Reflection – a look back at 11 months of going gray

The 11^th month of my going gray process is today.  Wow!  Now that I have fully transitioned to my natural color I’m feeling a bit more brave about reflecting on the past year.  While I’m not yet back to the length of hair I’d like to have, it is growing and evolving and I’m loving it.

I ditched and cut off the transitional dyed hair around the 9^th month into the journey (read about it here).

So yeah, the 11 month mark is a good stage to reflect on what the past year has been like. Wait…what…11 months doesn’t equal a year?

(Oh, and by the way, this is my Reflection assignment for my EverydayAdventures2017 photo challenge.  Thus the pictures in front of a mirror.  A messy mirror at that.  We’re in the process of doing some repairs on our plumbing, so the bathroom is dusty and torn up a bit.).  

Back to the post…the journey to gray starts before you actually commit to doing it.  The month before you take the plunge and stop coloring is a reflective stage in the process.

I remember spending a lot of time pondering, wondering, dreaming and questioning why I had been coloring for so long and why I’d much rather be all natural at this stage in my life.  So much time reflecting about what look I really wanted.

That’s the stage I started stalking pictures of gray-haired women on Pinterest.  I’d sit quietly by myself in front of my computer and ask myself:

• Could I really do that?
• Could I be brave too?
• They did it, why can’t I?
• I can, can’t I?

Reflection made me start noticing:

• Women with gray hair. Everywhere.  See…I won’t be alone, will I?
• How much I really didn’t like the color of my colored hair.  It was a lighter brown than my natural dark blackish color.  Ewe…really…what have I been doing?
• How many women do color their hair?  Man o’ man, it is an industry on its own…Cha-ching, cha-ching…jeez…how much money have I been spending?!
• How much women talked about their hair and what they had to do to keep it up.  Will I miss the social aspect of it, will I be able to tolerate the shunning when I do go gray?

There were many moments of resolve and confidence too.

I.am.going.to.go.gray…soooooooon….

And then…I started talking about it more with my family by telling them, “I’m really getting ready to do the going gray thing…”

But when met with not enough enthusiasm from others, I started to get shaky.  “Did I really want to do the going gray thing?”

A year ago, I broke down…the habit won…again…

Yep, I went back to the hairdresser and colored my hair yet again.

I.just.couldn’t.resist.I.had.to.color.my.hair.yes.I.did.

As I sat there letting my hairdresser do the coloring thing to my hair again…I felt shame.  I had let myself down.

So what’s a hair coloring addict do?

I rationalized and reassured myself by saying to myself, “It wasn’t the right time yet.”  But, I also made sure to continue talking about how I was going to stop coloring…soon.

Today, 11 months into the process I’m here at the reflective stage.  Before you finally take the plunge to stop coloring, it is normal to reflect. Don’t be too hard on yourself.  You will decide when it is right for YOU.  And when you do, you will be okay. Going naturally gray is totally worth it!  There will come a day when someone compliments you on your silvers and you’ll smile to yourself and think…yep, it was worth it!