Grey Hair Growout

Thinking about growing out your grey hair? But still hesitant?

There are many reasons to do it, from the practical (saving money) to the healthy (limiting harmful chemical absorption through the skin).

But do the arguments win over the standard of beauty in question? Yes, they did for me. What convinced me was that in every before and after photo I saw, everyone looked better in the after.

And it's not as difficult as you are making it out to be.

I'm going to layout out for you my fun, yes, I said fun, and pain-free grey hair growout journey.

It IS a journey. There's the time factor. Expect a good year before doing the big chop, and two if you want long hair.

But first, you need to question long-held cultural ideals of beauty and form your own opinion. From this belief springs your motivation and commitment to see it through to the beautiful results.

What's in a color? Why has grey been associated with age and marked the antithesis of beauty? I started going grey when I was 18. By 27, I had so much that I needed to dye my roots every five weeks.

Around the time I began growing out my grey hair, I entered a master's degree program and learned of about ten of the major marketing ploys in an advertising and marketing class. One tactic is to equate youth with beauty, preying on consumers' fears and insecurities. It's the "buy this face cream to look younger" or "because you're worth it," to quote one company's slogan.

So, the message is when you age, you're no longer beautiful. It's a lie we've been fed from a young age to hand over our money. But I don't believe it, and neither should you. Beauty, like happiness, is a byproduct of being content from doing the next right thing, but that is another blog topic in itself.

Here's how I got started with my grey hair growout.

1. Discovery Phase

I went on Pinterest to look at photo collages of the process over 12 months. I also followed #greygrowout on Instagram and found everyone looked better in the after photo. Their natural hair compliments their skin tone. The joy on their faces bears witness to the best decision they made. Each hair color had a unique pattern, from platinum highlights set against brown undertones to full-on platinum radiance. This made me excited to see what I would end up with – again, fun!

I read people's blogs to learn how they did it. I discovered that hundreds of people were questioning beauty norms and embracing grey. This sparked several conversations with my partner, which, thankfully, resulted in his full support. I studied my growout options and came up with a plan.

I narrowed in on what I was going to do by knowing what I was not going to do. I couldn't afford the day-long process of stripping all my color then coloring grey. You're looking at about $900. And I was not going cold turkey then doing a super short cut.

I chose the middle of the road. 2. Make a plan and share it with your hairdresser.

Fortunately, not only have I been blessed with a supportive partner, but I also seem to have hit the jackpot with my hairdresser.

If your hairdresser shoots down your dreams, I want to say, 'find a new hairdresser,' but there is always value in asking why. Actually, scratch that. Remember that you're basically breaking the news that they are losing one of their most lucrative clients. But if you're like me, someone who's been openly voicing their umming and ahhing for years, they will have seen this coming. You want your hairdresser to be not only supportive but also excited too. Because when you're frustrated, they will keep your eye on the prize. So, if don't already have that person, find them.

In her chair, my hairdresser and I discussed the year ahead, from the first step – the hardest step – growing out the roots to everything thereafter.

3. Breaking the line of demarcation

For the first month or so, I grew out my roots and colored in the dreaded skunk trail with temporary spray and, when I ran out of that, brown eyeshadow. Works like a charm. You need to grow out the roots so your hairdresser can see the color pattern.

When there was enough growth to see a pattern of salt and pepper, I went in for a coloring of low lights (brown color) that would break up the line of demarcation (the skunk trail). It looks like you're growing out your grey hair, but it doesn't look so bad – honestly. And this step is the weirdest one, but it only lasts a few weeks.

Get clever with hairstyles. Bandanas, hats, and headbands work well when you need a break from staring at your hair all the time. And ponytails and buns seem to make it less noticeable too.

4. Going blonde to blend the grey

The next hair appointment is where the fun starts! You're going blonde. The easiest way to hide the grey is to put in blonde highlights that follow the color (in my case, brown) pattern. Embrace it. You get to be blonde for a while.

But you still have grey roots and feel like people will stare. I resorted to this one fun hairdo a lot: the headband or front row braid – super cute.

The reason I loved this hairdo was that with the salt, pepper, and blonde, the braid looked like fudge swirl ice cream. It was very fun!

5. Use temporary grey conditioning coloring to color your blonde grey.

I purchased Overtone's grey coloring conditioner and put that on my blonde highlights to temporarily dye those bits grey. The result was amazing. It looked like I had a full head of natural grey hair, and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

6. Get frequent haircuts to keep sane.

Eventually, the roots got down to my ears, and I was frustrated. Then I realized I just needed a regular haircut. Be sure to get frequent haircuts throughout this whole process. It will make you feel and look better. Every time I was frustrated, which wasn't much, I felt ten times better after a haircut. So, book out all your haircuts in advance.

This step was also fun because that's when I saw my pattern of natural color and realized I was going to have some fun platinum streaks. It was going to be bold!

Again, ponytails helped on days when I longed only to see grey and no more blonde.

7. Look forward to the big chop.

Finally, the day came when the grey was at chin length, a length I had planned for the big chop. I had short hair before, so I knew I'd be happy with this cut, and done by a talented hairdresser I trust.

I'd say this was at about the year mark.

8. It's okay to pivot. With any journey, there comes the unexpected and a change in course. When I cut it short, I felt like I had an old lady haircut, although my sweet boyfriend said otherwise. I thought it aged me prematurely. So, I came up with a plan for a more modern haircut and some drastic low lights on the dark bits. I wanted pop.

Be bold! It's your journey. You write the rules. Besides, coloring is art.

I also played with blue temporary conditioner coloring. I put this Overtone only on the platinum pieces.

9. The key to having beautiful grey hair is to have healthy hair.

There are lots of things you can do to have healthy hair. I've read to drink lots of water, take collagen supplements, drink flaxseed and evening primrose oil, use a hard water filter on your showerhead, sleep with silk pillowcases, and use a microfiber towel instead of cotton when drying your wet hair. I tried them all. But, honestly, I didn't notice a difference until all the dye was gone, although I still drink 74 oz. of water a day, take a multivitamin, borage, flaxseed, and evening primrose oil, use the hard water filter and a microfiber towel. I also only wash my hair every four days and don't drink alcohol. So, I'm very hydrated.

I don't blow dry my hair too much, and I always wait until it is 90% air dry before heat drying. I still use a heat protectant when curling my hair with an iron. I keep the heat setting low and don't go over 15 seconds on the wand to avoid breakage. I use a Moroccan smoothing serum oil on day one and two of washed hair. 10. Love your grey hair today.

It's been a few years, and I still love my grey hair. Sometimes I see a photo of a pretty brunette and miss it, but the thought of growing it out all over again pulls me back. That and the $1,800 I save every year plus the time I get back from the hairdresser's chair. I frequently get compliments on my grey hair. It is my favorite feature. I can't believe I hid it for so long.

Enjoy your grey hair journey to a more beautiful, authentic you!