If you’re considering going gray and keeping your hair length, beware, it is a longer journey than you imagine it will be. When I first started the journey my hair seemed to grow so fast. The gray demarcation line showed up at 4 weeks post coloring, why wouldn’t I assume it would grow out fast throughout the growing out process?
Sorry folks, thinking it will grow fast is a common misconception for those of us taking the leap of faith to stop coloring our hair. The reality is hair only grows about ½” a month. Period.
I think the worst part of the 7 month stage is the constant visual reminder of the old color and not having quite enough of the new color to overshadow the old. I do have a bit of ombre going on between the old and new on the demarcation line. I kind of like it, some days. Huh, well, there you have it, a silver lining, a positive note on the whole ordeal. It helps to find little nuggets of hope.
Here I am at 7 months, 7 days; or 7 months, 1 week; or 219 days to be exact. Yes, I’m counting, trust me you will too!
Let’s just say, at this stage if you’re planning on keeping your length, be thankful for the length so you can pull it back and off your face. It helps provide you with more incentive by being able to see the gray instead of the color you used to be. When you leave the hair down you will see the prominence of the old color on the edges. It’s defeating. Just when you feel like you’ve come so far…as the old hair settles in around your face…SLAP…you’re reminded of how slow it is growing.
Those are moments when the old color, if you were sort of fond of it, may pull you back to the past. The temptation of the past comfort zone will foster a shaky, wobbly and frustrated self perception of yourself. You might feel like caving and going back to coloring or to chopping it all off.
DON’T cave! Stay the course. Yes, we must stay the course.
Oh, believe me, there are so many days I just want to cut all the old hair off. The colored hair is dry and frizzy and thicker than the new hair. I don’t get it, does that mean my natural hair is wimpy and thin? Oh NO…what am I doing, it has always been thick and curly.
7 months in the going gray journey is a past, present, future mind-game.
You too will think, what the heck am I getting myself into? It is time to rationalize and regroup your thoughts.
For lack of a better explanation, I’m assuming all the pigment colors layering on the old hair make it thicker than the new outgrowth of gray? That sounds plausible doesn’t it? Let’s just go with that theory and move on.
If that theory is true, then the new hair will be softer and healthier. Yay! That’s the ticket, see we’ve successfully rationalized ourselves back on track!
I read this quote yesterday, and think it might be motivational for this stage of going gray.
To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny. – Alen Cohen
Yep, your hair is growing, so pull your old hair back! Be in the present, don’t look back to the past. Embrace the look of the new hair. Remember you are not the history of your old color! Good graycious you’re going to love the future destiny of all natural gray!
