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For those who want to go gray but are concerned about the growing out process, I suggest getting highlights and/or lowlights. That's what I did, and it worked really well to blend the gray roots with the rest of my hair.
I can't fathom why anyone would tell another person what they should do with their hair, either. I can honestly say that I've never done that, in my life.
A few weeks ago on Facebook, a friend of mine circulated two photographs of herself in two different hairstyles that she had in the recent past and asked us to vote for which we preferred. About five of us were ASKED for our opinions. I selected one of the hairstyles, but emphasized that she is so pretty that she would look good in either style. I meant that.
The "edge" in the Grow Out The Grey crowd that I do not like are the following implications. -
1. That women who GOTG are somehow more virtuous and honest
2. That women who color their hair are wasteful and spend too much time on themselves.
3. That woman who go grey are feminists, and those who don't are independent free thinkers who do not care what men or society thinks of them.
4. That only women color their hair and men are comfortable in their own skin and accept and enjoy the aging process.
5. Coloring your hair is dangerous and unnatural and carcinogenic.
6. That eventually ALL WOMEN will celebrate aging and signs of aging. That this is the current trend, and the rest of us are some sort of cultural dinosaurs who have yet to see the light.
ALL of the assumptions and predictions are hurtful and judgmental. They are also incorrect.
Since hair color has been available, there have ALWAYS been women who have chosen to go grey. This i nothing new. Personally, I had one grandmother who had grey hair while the other had auburn hair. Both of them took care of themselves and visited the hairdresser every week.
MEN color their hair also. In fact, about half of the men I know color their grey.
Is it "wasteful"? - Um... I am not asking you, or the government to color my hair. It's MY money and I'll spend it however I please.
NOT all hair color is dangerous or carcinogenic. There are *some* dark hair colors that have a pigment in them that has been linked to cancer. There are also natural, organic hair colors.
There in nothing wrong with being fundamentally uncomfortable and less than delighted with the aging process. Age brings us closer to death.
While I am alive, I DO want to look as fit and youthful as possible. I don't have a lot of grey hair, but I can say that I LOVE the hair color that I was born with. It goes with my skin, my eyes and my personality. Blonde is my "natural" color. Grey is an uninvited interloper. I am maintaining the color that I have always had.
Then there is the word "Natural". I am very interested in eating healthy and natural foods. Wearing natural fabrics and avoiding processed foods. HOWEVER, I dye my lashes and brows, I have my nails done because I have always had brittle nails, I wear foundation and blush because "naturally" I can look pale and pasty.
To each their own. I have had fantasy hair colors balayage of purple, turquoise, melon, pink, green, blue and more. It's a temporary color that washes out, and my friends are the proprietors of the first fantasy hair color manufacturer in the US. I enjoy their natural, non-toxic, chemical free colors. https://manicpanic.com/
For awhile, I was part of a Facebook group that was all about going gray. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of women who decided to go natural, and some of the photos were striking.
But I got tired of the group because there WAS a tendency to get all self righteous and virtuous about going natural.
I am ALL ABOUT doing what makes you happy. If I didn't like my hair, I'd change it in a red-hot minute and I'd never berate, or act superior to ANYONE who still wanted to color their hair. I think I look kinda fabulous with my hair...and that's way it's natural at this point in my life. lol
Ha! You just reminded me of when my hair was dyed auburn. More than one person asked me "what's your real hair color?" And I would reply "This is real color!"
I would also get teased about being a "fiery redhead" or a "sexy redhead" like I was some kind of sex kitten. Did they not realize my hair was dyed?!
For awhile, I was part of a Facebook group that was all about going gray. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of women who decided to go natural, and some of the photos were striking.
But I got tired of the group because there WAS a tendency to get all self righteous and virtuous about going natural.
I am ALL ABOUT doing what makes you happy. If I didn't like my hair, I'd change it in a red-hot minute and I'd never berate, or act superior to ANYONE who still wanted to color their hair. I think I look kinda fabulous with my hair...and that's way it's natural at this point in my life. lol
Social media can be so Jr. High, even for mature aged folks with graying hair. It's really too bad. People have something in common to discuss and support each other and some have to go off and make it political or judgmental when it is totally unnecessary to go there. I guess the page owner can choose to make the rules about that. I would have made such a rule - no judgement of others who are not doing what we are doing or take it elsewhere.
Glad I was never part of a group like that! Heck, I didn't even find the Hip Replacement Forum on Facebook until after I got home from the hospital. I found that people often don't read the threads, they just post the same questions over and over and over again. Really got boring fast. I did learn some things and was able to help some people because it was my 2nd hip replacement, but I faded out of there pretty quickly.
For awhile, I was part of a Facebook group that was all about going gray. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of women who decided to go natural, and some of the photos were striking.
But I got tired of the group because there WAS a tendency to get all self righteous and virtuous about going natural.
I am ALL ABOUT doing what makes you happy. If I didn't like my hair, I'd change it in a red-hot minute and I'd never berate, or act superior to ANYONE who still wanted to color their hair. I think I look kinda fabulous with my hair...and that's way it's natural at this point in my life. lol
That's the insinuation that sometimes comes across to women like me who dye their hair. Thank you for your honesty. I've already repped you so I can't do it again. I'm treading lightly on this topic because it can get heated. Ageism creeps into the topic and that can set off a whole other debate. I have no problem stating that I enjoy looking younger than my actual age. I'm grateful that I've reached "senior status" at 66 and for me, looking good involves coloring my hair.
For awhile, I was part of a Facebook group that was all about going gray. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of women who decided to go natural, and some of the photos were striking.
But I got tired of the group because there WAS a tendency to get all self righteous and virtuous about going natural.
I am ALL ABOUT doing what makes you happy. If I didn't like my hair, I'd change it in a red-hot minute and I'd never berate, or act superior to ANYONE who still wanted to color their hair. I think I look kinda fabulous with my hair...and that's way it's natural at this point in my life. lol
I never even thought of going grey. If I did, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, and I wouldn't be so "evangelical" about it. It's becoming obnoxious, really. Just go grey. They needn't write a thesis about it and make it into some female bonding right of passage.
As with you, I am ALL ABOUT doing what makes you happy! I'm glad you are enjoying your hair! I'm enjoying mine. The self righteous superiority and borderline shaming, would turn me off if I had a scintilla of interest in grey hair. I don't, but it would make me want to not be a part of this crowd.
What's the name of that Facebook group, by the way? I'd like to swing by and annoy myself.
It reminds me a little of when older baby boomer Democratic Party women went after - not exaggerating, that's what they did - any progressive woman who was not interested in supporting HRC for president, was a traitor. The ONLY candidate to back was Clinton. I was vehemently opposed to Clinton. I knew she had a likability problem that was significant enough that she would not win.
These women attempted to shame me, infer that I am not interested in having a woman as president, sent me pleasing, begging, and combative messages in my in box, telling me that I was completely wrong for supporting a different candidate who is male.
In fact, many of the Older, first third Baby Boomers are the same women who are doing this. These tactics just do not work.
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I have had fantasy hair colors balayage of purple, turquoise, melon, pink, green, blue and more. It's a temporary color that washes out, and my friends are the proprietors of the first fantasy hair color manufacturer in the US. I enjoy their natural, non-toxic, chemical free colors. 
