going gray cold turkey going gray cold turkey

it has good reviews. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new hair and wold never go back to colour. Hi Joy, you may find that you hair grows in thicker and healthier after you stop coloring. Does anyone else have any ideas for success in this area? This is the first time visiting the web site.. While we age, we have this build up of old skin due to sun damage, air pollution, smoking cigarettes, DNA, lack of exfoliation, poor diet, wearing making-up thus clogging skin pores, environmental pollution, such as in farming towns; to include not taking care of ones skin from a young age and most importantly not wearing sun screen. It has come down to me coloring my hair every4 weeks and I could use it every three weeks. You can dye all of your colored hair gray to blend in with your gray roots. The connection I have found in social media is surreal sometimes! Supportive Instagram groups, such as @grombre, @embrace.the.gray, @silverandfree, @silversistersinternational, @cottonhairedwomen, @artinaging, @flyageless and @thesilverwomen, just to name a few, are amazing accounts supporting silver sisters. Hi Diana, for me, it helped because we kept my hair short. Makes me laugh. Its shiny & lovely after I color but that fades and then I need to color again. Im still amazed at how much prettier and more unique I feel with my own color. Now I am older and the contrast doesnt look as beautiful anymore. . Some ladies blend in highlights or dye their hair gray to ease the transition to going gray. I'm at 30 weeks now, and very happy with my cold turkey gray hair transition! As always it is about so much more than the hair. Domestic production. I had been coloring my hair every 3 weeks for over a decade. It has been one year since I have not dyed my hair and there were times when I considered starting again and I am now at that point of no return. Total $275. I am also in the healthcare field and do not want to look unkept to new and existing patients. It is so healthy, and actual looks so much prettier on me than my dyed hair ever did. i just turned 60 and am so tired of everything about it. My husband is five years younger and I do not want to make this too perceptbile. And then there is the "cold turkey" method which I personally chose to do. This woman had such an impact on me and she will never know it. For example, I have self-confidence *most* of the time, but that wasnt always true.I was taught from the very beginning of my life that I was a nobody. Wont amount to shit! Dumb! Stupid! I believed those things, so doors were left open for even worse abuses to come my way. My hair was breaking off and falling . I am now mostly silver- and I have never felt so free. Save. I couldnt help myself. Focus on health. I sit here with a huge desire to do it but the doubt that I have the strength and perserverance to stick with it. Yes, it is expensive for at least 2-3 visits, but after that, you are done. I have a hair appointment tomorrow and have been going back and forth about starting now or dye one more time for the holidays. Let me tell you, with the conviction of a thousand men and in my deepest heart of hearts I just knew I would NEVER stop dying my hair. One thing you can consider is getting a clear gloss dye applied. You can try Balayage which is lightening your ends. No matter how dressed up I get, I never wear makeup. Confused because I wasnt that girl at all! I figure the process will take about 18 months, but generally I am OK with it. Up until about a year ago I was dying my own hair every two weeks because I thought it was cheaper than going to the salon but after talking to my hairdresser I finally saw sense in what she was saying. Of course you can wear cute hats, scarves and headbands. Something about turning 50 that made a shift in my psyche. Im an all or nothing gal, so for me, I am now natural, it will grow and I am loving it! Just a lot of silver coming fast now, about 75%. 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. I knew at some point I would have to do the big chop so I started with it. my hair grows fast, so after we colored it dark (what was my natural hair color) then we allowed time for the roots to grow enough that she could pick up and highlight from the root all the way out. It helps to read about the experiences other women are going through and makes me feel connected and accepted as I am among my peers. So I dyed my hair. Anyone who has started going gray knows that this doesnt happen overnight; its a process that seems to take forever, and you have good and bad days. Cold turkey, she decided to find out. Rock it! The reaction wasnt satisfying at all. So I gave it a