Ruth E./ “Underneath It All”

Ruth, 40, hails from North Carolina, and is beginning to discover a lot “underneath it all” in her own life. She’s clearing ancient vines from her property, and antidepressants from her system, and looks upon this journey as part of the process of uncovering. “I’m wondering what’s underneath all this dark hair dye, what’s really there, with the same spirit of exploration and curiosity.” Ruth noticed her first substantial grays around the age of 30, and started dyeing, staying with the dark brown/ auburn tones of her natural color, sometimes venturing into black. At 38 or 39, she noticed she was about 50% gray, and several shades lighter than her dark dyed hair. Soon, she was coloring every 3 weeks, and it became a “major hassle.” She didn’t like that she didn’t feel “OK” about aging, she didn’t like the expense, and she worried about the effects of chemicals in her system and “goopy” plastic bottles on the environment. Ruth also noticed her skin was changing and the dyed hair no longer looked attractive, creating shadows under her eyes and a “real fake look.” Now she’s working through her fears about aging, feels this is part of a spiritual journey, and is looking to other role models, women who look hip, creative, and beautiful, but have gray hair. Ruth plays in a rock band, which is another concern. She wonders “Will people listen to a short, chubby, middle aged grey woman...I don’t know...I’m just hoping, if you’re good, you’re good and that’s what will speak most loudly. Patti Smith doesn’t dye her hair.”

Ruth got tired of waiting to see what was really “underneath it all,” and opted to get a good amount of color cut off. So she got this hip, choppy do (not “grandmotherly,” as she had feared), after first posting the cut for feedback on GGLG, and getting lots of encouragement. Good thinking! Ruth feels the shorter length is more flattering, and feels lighter. She knows she doesn’t have the full “gray effect” yet, but says it’s cool to finally have the gray unveiled. Ruth’s elated to be rid of the dye, and feels she’s “at a good place to watch the remaining transition without a lot of frustration.”

We’ve heard from Ruth! And she’s showing off a lovely shade of steely gray, enhancing it with a great gray sweater. Ruth’s been on this journey since last February, almost a year now, and says she just has a few dyed ends “here and there.” None of them show here, however. Ruth says she had forgotten how dark her natural color is (nearly black), after dyeing her hair a reddish brown for so long, and it’s good to see it again. She’s got some lovely streaks going on, too.  Ruth’s all set to grow it again into a “rock and roll shag,” is excited to see what the contrast brings, and thinks her next shot will be her graduation picture. Can’t wait, Ruth!

Chris Martin/ “surfpa”

Chris, from South Carolina, has been coloring her hair off and on for about 40 years. As a teen, she did the lemon/peroxide bit and baked her hair in the sun. She continued to stay on the light side, first stripping her hair to go platinum, then returning to a blonde/brown after that. With a slight pause for pregnancy, she went right back to coloring. Chris considered herself a physically fit, healthy 53-year old until three years ago, when she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Facing chemo, she took matters into her own hands (actually her nurse’s hands!) and shaved her head. After treatment and a bone marrow transplant, her hair grew back in about 2”, and she noticed it was wiry and coarse. Guess what? Chris went right back to color to “tame” it.  Didn’t work. She continued coloring until she saw a few inspiring silver transformations on the Today Show. Chris doesn’t feel she was “blessed with a good head of hair,” but she just feels lucky she got some back. And now she’s ready to go gray.  Welcome, Chris!

July update: Chris was in “desperate need” of a haircut, and was getting discouraged. But she got a supercharge of inspiration by visiting GGLG! So she went for it. Now she’s pleased with the results, as her newfound silvers have a much better texture than her post-chemo “horsehair.” Chris feels she’s finally getting someplace, and loves the easy care of this new short do. Just wait, Chris, soon you’ll be silky all over!

Chris wasn’t the only one who was waiting! Her Silver Sisters were, too! But now we have the November update, and Chris thinks she’s really “almost” done. With just a tinge of color on the ends, she loves the outcome, and the comments she’s been getting. Some people think these are intentional highlights. Chris is trying to decide whether to let it grow, but says it’s “so nice to be ready to go in 30 minutes!”

