YaaaHooo!!

Newbie fan mail!!!  Gotta love it!

You ladies rock! Can’t wait to hear and see the awesome transformations!!!

I watch, support, and wait with GREAT anticipation!

Posted by elizabeth on 04/13 at 11:15 AM

I have been posting on “playing the waiting game” but am on the newbie page so “hello all other newbies”.  I have been graying since my early 20’s (30 years ago)started frosting, then the term changed to highlighting.  Went to all over color about 12 years ago.  My last all over color was in Feb., had lowlights in March and will have some very sparse, very blonde highlights with a good trim on Thurs.  My hair has a very distinct white stripe so hopefully this will help.  Please elt me know how the rest of you are dealing with the “stripe”

Thanks,
Karen

Posted by karen on 04/13 at 05:05 PM

Hi Karen,

I can relate very much to the stripe - mine is a little more than an inch.  My hair is cut very short - probably 3” total length - very, very short for me.  The gray is starting to come through on the sides, so it is quite noticeable. 

I have been using ColorMark and Tween Time every single day.  Thank God for these 2 products but it is to the point where it is becoming too much work trying to conceal the gray.  After seeing Elizabeth’s pictures, I was chatting with her last week trying to make a decision to cut it completely down to the gray but I don’t know if I could deal with it being that short.  Elizabeth’s short pics are beautiful!  If I knew I was going to look like that, I wouldn’t hesitate.  We’re going away in 2 weeks and I don’t want to be bothered with covering the gray. 

Are you using anything on your stripe?  Were you happy with the lowlights?  I’ve been going cold turkey on the highlights and lowlights - interested to know how they worked for you.  Also, what length is your hair and color?

Posted by Christine on 04/14 at 08:23 AM

Christine,
I used the colormark once and was pleased, will probably use it more as the roots grow.  Mine are about 1” also.  My hair has been chin length and just got it cut 2 wks. ago to just below my ears.  Hopefully I’ll go up about another inch this week.  I had the lowlights in the same color I had been coloring my hair allover. My normal color is a dark auburn but the color ends up a reddish brown. (My pic os on the newbies page). For now since it seems so much darker than my white roots it seems to make the stripe more pronounced.  I hope getting the very sparse very light highlights will help the contrast.  Not ready to go really short yet. 

Good luck,
Karen

Posted by karen on 04/14 at 01:11 PM

Hi All!  I have been given “offical” permission from Diana to post here!  I have been growing out my whites since January; and have made some good progress. The first couple of haircuts I just got my standard trim and then the last one about 3 weeks ago, I went about 2 inches shorter, and plan to go even shorter at my next haircut. Other than that, my strategy has been to just explain as I go.  We live out in the sticks and aren’t into high society so I don’t have to worry about looking good for any major functions.  Very little negative feedback, and that’s usually from people who really don’t know me anyway!!  I am 42, and have been dying my hair since I was 23/24.

Posted by suzy2u on 04/14 at 03:57 PM

Hey fellow newbies and supporters!

I am 8 months into my transformation (my pic is posted) and am getting ready for the first “extreme” cut since starting to grow out the gray.  I am ready to see all the dyed hair go bye-bye, even though it will mean my hair will be the shortest since my childhood pixie cuts.  I just can’t stand the old brassy colour next to the wonderful natural colour coming in.  I know there are people who will dislike it (both the cut and the colour) but I don’t care.  It’s who I truly am and I am just loving the freedom from monthly colouring.  There is nothing worse than that 2-week anxiety of “Oh, my roots are showing!”

I started colouring my hair all over at age 18 after a Sun In experience went horribly wrong (I didn’t look like the Malibu barbie girl on the cover of the box; my hair went orange), and was blond for about 10 years, then red for 10, then back to my “natural colour” (dark brown) for the past 5.  I am now ready for my next colour adventure, and from what I hear this one will be ever changing (salt and pepper, to gray, to white) so no need to experiment with colour anymore.

I know it’s difficult to think about cutting your hair since stopping the colour seems like enough change, but if you can do it, it just makes that awkward period pass by faster.  And the great thing about hair is that it keeps on growing, so you can have your hair back to its original length again if you want it.

Nobody has had the guts to ask me what I’m doing with my hair, although I know they’re wondering.  Realizing that some will like it and some will not is quite liberating, and really, that’s the way it’s always been, even when we coloured our hair!

Posted by newbie2 on 04/15 at 08:17 AM

Haircut day is Friday--will post a pic by Saturday.

Thanks for adding this feature for us Newbies, Diana!