go. Hopefully this site has given you some inspiration. In fact, a 1920 newspaper cartoon uses the expression "cold turkey" thusly: "Now tell me on the squarecan I get by with this for the weddingdon't string metell me cold turkey." I've been coloring every 2 to 3 weeks for over 20 yrs. It was becoming a trend, and I thought it was absolutely beautiful. Going Gray is Kreamer's exploration of that experience, and a frank, warm and funny investigation of aging as a female obsession. Thanks for your comment, Alison! Thank you for reading. Karen and I first decided to start this endeavor as an Instagram page. Chances are, youre going to look better and when you look better, you feel better, even happier. I realized that if you stand out in any way, you will have positive and negative reactions. My husband is very supportive of whatever I decide. This sound like me. I very soon discovered that there was a strong movement going on on Instagram! Its like being pregnant in your first trimester where you just feel fat but you dont look pregnant yet. My husband likes is long (hes ok with me going natural color) so cutting it super short may be out of the question I dont knowanyway, I know it will be process. My thought is that this will allow the grey to grow in while still maintaining a professional image. I started to build my own self-worth, my own self-confidence, based on the person I found out I was. . Just an option! , You have many options from highlights and low-lights to pixie cuts. Resisting buy violet shampoo because I am afraid it will stain my white/grey. 4. Also, a vitamin B-12 . 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. So many gorgeous greys! I would get compliments all the time on the gray!!!! No more color, just regular trims until all the silver hair grows in. Good luck, Hi, I just turned 52 and retired from 30 years of teaching. I was ready to take the plunge. It is hard! I got my hair highlighted with 60-80 foils, cut/styled. I am so upset as I was just getting my hair into a nice bob length, all one colour, and now I have to start all over growing out my grey.arghhh. People have mentioned the grey especially round the face and a large patch which you can see when I put my hair up but now I just say yep we are all getting older. What is the most expensive way to go gray? Martha Truslow Smith created Going grey with (grohm)(bray) in 2016 with a simple, yet difficult mission: to start a different dialogue . We are proud to belong to this community of amazing women who just accept themselves and each other, just as we are! A proven go-to hairstyle for growing out gray hair is also one or two French braids. I'm going to cut it off, cold turkey, let it grow in and see. My hair is very long and dyed dark brown and my roots are growing out gray with silver highlights. who said a thing about giving up??? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I am 64 years old and a Qigong teacher- hoping to show the world that we can age with health. My decision was based on the fact that as I was getting older, I felt I did not look natural with brown hair. Im about 4 or 5 weeks grown out. I have now made the Full Transition to Gray Hair. I am finding these stories so inspiring. "Going gray" is a big commitment no matter what and one needs to be in the right frame of mind before starting the process. But, I do think gray hair can be so beautiful and cool looking. Heres to a healthier life made more beautiful with our shining silver halos! We should feel good about ourselves as a whole, physically and mentally. . ! thought youd be the last to give up. I just ran acrossed it today. I am not sure I am making any sense. On average, for mid length to long hair 'cold turkey' grow-out, it takes about 20 months. dark brown) hair just was not working.After 28 years of coloring, my hair looked dry, rough, and too brassy/warm. And check out a few of the support groups on Facebook. I have absolutely no regrets. I realize that if I don't see how I like my silver hair now that I may end up coloring it for another 15 years just to keep him happy with how his mommy looks! The Ones Who Did It Early. What changed? She lifted the dark hair colour in three appointments, and after that, we regularly trimmed the fake colour off to get to my real hair. I refused to do the skunk stripe and cannot help but cringe when I see it on other heads. This will help that demarcation line seem less stark. Sooo.tried it again and my stylist made the cocktail a little stronger and left it on longer.huge mistake! Please ladies, understand how that looks!!! I feel beautiful, I feel proud, I feel free. I'm afraid of leaving my hair to become entirely gray would deepen my already not