It all started in October. Wait, no. It all started the year before. No. It really all started in my
freshman year of high school, in French class, when Teri plucked a white hair from my head and handed it to me.
The coloring started a little after, at first for fun: purple streaks! high lights! red! and grew into a bit of an addiction. The gray came in like incessant waves on the beach. My hair grows fast, at least it seems fast when the roots ruin the perfect-color high.
About a year ago, I posted something on Facebook about coloring my hair. The Subway Knitter asked wasn’t I curious how the silver (henceforth we shall not speak of gray) would come in? Nope. Not a bit.
I don’t know what changed. Sitting in my stylist’s chair last October, I asked her how I could find out. I was not about to cut off my hair; I spent the last five years growing out a pixie. Em suggested a “character streak” and bleached a chunk. The plan was to foil off that chunk when coloring the rest of my hair.
On my way to see Em in January (we have a date every five weeks. I love my stylist, but it is an expensive relationship), I couldn’t shake the feeling. It was time.
Time to see what I look like without color.
Time to honor my hair’s natural inclination.
Time to wean myself from color.
Time to see if I feel more “me” without the china doll dark hair.
Wednesday is the day. Em and I had a long conversation in January about how to preserve my long hair (shoulder length is long for me!), avoid the skunk stripe that my vanity simply can’t abide, and avoid too much damage to my hair.
There is not much advice on the Internet about how to ditch color gracefully, so I’m going to blog my process for anyone considering the same move. Each month I’ll share what Em is doing as well as a picture of the state of my hair.
I’ve got company on this journey, and you’ll hear from other women using other color-ditching methods along the way.
Take one last look. Unless, of course, I can’t do without my addiction. I’m going into this knowing I have an out. An out in a bottle.
But I’m hoping I love what I see.
It’s going to be awesome!
Your comment stayed with me!
My roots are so long I am getting a little sneak preview of all this myself… if I’m going to get all this white, why can’t I just go full Emmylou Harris NOW? (My dad went white in his 30s).
You KNOW I’m imagining I’ll look like Emmylou! Do it with me!
Good luck! It really is a lot less painful then I imagined. I’m now trying to decide if a want to continue with the blonde highlights.
I’m looking forward to seeing some pictures of your progression!
This is such a great project, thank you! My gray grows in at the root line and looks so awful that I panic and dye it. But my mother had lovely silver hair, so perhaps I should buck up and follow your lead….
I never know which I dislike more: the roots along my part, or the silver at my temples. Once there is not such a drastic contrast, I am hoping I don’t have that panicky feeling!
Ah, I envy you for the courage. I feel the pain of this addition, I am going to sit back and watch how this plays out for you, because I know if anyone can make the change look graceful, you can!
You know my security blanket: I can always go back to the dye if it is awful!!
Addiction*
You are brave! I bet it’s going to look smashing!
Thanks, Carole. Here’s hoping it is at least not awful!!
I’ve watched friends make the move, with the aid of a good stylist, and none have turned back. My hair has been slow to turn silver, with most of it coming in in the fringe. I am grateful I never made friends with the bottle, but that may from the advantage of age.
I’ll be my stylist’s first client to make this transition. I trust her judgement and skill, so I hope to have a good experience! I’ve had fun with my little addiction, but right now, I am sorry I ever started!
for the past few years I have used a haircolor taht washes out after 28 washes. I was hoping that would be less harsh on my poor fragile hair. Last fall I stopped putting any color on my hair. I have lots of all over grey. When I got my latest hair cut any remants of clored hair was gone and I could see what my natural hair color was – grey and all. I have an appointment Saturday to have it colored….sigh…makes me look too old and the texture is very differnt…very coarse without the color. I look forward to seeing your progression.
I’m curious to see if I notice a difference in texture, too. I hope you love your color–whatever makes you feel beautiful is the right answer!
You are so brave – braver than I! I have a love-hate thing with coloring, which I’ve been doing so long that I don’t really know how much gray I really have and what color it truly is. Love the fun of a new color, hate how dry and nasty my hair always is, hate the constant coloring and dealing with roots. You may just inspire me to finally stop!
Woo!
I am so proud of you! Making the transition can be a little strange but it is so worth you. You, my dear, have the strength of character to be who you truly are without a backward glance.
MWAH! Your emails have encouraged me!
I wish you luck on this new adventure! Sounds both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I’ve never been a very regular with dying my hair and when I have I’ve gone with a semi-permanent that fades as it grows. I’ve been toying with doing something more serious, but really my silver threads here and there are such different texture from the rest I’m not sure how hidden they would really be.
I’m curious to see if I’ll notice a change in texture, too.
Oh you are my hero! I’ve been talking about this for a while – I think I will try the “character streak” and have her not color a little piece and see how it grows in. Brilliant! Can’t wait to see your progress!
Let me know if you try it! I have enjoyed mine and have gotten a surprising number of compliments on it!
I let my gray grow out, but it was pretty easy with my short pixie cut. Now that the faux color has grown out, I don’t really care for it. My natural color has both darkened and turned gray! It’s the dark part that is losing me. Very bland. I can’t abide bland.
I’ll be curious to see how your stylist handles the process.
If I see bland, I doubt I’ll abide it, either!
I have been going gray since my high school days and have worked hard to hide it, but part of me really wants to give up the whole color process. I am really curious to see how this goes for you, because it may be the encouragement I need to give it a shot.
Hello,
I think you’re one fantabulous woman. I have the odd grey hair, but am not grey all over. I look at Dame Judi, Julie Walters and I admire them.
I got all my hair cut off before Christmas for when we went to visit the inlaws, I’m going to have to grow it out. Like you, I’m looking at a five year stint to get it there. I’m so cross, I nearly had it below my shoulders not even a year ago!
Bonne chance, xx
Ann Kreamer wrote a book about going grey. I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard good things about it!