Allison Hopkins/ “Alli-cat”

Allison, 44, is another Massachusetts gal (maybe she can join the “conspirators?”) who has been coloring for 20 or so years. She’s thought about going gray for a long time, but was always talked out of it by well-intentioned hair stylists, and friends who told her she would look old. Sick of being a “slave” to her roots (which would begin to show a week after coloring), Allison began her transitioning in November, 2008. Her colorist added highlights to break up the demarcation line, and Allison got a lot of compliments. People even asked if she dyed her roots white on purpose! Allison’s biggest concern is becoming invisible. Says she’s not very extroverted to begin with. She also was worried that her husband would no longer find her desirable, but he’s warmed up to the idea, and now supports it 100%.  Allison notes that her newfound confidence, joyous freedom and sense of empowerment shining through may be the reason. Whatever it is, it’s working for you, Allison! At times when she feels tempted to hit the bottle again, she comes to GGLG and is inspired to continue. And just look at that white begin to lengthen! Although she says her “Morticia stripe” is only white in front and turns to pewter in back, I predict a stunning transformation!

Allison wanted us to see that there truly is some dark going on “back there.” The front is beautifully icy white, and Alli-cat, I say that’s what counts! Particularly when you’re making an entrance! She’s considering a trim, so we’ll all have to wait and see. Nice goin’ so far!

Alli-cat did get her trim, and sends in this September update. Front-to-back, you can see all the gorgeous shades of silver mingling and merging. She’s loving what she’s seeing, and reports getting some nifty attention from younger men! No surprise there! Allison says she is never going to color again, and why should she when this is lookin’ so cool?

Ruth S./ “Ravenjourney”

Ruth joins us from New Mexico, and truly has had quite a “journey” through coloring. Her stylist noticed silver in her hair in her late twenties, and talked Ruth into a burgundy cellophane treatment to highlight her naturally dark hair. And so began the treadmill. That, plus getting perms. Around the age of 35, as she noticed more silver roots and a clear demarcation line, Ruth began to be self-conscious. That’s when she switched to home hair coloring, so she could do it every 3 weeks (she felt it should have been done every 2!). Ruth became concerned about double processing with perms, so she gave them up to keep coloring.  At 43, she decided to go natural, but “folded after about an inch of gray showed.” At 44, she became pregnant with her third child (her youngest was then 23!).  Thrown back into motherhood, plus a job, coloring became just too much to handle. So at 46, Ruth cut her long hair, and continued coloring for another 2 ½ years. This May, she finally got the support she needed to go natural. Her daughter came to visit, and told her how beautiful she was, and how pretty the silver would be.  Next, Ruth’s sister offered even more support at a crucial time, just when the silvers were showing and Ruth was feeling very unattractive. Her sister suggested applying a semi-permanent color “just to the top” so the gray could come in naturally without a demarcation line. And finally, Ruth found GGLG. That did it – she had all the support (and courage) she needed! Ruth followed her sister’s advice, for one last bit of color, and now says, “As my hair fades into its natural color, strangely, I have begun to feel better and better.”

An update from Ravenjourney at 19 weeks and counting. She’s sporting a new haircut, and her stylist layered it and used a razor to “get more of the color out.” Ruth says this gives her a wispy, highlighted look as the gray shows more through the layers. And, PS, she is thoroughly enjoying the process. That’s the Newbie spirit! Chic haircut, too!

Ruth just sent in her week 23 update (pic 5), but who’s counting? Her goal is to be fully transitioned by her 50th birthday in August of next year. Looks like she’s going to make it!

After a fabulous salon experience, Ruth sends us her “updated” cut, a more modern version of what she had. Isn’t her “natural frosting” looking fab?

Lest you think all is silvery and glamourous around Ruth’s face, she wanted to show you the rest of the story. Yup, she’s calico, all right, in the back. But Ruth puts on one of her handmade berets with pride, and goes! Front or back, she’s still pretty!

The very first to send in her December update, Ruth reports it’s been 7 months ("who’s counting?") and she’s got 4 inches ("who’s measuring?"). It’s really fun to see the silver just movin’ on down the sides. Ruth says she wears it up at times so the silvers frame her face, making it easier to experiment with new makeup colors and “for my family to get used to me!” She plans to have about 2” cut off after the first of the year. Meanwhile, she’ll dazzle with some sparkling ice for the holidays!

Ruth couldn’t wait to get her cut, as her hair was getting too long to hold the style. So here is what she’s calling her “paper shredder” cut. The layers are fab, but Ruth says, when it comes to the color, the camera is being kind. Her hair really looks “patchier” than it shows. Hmmmm, marbelized, I like it!  Ruth captioned this shot “4 months to go.” She figures two more cuts ought to do it.