so easy crisis of turning 50. That's how I do things. From dark brown to silver was too major and went with a short feathered cut which I have kept. Use Pinterest to create gray boards of women whose hair you admire.Look at the different Facebookgroups (Instagram too) anddo 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. So I am five months into it, and I have about 3 inches of gray. COLD TURKEY: LONG HAIR. There wasnt much thinking behind my decision; I had just had enough. I dont know if anyone is still on this blog. I relapsed oonce or twice last year I am seeing a lot of gray once again I am now age 55 I turn 56 in april, I have a little aubturn on the ends, I am pretty gray in my top of my head and sides. Im not going to judge women who dye their hair or even dare to say that they are not being real or are not embracing who they are! I am 2 months no dye, after 25 years of highlights. This is transition to self acceptance. Was it hard? Then one day, I saw this beautiful woman in a restaurant in Hingham, MA. I was just SOOOO done with the cycle that I did not want to prolong it another day. I would say its a solid 9 months to 1 year of making due and then another year of just waiting it out. I can honestly say that I LOVE my gray hair, and thats something I never said when it was dyed.~Lisette P. OWN it! On average, for mid length to long hair cold turkey grow-out, it takes about 20 months. I like it! Then, I just kind of had a light-bulb momentI probably have that grey! I just have to deal with the auburn left on the ends till it goes away in time. I'm going to be 44 in a week and my hair has been going grey since my twenties. wonder when/if I will! Over 60 Hairstyles. Jan 26, 2023 - Explore Audrey's board "Grey hair ponytail" on Pinterest. I have been going through the process of thinking about stopping colouring for about a year and then suddenly I had a shift and felt strongly that I wanted to be a more authentic me. But its always there if I need it. I knew I could save a lot of money by not doing color anymore, but, I didnt want a line she suggested we color my hair one more time, but go dark to match my natural brunette color, cut it pixie short and then wait one month and frost it (long enough to allow the roots to show so she could match and also so it was not over processed). I consider myself a non-conformist. However, I have my issues of my skin getting darker, such as age spots. That was a mistake; it played weird with my new growth and left a stain even after washing it tons. . My husband is 10 yrs younger and 80% gray. Their tutorials and advice are priceless! I think I just needed one last time. I was done! Once I made up my mind that I was going to go gray, I just had to lean into perseverance after that. Demarcation Line. Was I more beautiful then? And, very thankful to our younger women who embraced dying their hair white and gray; giving us mature women the courage to embrace life changes, from being simply identified as being old, whereby mature men hair graying and therefore be considered distinguished, Love the journey and most importantly, to thyself be true. and this is my last unnatural thing that i've been hanging on to. Im a new person now, and now more than ever my outer life is a reflection of my inner life. But why did I never question the idea that we have to cover gray hair? get a regular trim every six to eight weeks to keep your hair healthy and growing. 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. Good luck to change. Thanks, Leigh!! My legs got up and started walking right toward her. It felt ridiculous to continue another 20 years of dye. A different cut helps to eliminate a bulk of the hair you're trying to match or catch up to it also introduces the element of new. Reading all the blogs has really helped and I will keep you posted on my progress. I'll be 50 in September and so tired of dying my hair and disguising my gray that each day is more difficult to hide. my mother's struggle with this illness is my impetus. People from all over the globe supporting, empowering, encouraging, motivating and inspiring each other in so many ways became a movement! This is just how I feel. It was awesome seeing my natural hair revealed after all those years of using permanent hair dye! RELATED: For more, check out 10 Ways to Grow Out Gray Hair. Your hair is gorgeous. I havent mentioned it to anyone else. My hair is very fine and thinning so when the silver comes through under the reddish brown, it makes me look like I am balding (yuk). I want to do it gradually. Here, hair color isn't just hair color: Dallas . So, I became curious as to how much grey I actually had and if it would look as great as it did on my family members. young. I wasnt feeling good with my hair dye, so I made the decision to stop using it. Be well. At 51 (in two days), I decided to go on this journey and I am blogging my process. Not everyone has self-confidence, but it is attainable to us all. To Tanya, dont worry how youll look and especially dont worry about what others think. I wanted to ditch the chemicals. Ease into gray . Know that there may be some rough spots but in the end, youll love your natural color and the bonus is healthy hair.