Gracefully Gray

[PhillyGirl1978@]

So I noticed another gray hair yesterday, it didn't bother me. So far I have found like 3-4 maybe 5 in the past 2-3 years. Previously I had pulled them out, (I know, I know). Now my natural hair is warm, dark chesnutty brown, I have hennaed for the past 3 years, I still have some mix frozen and 2-3 silver bags in the fridge. I realize that for someone that goes gray naturally the gray hair comes in gray from the roots so no line. I am pretty sure I won't ever go to chemical dyes because since staying away from chemicals my hair has grown longer than it ever has. So that means that when I get more grays they will stay that way unless I can do some rinses with stuff to tone them down a little. I am only 31, I guess I have time before I start to show more and more gray. My objective is not to have that line of henna and gray. Actually the idea of natural gray or salt & pepper hair intrigues me, I think it might look nice. It kind of looks graceful, and magical to me.

I know I won't have too much of a noticeable line between my natural hair and the henna cause my real hair is dark so I can probably play it off...cause I am certainly not cuttin. It also might be nice to see what my hair looks like this long with my natural color. I guess some of you have had this issue, growing out henna in favor of going gray.

[Pierre]

Me, I started hennaing when I saw the first grays. I love the little red sparklies that the henna turns them into. I don't know if I'll ever give up hennaing, but if I do, I'll gradually lessen the amount of henna in my mix so that there's no henna line.

[clairenewcastle]

I'm in the process of growing out bleach in favour of grey, so I can identify with how you are feeling PhillyGirl. Once you see how fantastic your hair can look in its' natural state you'll never regret giving up dye.
Have you checked out the Salt and Pepper thread? Everyone there is extremely friendly and supportive.

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Me, I started hennaing when I saw the first grays. I love the little red sparklies that the henna turns them into. I don't know if I'll ever give up hennaing, but if I do, I'll gradually lessen the amount of henna in my mix so that there's no henna line.


Thanks, that is a good idea. I should add more conditioner to the mix in the freezer to do my roots a little, maybe I can use some of the gradual lightening techniques on my ends. Eventually I may just end up with the temporary dye in a lighter brown that might kinda make my hair look it's natural color. I know I have time before I have way more gray, I just figured I may start now. I guess I can always sell the 3 pouches that I have of Jamilla on ebay, or on here. I can't henna my grays though. I saw one that had a gray root and the length of the hair was way to brassy orange for my skin tone.

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I'm in the process of growing out bleach in favour of grey, so I can identify with how you are feeling PhillyGirl. Once you see how fantastic your hair can look in its' natural state you'll never regret giving up dye.
Have you checked out the Salt and Pepper thread? Everyone there is extremely friendly and supportive.

I will check out that thread. I guess I have this huge fear of getting older, but my fear of chemicals I guess will win out.lol

[friskybiznus]

All I have to say is...Welcome to the Silver Side! And the Salt & Pepper thread does rock!

[MemSahib]

Come over to the Silver Side, my pretty! We will teach you that Silver Rocks! Muuhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

:D

[pradabacon]

Silver! Silver! Silver! :rockerdud

[friskybiznus]

MUhahahahahahaha!!!!! We'll get you my pretty (and your little dog, too!) :D

[PhillyGirl1978@]

It's weird, some of the long flowing silver hair I see just looks like it would fit in so well like if the women were wearing a long flowing dress, or maybe like a period dress, something long and flowing. Like the High Priestess of a coven or something.

[mellie]

Heck yeah!! Silver rocks!!! :D Come join the fun in the Salt & Pepper Thread! We've all just posted a bunch of great photos too, look back at the last 5 pages or so!

[pradabacon]

^^^For sure! We've been pic happy recently. :D

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I'm definitely gonna check out some pictures. I think I really do wanna see my hair at my natural color before I start going gray so I may wanna lay off the henna.

So would I be correct in thinking that whatever color gray/silver would best suit your coloring will be the gray you get?

[friskybiznus]

So would I be correct in thinking that whatever color gray/silver would best suit your coloring will be the gray you get?