Ruth’s January update shows she is making progress in more ways than one. First, the obvious length of her silver is fabulous. But, secondly, Ruth says she has undergone an “internal” change as well. She used to think of her hair as dark with silver growth. Now she thinks of it as silver with dark ends! Any way you look at it, it’s beautiful!

Here it is! Ruth’s last shot before graduation. Just an inch to go. Yippieeee. Ruth says she’s surprised at her color because she thought it would be all white. But now she’s seeing a lot of her natural color, too. “It looks streaked, and I really love the natural highlights I have.” See what we mean about waiting to see your own pattern develop? You just can’t tell with the first few inches. Well done, Ruth!

Beth C./ “Shine On”

Beth, 53, began her coloring journey about 23 years ago, a few months after her second child was born. She felt the hormonal changes of pregnancy affected the warmth of her dark brown hair, turning it “drab.” Over the years, Beth used various shades of dark brown (with one trip down “peroxide lane”), but as the silver started being persistent, she found semi-permanent color would not cover the roots. Worse, “the rest of my hair just looked so unnatural.” She tried to deal with that by switching to permanent color her last two times. Sure enough, she developed both a burning reaction and a sore throat, lasting a week after each permanent coloring. Beth’s been working up the courage to go natural for about two years now, and even though she says she’s “scared,” she’s getting good support from her husband, daughter, and more family members. Beth had “one more dye session,” since May ’09, so let’s start the countdown clock in July. Right now, Beth is using a color pen to cover the itty bitty skunk stripe, and will speak to her hairstylist soon, hoping she will help her make the transition, possibly with highlights. You’re an official Newbie now, Beth – go for it!

After weeks of deliberation, Beth got her highlights, taking Laura (RunnerGal) along with her—on her laptop. She wanted to give her stylist an idea of what she was really hoping to achieve. And, bonus, her stylist was as excited as Beth was, using foils to not go too near the itty bitty silvery roots. Beth also got a good 3-4” cut off, adding some layers. Now she feels transitioning will be so much easier. And so far, the comments have all been good. Especially her son, who said, “I think it is really classy when people let their hair go gray, and I bet you will get compliments for weeks.” Cool kid.

Beth just sent in her October update, and look at the progress! (Just compare it to the second shot!) This pic, taken in full sunlight, looks very silvery. Beth says it looks “more pewter” inside. She’s sending in this top-shot because she says it’s still easier to see the color than face-forward.  Soon Beth, soon!

Take a look at Beth now! She said she had her stylist “pull out” more color with another round of highlights, and use a grayer toner. She’s happy that there is even less definition between the silvers and the dyed hair now, and thinks this will be her last color appointment. Beth, it looks like smooth sailing from this point on, and what a major difference!

Beth’s back, with a new cut and literally inches more silver! She says she rarely sees her hair in the sunlight, but it’s really shining through now, capping off the new “blonde” Beth nicely! Beth continues to be happy sharing her journey with her fellow Silver Sisters, and it looks like her hair is getting icier by the moment!

Just look at this progress! Beth is showing off her new cut, but underneath that blonde, you can see just how long the silvers are getting! In fact, it looks like there’s just a little bit of blonde left, and a lot of nice white around the face. Won’t be too long now, Beth!

Jennifer G./ “Jennifer G.”

>Jennifer, 38, hails from the Lone Star State. And she’s ready to be herself – “the me that I am with silver hair.” Jennifer’s journey began at the tender age of 16, when she was shocked to find a streak of gray starting just to the right of her widow’s peak. But color kept it hidden. She’s stayed in the brunette family of shades, getting lots of lowlights to keep it from turning completely orange as it faded. But lately, it’s been fading to blonde. As she loves to spend lots of time in the sun and on the golf course, Jennifer finds it necessary to “touch up” every 4 weeks. But this summer, she decided “enough.” Enough of the upkeep problems. Being so young, she is fully prepared for negative comments, and this Fall, her transition will be on full view in front of her elementary school class. “A lot of eyes will be watching my transition,” she says.  But she’s determined, planning to keep her short bob, and eventually work in layers as it grows out. Target date for completion: February ’10. She realizes, that in the end, her youth will work to her advantage. I’ll say!

It’s been almost two months since Jennifer’s last color, and the silver is really starting to show. She says she’s “not feeling beautiful or looking great but I really like the combination of white silver and black that my roots are turning into.” And, bonus, Jennifer’s noticing new growth, too, and suspects that it must mean her hair is healthier and happier. No doubt about it, Jennifer!