~Janice C. I stopped coloring April 2017 at 57 yrs. if you decide to go gray do not let others bring you down i did that for a few years but no more!!! WHAT!!! I started with blond. The only real problems with going cold turkey is the psychology of saying goodbye to hair dye and dealing with a bold demarcation line (where the coloured hair stops). You sound so like I did last year. If you want to look like Pepe Le Peu, the skunk, go for it. I would rather cut it a little shorter and continue through with the transition or get tired of the skunk look and dye it again. Ironic since it seems to grow fast when in coloring mode. I went cold turkey, and it took me about a year, with a lot of patience, to grow out the dyed colored hair. Argh!I have to color my hair every 3 weeks and its driving me crazy. I guess this will be a journey and ill probably have to come and read your wonderful posts often for encouragement!! Uncovering my natural hair colour after being a bottle blonde for 37 years makes for quite an interesting experiment. I started coloring my hair in between jobs a few years back to look younger for interviews, and I regret that decision. Hahaha! 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. I'm 34 now and have several grey streaks that resemble highlights in my otherwise brown hair. It took approximately 9 months to fully transition but it was so worth it. I went 'cold turkey, ' and it took me about a year, with a lot of patience, to grow out the dyed colored hair. We started on Instagram 7 months ago, and we already have almost 8K followers. I had a 25 square scarf on hand, so I folded it and tied it around my head, with the know beneath the pony. There's a fair amount of dark blonde-y, brown-y hair mixed in with the streaks of silver, but the more . It's a shame you'd gone through the hardship of it during the pandemic and then erased that hard work, but at least now you know how long the process takes and what it will look like! My stylist tried a shampoo cocktail to lift the build up of yellow. How Tarla Went Silver the Easy Way Using Wigs! It's fun to cut about 1/2 inch per month and watch the grey take over. So, after looking at many, many gray-hairedwomen on the internet I took the plunge with the help of my supportive, skilled stylist. Reading these posts convinces me it is the right choice. 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. Turns out, a lot of women are sick and tired of society pressuring them into spending precious hours and dollars in hair salons. I was longing to be what I was meant to be, both inside and out. I guess I feel insecure and afraid of rejection or just being invisible. 52 and adopted a 2 year old 6 years ago, you will definatley get that question ? It will be a relief to see my hair as it really is and not fret over the white line in the middle of my head after 2 weeks. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, it! It is used when a person suddenly stops consuming a substance such as alcohol, tobacco, or another drug, instead of gradually . don not let anyone make you feel bad aboput going grey it is ok. I feel I'm putting rubbish over platinum. Not sticking any longer, and dont want the burning harsh chemicals of the Permanent, or the skunk stripe when you stop. A bit of color on your cheeks can add a rosy glow to your face. Aveda Blue Malva Color Conditioner. Feeling nervous about letting my stylist know my plan for ditching the dye. Then 2 months later 20 foils, toner, cut/styled. i also look for products online too!! Thank you all for being there. Wish me luck yallAndrea the Actress in Virginia. I have been coloring my hair since I got my first gray hairs in my early thirties. I stuck with growing out the color and every time I had a new cut, I could see the grey/white strands of hair shining through more and more (especially around my face like a light). I myself have been flirting with the idea of going gray. I'm not sure how I'll deal with it when I start looking like a skunk, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I get compliments often on my color! I have connected with so many ladies, and Im honored to call them my friends: Michele, Tina, Karen, Leanne, Sherry, Lashawnda