic! So after a few more color sessions on the length only -Balayage- I was done! I kept trimming about an inch every 4-6 weeks. This is my choice and I’m not trying to influence you to do the same if it’s not for you. I’m still amazed at how much prettier and more unique I feel with my own color. Truly the most liberating thing I have ever done. Why in the world do I want to look like I’m in my twenties? It felt ridiculous to continue another 20 years of dye. Since I started growing my naturally gray hair out, I have noticed many more women doing the same. Short Hair Styles. Find out more on that heading gray and staying method. My hair was actually curlier than I knew, but years of dye had damaged my hair. Once I stopped dyeing my hair, it became healthy and curly. Â, You have many options from highlights and low-lights to pixie cuts. And I personally feel that I look so much wiser now. Thank you for reading. So I perused the internet to get the courage up to do it and found your site. I knew I was ready and I did it ‘cold turkey’. Rock it! And don’t give a f#ck what other people think.~Melissa L. If I were going to give words of wisdom, I’d say to wrap your brain around WHY you want to do this. Hair is much more than just hair. Ask anyone who lost it from cancer treatment or who was losing it in handfuls from autoimmune disorders. Gray hair is just a color. We’ve been conditioned and brainwashed to believe that the gray looks ‘old’, ‘bad’, ‘witchy’, or ‘unprofessional’ so that we’ll be either buying box dye each month or so that we visit our stylists. Research the ways to do this ‘transition’ and learn as much about each of them as you can. If getting it cut short or if you use chemicals on it, research and research to find the right stylist to help you. There is nothing as discouraging as putting your trust in the wrong person. thank you robin and richard for creating the look in New York leisure seekers screening Also a divine Valentino gown. The first photo is fresh from the salon, and the last day I colored. Look how stark that color is for my complexion! If you’re open to starting to transition into full-on gray hair then this is the best option for you. I no longer worry about what other’s think, I have fun creating sassy looks, and I have more confidence than ever before. morguefile.com. Make sure you feel strong enough to deter the most negative comments. I’m hardheaded, so when I make up my mind to do something, it’s going to happen. It’s mostly silver-white on top with brown and some blond underneath. The hardest part of transitioning to gray hair is growing out your roots. Growing Out Gray Hair – 5 Ways to go Gray. Want a free copy of our eBook? I was also growing tired of keeping up with the roots. Love her motto - strong body, mind, and spirit ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀…”. What changed? I knew at some point I would have to do “the big chop” so I started with it. young. Be it Jane Fonda or a chic woman, photographic evidence is key. In Sept 2016, I realized my colored (med. In this time-frame, I quit a dead end job, I got engaged, I started modeling, and now I am looking for a commercial acting agent. QuickSilverHair.com content disclaimer: content is provided for general informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Take a few months to be prepared physically and mentally. It’s all about faking it until you make it. Have you ever been somewhere that you were not supposed to be? If you have, you know that if you look insecure or nervous or out of place, someone will ask you what you are doing. However, if you walk along as if you OWN the place, people will not even think twice to question you being there. This is ALL about confidence. Take a few months to get your confidence at the level that will deter those who want to tell you that you’re insane, that gray will age you, that this ‘just isn’t done’. Looking back now, it seems funny how exaggerated those fears were. 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