It’s going on three months since Jennifer stopped coloring, and she notices that the “old” color is really turning orange. People are noticing (mostly staring at the top of her head). But even one of her students asked her if she knew her hair was turning gray. Jennifer just smiled and said, “Isn’t that funny! I’m not even that old yet!” She just had almost 2 inches taken off, and feels every time she does, more silver shows through. Jennifer doesn’t mind a bit because her whole family is so supportive, and her nine year-old daughter thinks it’s going to look pretty!

Beth Aronson/ “Beth”

Beth’s baaaack. Originally in the First Semester ‘08 (see first two pics), Beth graduated, and went on to be a blissful silver fox. Until, one day a friend and colorist convinced her to add some blonde hightlights to “even out” the tones. Beth had gone silver, not white, and there was still some brown showing, so thinking she needed a little “boost,” Beth gave it a whirl. Now she misses those wonderful silver highlights, the natural ones, that she had worked so hard to achieve. Beth learned a few good lessons along the way. One, that going very short was really not for her. And, two, that she’s really happier being herself. So we welcome Beth back with open arms. She’s going to be a smarter and wiser transitioner this time, because the third thing she learned is the art of patience. This is a good lesson for us all. At times when you are tempted to reach for the bottle again, just remember, you may want to start over one day. That’s not a bad thing, either. Because it lets you know what you really want. And when you’re ready, really ready, you can come on home!

There they are! Beth’s silvers are really starting to show now, and she’s quite happy about it. It’s been 8 weeks since her last highlights and cut, and she’s just had about an inch taken off for some shaping. Beth says the transition process seems easier this time. She’s enjoying watching the various stages and doesn’t feel as self-conscious about it. She says, “I realize now that my last highlighting venture was about other people and not me!” Sometimes we have to go back to go forward, Beth!

Beth is getting more silvery by the moment. It’s actually been 5 months since she gave up any color at all! She’s keeping her length (a lesson learned last time around), but just went for a trim. Beth is excited to see that it’s “looking more gray and silver all the time!” And so shiny and soft, too!

Beth didn’t think it was time for an update, but it is, it is! Especially since she just got a new cut! She said she had let it get a “bit scraggly,” and is now loving the ease of this “do”. Here’s her wash-and-wear look, just towel-dried, scrunched and natural. You can see a great deal of progress in the back!

Beth just got her Silver Wings—again! Just look at the softness, the silver, the shine! This time, she’s much more comfortable with it. Beth says, “I feel totally like me and even younger! There is no way I will ever color my hair again!”

Cynthia McKenna/ “cyndimckenna”

Cyndi, 45, from Long Island, New York, is new to GGLG, after searching “all over” for pictures of gray hair in transition. Well, you’ve come to the right place, Cyndi! We’re all here, we know what you’re going through, and we’ll give you lots of support. After dyeing her hair for 20 years (“many colors, from red to black”), including an interesting purplish shade that her kids called a crayon color, Cyndi last colored in April ’09, with the full intention of letting it go natural. Her hairdresser put in some highlights, along with an overall color close to Cyndi’s natural shade. Now she has about an inch of gray showing, and her co-workers are confirming her worst fears. Cyndi was always “resistant” to going gray because she thought it would make her look old. So what do the women at the office say? “You’re too young, and you will look old.” Cyndi’s found a great way around this, however.  She smiles, tells them she likes it, and “they shut up!” Cyndi loves pulling her hair up so the silver at the temples frames her face, and she can’t wait to get the brown gone.  First strategic step, she just got her hair cut from mid-back length to shoulder length with layers, and had her colorist do a cap frosting to blend the dreaded skunk line better. Reaction? Her daughter cried because she thought she had dyed her hair gray, but her husband loves it, even the new length. Hey, one out of two is darn good! Send in your “new look” soon, Cyndi!

Here’s Cyndi’s “instant update.” She feels her hair is more modern, and shows more gray. Bonus, some of her co-workers said they like it! As Cyndi says, “Who’d a thunk?”

Cyndi just sent in this November update, and you can now spot about 3-4 inches of silver coming in. Along with the highlights, they just seem to blend. She says she has much more confidence now, and loves the fact that she looks different every day. Cyndi made one major change—her part. She didn’t like the way her hair was looking, so changed the part to the other side, and now loves it. She asks, “Is this crazy?” No, Cyndi, it’s just adjusting to the best ways to let your silver shine! Cyndi takes these pics at her computer, so it may not be the best lighting, but you still can see a big difference!