and Ondine the list goes on and on! i am a photographer and just returned from a job where the client had cut all her hair off because she got sick of coloring. FURTHER READING ABOUT HOW TO GO GRAY FROM COLORED HAIR, Philippas Buzzcut Transition from Red to Gray Hair, Balayage, Highlights and/or Lowlights, or Grey Blending, international database of gray-friendly salons, Going Gray in Secret with the Dye Strip Technique, let your gray hair grow out cold turkey underneath a wig, ditching the dye benefits our hair health, before and after photos of women who went gray, 10 Gray Hair Transition Mistakes Youll Want to Avoid, How to Embrace Your Gray Hair When You Have No Choice, My 9 Month Gray Hair Transition Progress Report, All You Need to Know About Yellowing Gray Hair. I asked each of these glorious women to offer up any Words of Wisdom on going gray; they all had their own unique and silvery advice. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. My husband has always asked me to quit coloring my hair and just be my natural self~ my daughters didn't feel the same. So glad I found your blog. Add to Cart . I was ready to show the world the real me. I had always had long dark hair, and I was so desperate to keep it that way. Did you have to cut your hair? jt is a very bold and couragous move to go gray.i too am tired of hiding my authentic self and recently shaved my head to start over fresh.i am excited for my new look!Solomon said that gray hair is glory and beauty and is found in the way of righteousness! 32. My husband loves the blonde, and we all want the husband to be happy right? COLD TURKEY: BUZZ CUT. For a very long time, my hair will be two tones and I am not sure what I will look like. At this point, I was unstoppable; I was determined and excited about my new path! It is just what I needed! Guest contributor Denise ONeill shares her story on how to go gray. Not all stylists/colorists are created equal either, my semi permanent was applied at the salon who had assured me it would wash out.. Not so, unfortunately. I hope you didn't change your mind! I do feel sad sometimes, because I am used to seeing myself with dark brown hair. There's an Instagram account dedicated to getting women to embrace their natural grays, and they are here for it. And my very best to you and your mother. Rock it! In many places, it still is, for men at least. Have a weird yellow bit on top even though my hair was brown . But when her hairdresser freaked out over the decision, she realized she was heading into territory that for many is a no-go zone. The transition was difficult but totally worth it. 2. But in December 2015 when I went in for a cut and color, I decided that was it as far as coloring my hair goes. Honestly, its a thing! i am on facebook joann cooper troupe in a striped shirt with my husband jim. Nevertheless, I have decided to go natural gray/white hair and have done some chemical peels for my face, body exfoliation for good measure, and physically getting into shape; practicing Aikido Martial Art(Brown Belt) and weight training to tighten various places, let to the imagination. I have decided not to use any dye at all while transitioning. I used to pluck them all out with my Tweezermans but when I couldnt keep up, I started hitting the salon every 2 months, which turned into 6 weeks which eventually turned into every 4 weeks as the years passed. I owe so much to Anne she gave me great hope and confidence to carry on. So, I get my hair cut every month regardless of which length Im keeping it. (Stars on the harbor to be exact for all my South Shore, Massachusetts friends). I filled my head with knowledge and my heart with self-love.And it changed my life!!! Unfortunately, at 52 - after at least 25 years of coloring my hair blonde from brown - I've developed a sudden but severe allergy to hair dye, even the more "natural" ones, so I don't have much choice, and cold turkey it's going to be! What exactly is everyone doing at the skunk stage? I think I may look better al natural. However, my stylist keeps telling me she cant add silver or grey, so Dianne Farb, what did your stylist add to help you with the transition? Now that I am 60 and tired of dying my hair every 4 weeks, I want to let go of the dye bottle. Scientists don't know exactly why some people go gray early, but genes play a large role. The amazing women in my life tell me every day how stunning and sophisticated I look. I thought it would be a good solution for me too but now have come to find out that my hair has been stained and so the 10 months I thought I had under my belt is now starting anew. The color is silver, grey, and an inch of brown dyed hair. Well, some people said this would make me look old, others said that I was really brave! You do need to worry about what your husband thinks. Hey, gals - it has been TWENTY-ONE freaking months of growing out my grey hair cold turkey. 