Yeah, I think so. It's all about genetics, you know?:D

[PhillyGirl1978@]

So now I've seen another gray and I am wondering if I should even bother using up the henna that I have, I probably have about 1 &1/2 of roots and I really wanna have my natural color again before I get a lot more gray. I am guessing I wouldn't be able to use a temporary dye, maybe one a little lighter than my natural color so it didn't make my hair much darker over my henna? It's not that the difference in colors bother me so much, but my ends have been hennaed over so much they are kind of an unnatural red that I wouldn't mind getting rid of, I guess because they are more porous. I have so much hair I know that they underneath part, under the canopy are much browner than the top because I know I couldn't have possibly been thorough. Like I can twirl a curl from under the canopy and it still looks pretty brown.

[pradabacon]

Hmmmm, just leave it be and come and join us in the Salt and Pepper thread, dahling. :eyebrows:

Cooooomee to us. CoooOOOoommmmEEEeee to usssss. *hypnotizes PhillyGirl*

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:SclJ7DapIGQX6M:http://www.geocities.com/fiona5447xx/smiley/eyes.gif

[Amara]

I don't have any grays yet but I wanted to see my natural color so I quite hennaing a while back. Just give it up - stop cold turkey! You'll get where you want to get faster that way. :)

[ashimajoy]

I'm still pullin' 'em out. Say what you will, a kind of terror and rebellion and outrage all swirled together grip my heart when I see them, and I yank them before I even have time for conscious thought about it. There are still so few...

Except that I have many, many white eyebrow hairs, go figure!

[PhillyGirl1978@]

You guys are right, I should just stop cold turkey. I'm sure I can sell the henna I have left. My ends really are insanely red. I think I'll just concentrate on growing those out and cutting them off. I wonder if the henna has anything to do with the tangles I've had, I heard it can do that to some people. I do have issues with protein. I may do a serious S&D and then trim a little off the longest layer this weekend anyway, so that may help. In the mean time I have been checking out the Salt & Pepper thread.

The chemicals from dying to cover the grays once I have more would probably hinder my growth, since not using any chemical it grows so insanely fast. I just don't want it to make me look older. I like that I don;t look my age and I'd like to keep it that way!lol

[luluj]

Hi Phillygirl1978! Have you checked out www.goinggraylookinggreat.com yet?

[PhillyGirl1978@]

not yet...I'll take a look.

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Ok, so I'm reading the salt and peppper thread...it's very interesting. Those people are so brave. I also checked out the going gray blog...and I just love that place. I will definitely subscribe there when I get more silvers (I like that term) I saw one tonight. It is a short hair with henna on all but the first 1 and 1/2. The part that is silver really sparkles and I do think it will go well with my skin tone and look fabulous when it's all in, my issue ill be dealing with it while it's coming in as I will not be one brave enough for the big chop. I transitioned into CG cause I look best with long hair, not to mention it took me too long to get it this long. Maybe vegetable dyes will work during the transition. What will the vegetable dye do over my henna? Will it just not take at all or what? Maybe as I get more silvers, the vegetable will look naturally highlighted.

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Also, what can I do when I see a gray to make it not stick straight up in the air? Use more moisturizing stuff on it?

[pradabacon]

Haha! I've got one right now that likes to stick up right in the center of the crown of my head. AVG does a decent job of encouraging them to lie down for me. But I doubt anyone but me notices them when they're sticking up, and I don't really mind if they do. I'm happy to see the sticky-uppy ones because that means more silvers! Yay! :cheese:

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Well, I know I'm just starting to get them cause I haven't found any long ones yet, just shorter ones with some henna still on the bottom and that unnatural shade of orange...so I am pretty sure when it sticks straight up....people would notice!!lol I may not mind so much if it were just silver.....or hell if it were long......then maybe it wouldn't stick up. So faar I just tried putting some more GF triple Nutrition on it. I heard that the wiry brittle texture can be treated with more moisture.

[little_acorn]

Ok, so I'm reading the salt and peppper thread...it's very interesting. Those people are so brave. I also checked out the going gray blog...and I just love that place. I will definitely subscribe there when I get more silvers (I like that term) I saw one tonight. It is a short hair with henna on all but the first 1 and 1/2. The part that is silver really sparkles and I do think it will go well with my skin tone and look fabulous when it's all in, my issue ill be dealing with it while it's coming in as I will not be one brave enough for the big chop. I transitioned into CG cause I look best with long hair, not to mention it took me too long to get it this long. Maybe vegetable dyes will work during the transition. What will the vegetable dye do over my henna? Will it just not take at all or what? Maybe as I get more silvers, the vegetable will look naturally highlighted.