Posted by newbie2 on 04/15 at 09:26 AM

..I should rephrase that...I will send in a pic by Saturday…

Posted by newbie2 on 04/15 at 09:54 AM

Good luck Newbie2!!Can’t wait to see your pics. I’m going for my second “good” (an inch or so)trim on Thursday.  I’m scheduled for some highlighting but am starting to wonder if I should do that.  Especially since I mailed our tax check today!!

kAREN

Posted by karen on 04/15 at 10:46 AM

Hi Karen,

Well...you didn’t ask for anyone’s opinion but...by the look of your pics your gray is coming in beautifully. Personally I wouldn’t mess with it, and save some $!  But I can understand that you want to break up some of the dyed hair colour a bit.  Did you say you had it cut to right around your ears?  That’ll definitely go a long way towards making this transition.  Will you be sending an updated pic in soon??

Good luck!

Posted by newbie2 on 04/15 at 10:56 AM

I welcome anyone’s opinion, I am so unsure about the routes to take for this process.  I plan to have another inch taken off on Thurs. PM. Hopefully, will submit pics Fri. or Sat. 

Thanks for any and all advice,
Karen

Posted by karen on 04/15 at 11:04 AM

Hi Newbie2 - Congrats - The worst is pretty much behind you and the best is yet to come!  It sounds like you breezed right through the months - did you try to conceal the gray at all?

Looking forward to seeing your new “do” - good luck!

Posted by Christine on 04/15 at 02:16 PM

Go Girls, Go Lisa!!!!! Can’t wait to see new pics - My last colour was January this year and I am at that stage where I just want to cut it all off! I get some pretty interesting looks and comments from family and friends - they tell me I’m “letting myself go” and that I’m “too young to go gray”. I can’t wait to see their faces when I cut it all off!!! LOL and best wishes.

Judith

Posted by NewBJk on 04/15 at 07:19 PM

Mornin’ Judith,

I had the same kinds of responses from family, friends, my athletes...The only person who really was “in my corner” was my husband. I remember being really sad at times and very self conscious, expecially in social settings. Then my hair started to grow past 1-2 inches and I started to grow in confidence with reguards to my “new look”. Then a funny thing happened...the negative comments became less and less! I became more comfortable and feeling free in who I am and what I look like! I OWNED it...and those around me saw a change in my attitude, self-confidence is a truly beautiful attribute.
I’m excited for you! I look forward to your “complete” transformation! You have a lot of natural growth already! The “pay-off” is so worth it! Can’t wait to see your updated pic’s as they come in

Posted by elizabeth on 04/16 at 05:29 AM

Hi All!
I AM getting pretty excited about what’s coming up, and in some ways I do feel like the 8 months have breezed by because I never really waivered about my decision.  I realized it was going to be a pretty long process and once it was started, it seemed silly to consider throwing away that time and going back to colouring.  Even my hair stylist said:  “It’s like quitting smoking; you don’t want to have to do it again.” So our goal was to get me to enough grow-out that I could see if I could live with the colour.  And for sure I can!  As you can see in my pic, there’s not a ton of growth even after this much time, but enough for me to want the old dyed colour gone and see the natural colour all over.  Hence the upcoming cut (two days away--can’t wait!)

I did try to “blend” the gray at first--with hilights and lowlights, then with a rinse, and then with a colour crayon.  The first two were pricey and minimally effective, and the crayon was, well, crayony.  It didn’t match my hair very well and I felt it looked almost as bad as the roots.  So I determined to live with the stares and the two-toned look.  Keeping it trimmed and paying more attention to make-up and clothes made me feel somewhat put together through the process. 

I am so glad I’ve taken this route (hee hee, get it?).  Beautiful women like yourselves are an inspiration to keep going with this. 

P.S. this “Too young to be gray” comment must be stopped!  We ARE gray, whether we are supposedly old enough to be or not.  I say we’re too smart to let others tell us we have to cover it up!

Posted by newbie2 on 04/16 at 08:03 AM

Lisa,

I am so excited to see your “new look”!!!! Less than 48 hours and counting!

Posted by elizabeth on 04/16 at 08:23 AM

Well, hello to all. I am now featured amongst the newbies and I feel great about it! I feel proud of being part of such a fine group of women.

I have been pondering about “going for it” for the last ten years. Being at the time only 24, friends and family would simply dismiss the idea with a shrug when I would mention wanting to go dye-free. Well, dear friends and family, you can dye your hair all you want, but this gal won’t anymore.

Being really dark haired my journey will be quite evident to everyone around me. Frosting or blending just won’t happen.Here’s my plan: the comb-over (men use it, I will too), the slicked back pony-tail (the hair around my face is still black so for now, I can still hide the roots) and sheer willpower!!!