8 Months and Counting, Going Gray: A Transformation both Inside and Out Video, 10 Things that Surprised Me About Going Gray, 15 Hair Color Changing Apps Reviewed (Pros and Cons), Overtone Hair Color for Gray Hair (Before & After Pictures), Best Heat Protectant for Hair (Gray and Beyond), I Tried 8 Natural Purple Shampoos for Gray Hair (Before & After Pics), I Tried It: Kitsch Heatless Curls Review (Before & After Pics), Browse This Gallery of Gray Hair Pixie Cut Hairstyles for Ages 25-75. This is more of an option for lighter-haired people. It will be a shade of light brown or even orange. Go lighter. Demarcation line/skunk stripe is one of the most challenging things for some women about growing out their grey hair. No, no, and no. I put some thin bleached stripes down my part. If you are anything like me, you have a lot of questions about how to begin this gray hair journey. Im still young looking, but Im in my forties now. I realize No One Cares! I was just too white on my crown to pull it off properly. I am aware of the changes I feel. If you have the same ideas about feminine beauty and want to join our community of like-minded women, visit our community of silver sisters (www.silversistersinternational.com) and follow us on Instagram. But I am ready to embrace my new self in being who I am and where I am in life. On the other had, I do not like to have this obligation to color my hair all the time. 29 following. For anyone planning on growing out gray hair or for anyone wondering how long it will take, I would say to plan on a solid 2 years for the grays to grow past your chin. I stopped dyeing my hair because I think it just didnt look good anymore. Like every time I walk last a mirror or look in my rear view mirror I am like, holy cow! People are saying it will age me, but as been shared, I feel the brown dye is ageing me. I learned that you cant always blend into the crowd, but the truth is this was never my goal. Coping mechanisms. When autocomplete results are available use up and down . I'm getting a super short cut. I experienced the kind of support thats often rare to find even face to face. Salon Transition. He looked me right in the eye and said, You should totally do it.. I have wavy hair and I chose not to blow my hair out straight during most of my grow out to help make the demarcation line appear less prominent. I felt that I looked like I was letting myself gothat I didnt care about how I looked. The right style, and a willingness to endure 3 months of not so great hair, allowed me a pretty fast transition. People stare, ask, comment and admire my decision to go natural. Braids, ponys and buns are super cute too. Always no B.S. I am reading this and it speaks as if it was I speaking. Why take the chance that it won't wash out. And I'm not saying it's my way or the highway. Grrrr, I wish I had not started coloring again. So, here i go and I think this time I won't start coloring again. thank you for the words of support, Joy. Not in the sense that it was a utopic scenario. Advantages of Going Gray Cold Turkey with Long Hair. It was a vicious and messy cycle. It took me 9 months to be done with several big chops. During the growing out phase, my hair was such a mess, a mixture of the old dyed color, my new natural dark brown, and the gray coming through. The most popular theory was repeated by the San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen in 1978: "It derives from the hideous combination of goosepimples [sic] and what William Burroughs calls 'the cold burn' that addicts suffer as they kick the habit." In Cop Speak: The Lingo of Law Enforcement and Crime, Tom . I am literally crying at the thought of it even though its ME thats the driving force. And dont give a f#ck what other people think.~Melissa L. If I were going to give words of wisdom, Idsay 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.Weve been conditioned and brainwashed to believe that the gray looks old, bad, witchy, or unprofessional so that well 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. While going gray may seem like a purely aesthetic decision, women who have made the . Six ways to grow out gray hair that is colored, Gray Hair Inspo: Braid Styles for Gray Hair, Growing Out Gray Hair: 10 Ways to Go Gray, Going Gray: (at 40!) I've been dying my hair since the age of 21. I go every 5 weeks, but the last two weeks before my appointment isnt very attractive because I see the gray roots. But this time I am going to see it through.