Caffeinated Randomess - Grey Hair

I am a very vain person.  I will admit that I pay a lot of attention to how I look.  I was raised that you don't leave the house unless you are dressed appropriately.  Clothes should not be wrinkled.  Make up applied but not too much.  I don't think I ever went to the movies without wearing a dress or skirt until I was in my early teens.

I still iron my clothes and am so very colour coordinated.  I can let you know that I haven't passed this on to my daughter and I cringe at some of her outfits.  As long as they are appropriate, I let her wear what she would like.  Again can I tell you I cringe.

You may wonder why I am sharing all this.  This past year I have stopped dying my hair.  Something I swore I would never do as I was that vain.  I started going grey at the age of 24....that is right, 24.  Going grey is hereditary and my grandmother who raised me was completely grey at 39.  This also happens to be the year I was born so she does say that I caused it.  

I have fought this battle for so long and had many great stylists who assisted me and kept my hair shades of auburn and blond and brown.  There were times Ms. Clairol assisted in keeping the grey at bay.  The last few years I have had to book colouring appointments closer and closer.  It was so bad that I had to purchase root spray so that I could have cover up.  Yes, this is the similar product that men have been using for generations to cover those bald spots, we women have just renamed it and claimed it.  All of this was costing a fortune to keep up my vanity.

Last year my hairdresser suggested I grow out my grey as silver hair seemed to be a current trend.  I informed her I wasn't ready.  I was only 43 and didn't want to be a silver hair old lady with short hair.  But she planted a seed...I started reading articles and going through Pinterest for stylish  cuts with silver hair and found articles by women who embraced their natural grey at a young age.  It appeared that the people who embraced their natural grey actually looked better and younger.  It made sense as our skin changes colour as we age.  Maybe it changed because our hair colour changed...just a thought. 

After some reflection, at my next appointment I told my hairdresser that I wanted to start growing out the grey.  We did a trim and booked my next appointment for 8 weeks to allow for growth.   I then told a few moms at school my plan and got told I was crazy.  Maybe I was but I was willing to see what happened.

At my next appointment, with 2 inches of growth, I had my hairdresser pixie my hair to get as much colour out of it.  You then could see the grey.  I don't know what shocked me more the grey or the short hair.  At Church the senior ladies were shocked at the grey.  Many of them were confused as many of them still colour their hair in their 70s, not that I am judging.  To each their own.

Now after 6 months, my hair is grey with a few highlights left from my last colour which is too stubborn to leave.  I receive so many compliments of the change and believe it does look way better.  My hair appointments cost 1/3 of what they were.  I feel free and love how my hair feels.  It isn't over processed or frizzy.  I once heard Liz Curtis Higgs call her grey hair her crown of silver and I love my crown.

I am still pretty vain but I am embracing the person that I truly was made to be.