I'm at the same stage you are Phillygirl - I have 4 silvers now (and yes I am overly proud of them :D - they are called Hootie, Tootie, Owl and Wol!!!!! :p) and I've decided that I don't want an ugly transition to grey so I'm stopping dying now. I want my sparklers to grow in in all their silvery glory :D :D

[PhillyGirl1978@]

OMG....I love that you named them!!!! Too funny!!! That is my reasoning too...I don't want to have gray roots and hennaed lengths. Besides I figured I did want to try an see my natural color before I get too gray. But I can't see dying....it would damage my hair that is so healthy and long now, I don;t want it to thin or break, not to mention there is a lady at my job who originally had dark dark hair....she's like 60 now and she dyes it jet black...it's kind of ridiculous. Doesn;t look natual at all and I don;t want that.

I do have pink under tones to my skin and look great in pastel colors so I am thinking that delicate long silver curls will look great with my skin. The kicker will be transitioning!

[pradabacon]

I'm at the same stage you are Phillygirl - I have 4 silvers now (and yes I am overly proud of them :D - they are called Hootie, Tootie, Owl and Wol!!!!! :p) and I've decided that I don't want an ugly transition to grey so I'm stopping dying now. I want my sparklers to grow in in all their silvery glory :D :D

:D Will you name number 5 Marlboro? Pwetty pwease? :cheese:


OMG....I love that you named them!!!! Too funny!!! That is my reasoning too...I don't want to have gray roots and hennaed lengths. Besides I figured I did want to try an see my natural color before I get too gray. But I can't see dying....it would damage my hair that is so healthy and long now, I don;t want it to thin or break, not to mention there is a lady at my job who originally had dark dark hair....she's like 60 now and she dyes it jet black...it's kind of ridiculous. Doesn;t look natual at all and I don;t want that.

I do have pink under tones to my skin and look great in pastel colors so I am thinking that delicate long silver curls will look great with my skin. The kicker will be transitioning!

You can do it! WooHooo! Silvery curls are gonna look awesome on you. :flowers:

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I think they will, if I ever get completely gray. I have a terrible, debilitating fear of getting old, or looking old. I mean I wouldn't even have gone out as something ugly or old on Halloween cause I always wanted to be pretty. So my issue of doing this all gracefully while still getting attention from guys my age does worry me a little.

[luluj]

I think they will, if I ever get completely gray. I have a terrible, debilitating fear of getting old, or looking old. I mean I wouldn't even have gone out as something ugly or old on Halloween cause I always wanted to be pretty. So my issue of doing this all gracefully while still getting attention from guys my age does worry me a little.

Not to worry PhillyGirl, you would be surprised to know that many, many men are very attracted to young women with natural, silvery hair! It almost has the reverse effect in that you look so "interesting" they just have to get closer! :waltz:

[mellie]

I agree with Luluj! It's HOT! :D

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I actually argued a little with a guy on facebook. I wrote something about tangles being the bane of my existence and a dude commented. First he said about donating (not), then I told him I wasn't cutting and I could see long silvers in my future. He said "LOL sexy" so I told him not to make fun and he said something along the same lines again. So I went on a rant about dye looking unnatural, my hair being fried and breaking off, not getting the "soccer mom" cut and that attitude had a lot to do with it. That I plan on being sexy for a long time and that there is nothing sexier than a woman who is unapologeticly herself and knows just how sexy she is.

[pradabacon]

Good for you, girl. :hifive:

You're quite right.

[mellie]

It's so true!!

My mom got sooooo much male attention when she let her shoulder length hair go silver....it looked amazing and she had a darn cute little figure too, and guys of ALL ages (even hot young college boys) were all turning their heads...I was jealous!!

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Thanks guys. I am struggling with aging at all but it's gonna happen anyway right? I mean I have seen a few grays, not a bunch and the only change I am making is stopping the henna so that I don't get roots. It'll take a long time for me to be so salt & pepper that others notice it. And my aunt started graying since 16 and her hair is beautiful. I mean ever since I was little she has a lot of salt & pepper hair, never dyed, and then completely silver. Now I think it would look better long...but I would. But it is beautiful, I should just chill!!lol