I will gladly keep you updated on progress, haircuts, successes and times of trouble. Being able to share my experience and have support really means the world to me. This journey is not really hair related though visually it is. This journey is about being me, all of me and nothing else but me. It is about embracing my unique character and proudly showing what I am made of.

Going white and not looking back,

Catherine

Posted by gardenmimine on 04/16 at 04:45 PM

Welcome Catherine!

Great pics!  Wow--you have lovely hair but it must have been a lot of work to keep it that way with the contrast you have between your very dark hair and the light roots.  Good for you for resolving to be yourself!  Your strategies sound great and you’ll get lots of support here.

Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/16 at 05:36 PM

Hi Lisa,
I had to visit my hairstylist every 3 weeks but fortunately, or not, my hair, responded well to dyes.

Thanks for the support Lisa, I read you are in your 8th month, I white-hair salute you!!! Any newer pics?

Posted by gardenmimine on 04/16 at 05:43 PM

Believe it or not, that last pic of me is from just a few days ago.  I used to think my hair grew fast but...doesn’t look that way.  I’ll be sending in a new one after my first major haircut on Friday. 

Love that white-hair salute!  Back at ya.

Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/16 at 07:11 PM

Wow, phenomenal feels good, much better than being called Skunk or Ms Claus.

I sent an email to friends and family yesterday informing them of my decision and journey. Asking them to avoid comments like “Is your hairdresser on vacation?” and my wise mom noted the fact I use terms like Skunk and Ms Claus to describe my own hair. I hit me right in the face.

Acceptance has to come from within before it can be expected from others. Big lesson indeed. Wanting yet fearing. Duality at its best. A very human reaction but yet, it needs to be tackled and overcome in order for acceptance to just be.

Wow! My white hair is already making me wiser (ahhahahahh). Let the sun shine on your whites ladies and the rain wash away the dye.

Whitely yours,

Catherine

Posted by gardenmimine on 04/17 at 04:18 AM

I just dropped in for some encouragement this morning, and thankfully I received it.

I have yet to take a picture and send it in, so maybe I am a newbie-flunkie....but nonetheless, I am transitioning along with all of you/them.

I got a haircut yesterday and wanted to go shorter, yet really not as short as my stylist wanted me to go. :o) It’s really a fine cut, similar to Lisa Rinna’s, but a bit shorter than I guess I was ready for. (Does it ever make me wonder how the ladies who basically shaved their heads endured it!)Since the layers are quite short, you can see gray peeking through here and there. So instead of only the gray at my part, now gray is becoming noticeable other places. I must admit I am at a difficult spot. I don’t intend to go back to the dye; it’s just that I am having an ugly moment. I know this will pass, and it is just part of the process. I keep looking at the beatiful gray ladies; they are keeping me inspired.

Okay I have vented. I feel better. I will do what I have done daily for over 3 months...go fix my hair, do my make-up, put a smile on my face, and confidently walk around as if I look beautiful (pretending I don’t know my hair is two-toned.) :o)

(Thanks to all who actually were able to read my whiney, gripey essay for the day!)

Posted by greeneyes on 04/17 at 08:20 AM

Hey greeneyes:  I think I know how you feel, although my big haircut isn’t until tomorrow.  If you’re not accustomed to having shorter hair I think it makes you feel more exposed, and therefore a bit more vulnerable.  You don’t have your “mane” to hide behind--this is how I see it, anyway.  In a way I think that forces you to “put on” the confidence that you may not yet feel inside.  I think that can be a good thing.  We’ve all probably heard the “Fake it ‘til you make it” expression, which means just act the way you want to feel until your feelings catch up.  I use this with my son when he’s got to make a presentation or something.  I’ll tell him “Make your voice loud and strong and when you hear yourself that way you’ll FEEL more confident.”

I think we have to remember that we had “ugly moments” (what I call a"bad face day” when we coloured our hair, too--it’s not just being gray that makes us feel that way.  Not every day can be a fabulour hair/face day.

I think when we’re having those kinds of days we do have to take extra care to feel good about how we look.  Wear a favourite piece of jewellery or a bright colour, buy a new lipstick, whatever little thing gets you through until you see how fabulous you are again.

I’d love to see you post a picture, just because I think it bridges the distance between all of us who are posting from various parts of the world when we can “see” each other and celebrate each other’s journeys.  But you’re not a newbie-flunkie even if you don’t post one…

Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/17 at 08:43 AM

OK, I’ve been at work and couldn’t read until now.  Glad you both vented because I’m having a really “iffy” day.  My appt. is in 30 min. & I just can’t decide about highlights or cold turkey.  I am having about an inch taken off every 2 weeks so am going gradually shorter.  My problem is that I live at the beach so I have to go short soon or I will have the skunk stripe along with a white stripe around the back of my neck from tan lines!  Guess I have about a month on the really short cut though.  Just don’t know about the highlights today!!

Karen

Posted by karen on 04/17 at 09:37 AM

Hi Karen,
If the highlights are going to make you feel better, go for it!  I may get some through my bangs so that I don’t have to go quite as short in that area but will still break up the old colour.

L.

Posted by newbie2 on 04/17 at 09:39 AM

Lisa - Thanks for your encouraging input. You are right on all points. I do feel somewhat exposed with the hair so much shorter. Suppose I felt like my identity was partly tied up in my hair color and length...now that both are changing, my insecurities surfaced. I appreciate your advice!

Diana - Yes, progress is what I want! But then it sort of shocked me! It’s funny how this can be a roller-coaster at times. One day I am strutting around in confidence; another day I am in melt-down, hating to look in the mirror, yet unable to stop! :o)

Okay. I keep saying it; but really, I am going to get the camera out and have my husband take a couple of shots tonight. I’ll have a before picture, but haven’t taken any close-up pictures of the last 4 months to show the shortening of my hair and the lengthening of the gray...I would say 6 inches are gone! But better late than never.

Sending a smile your way! :o)

Posted by greeneyes on 04/17 at 11:08 AM

A Big HELLO from Down Under,

A special thank you goes out to Elizabeth - you are an inspiration!!!

Well today I did it - I cut off at least half of my hair and let me tell you it feels absolutely wonderful!!!! I found a new supportive stylist who updated my look with an asymetrical bob. I thought I would lose my femininity by going short but I actually feel like I’ve left the 1990’s hairstyle behind and a new modern me has emerged. Tonight the wardrobe gets an overhaul and then I’m goin’ shopping with all the money I’ve saved by not having my hair coloured.

Grayfully yours,

Judith

Posted by NewBJk on 04/18 at 12:13 AM

Bravo Judith!

A supportive stylist, a sexy haircut, a new wardrobe and (if I may add) beautiful blue grey eyes...Judith: you have it all! (and then some).

I admire you since at one point, I might have to do the same and I don’t feel I have the strength to right now, with emphasis on the right now.

Well, I white-hair salute you and I am looking forward to seeing pictures.

Catherine

Posted by gardenmimine on 04/18 at 04:31 AM

Congrats Judith!!!

I can’t wait to see your new pics! I am so excited! You sound, and I know you look and feel incredible!

Isn’t it fun to run your fingers through your hair? I bet it feels softer than you ever remember it being! Go outside when the sun is shining and bring your mirror...look at how it shimmers and sparkles in the natural light, your 5 year old would probably find it pretty cool.

Have fun shopping Judith! You put a huge smile on my face this a.m.!!!

Posted by elizabeth on 04/18 at 04:34 AM

’Morning all:

I am so happy to read how pleased you are with your haircut, Judith!  The asymetrical bob is the cut I am planning to ask for when I see my stylist today.  Can’t wait to see your next pic!

I was having some anxiety last night about “the cut” because I know that it will expose more of the gray that is currently hiding under the old dyed colour, and even though I WANT to see it, it will be quite a shock as well.  But you’ve given me renewed faith that it’s the right thing to do and I think it will be quite liberating to see the old dyed colour hit the floor.

I, too, plan to update my wardrobe soon to give the new me more to celebrate!

Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/18 at 05:52 AM

Hi Karen,

I just saw your new haircut and you look awesome! I love the silver highlights in the front! You look younger to me (not that you looked old)
The style is fresh and sassy!  Love it! Congrats!

Posted by elizabeth on 04/18 at 08:08 AM

Karen--the cut and highlights look fabulous!  I agree with Elizabeth--it gives you a more modern, younger look.  How do you feel??

Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/18 at 08:16 AM

Yes, Karen!

I love the highlights and cut! It really brightened you up while waiting for your gray to arrive. You look great!

Posted by greeneyes on 04/18 at 08:21 AM

Lisa,

I can’t wait to see your update after you get your new do.

I finally sent my pictures in...Diana says she’ll post them next week. Whew....finally did it and will be joining all of you in the newbie section.

Posted by greeneyes on 04/18 at 08:24 AM

Yay!  Can’t wait to see.  I know it’s scary to put yourself “out there” but I think it’s a great way to celebrate and watch your transformation, and for others to be able to celebrate with you.

Good for you!
Lisa

Posted by newbie2 on 04/18 at 08:26 AM