Going Gray and Maintaining it... My Way
I am thrilled to be joining some of my favorite gray and silver-haired bloggers, Cindy, Susan and Gray, in sharing our transitions, including tips and tricks for silver/gray hair.
Cindy Hattersley Design - Cindy Hattersley
Une Femme d' Un Certain Age - Susan Blakey
Going gray is one of my favorite topics and why I started my blog. I decided to go gray (salt and pepper) at 49. It was quite the feat, from my dark brown hair to gray. “My way” was very unconventional in today’s world. At the time, I was a sales executive with large global clients flying each week across the country. I had to color every three weeks to prevent my gray Cruella Deville line from appearing. Gray hair was not the norm nor readily accepted. I knew I could not transition like many do today, with a line of demarcation. You can see my transition below and read here how I did this in a few months. I did sport the color GRONDE for a bit. The excerpt is I cut all my hair off and had it dyed platinum-white blonde. YIKES. It was scary. My pixie cut (which I had not worn since my Dad cut my hair) was trimmed during my grow-out phase every other week. Luckily, my hair grew very fast, and I was again sporting my shoulder-length hair.
Today, if you make the decide to go gray, I’m confident that it is a much easier task, and a very personal choice. It is not for everyone, as I know many friends that color their hair into their seventies and eighties. Everyone must do what feels right for them. However, stylists today specialize in gray hair transitions, which can make it so much easier. When asked for help on this topic, this is my suggestion.
Once I jumped to gray and moved beyond the YIKES phase, I fell in love with the ease of no more coloring and honestly felt more authentic. Since I went gray very young, I was covering up who I truly was and in my opinion, felt a bit fake. That is why I use the phrase, Sincerely Silver. I am proud to show my actual color.
So since I have had my silvery strands for quite a few years, I thought it would be helpful to learn more about my maintenance and what I avoid to keep my silvers shiny and sleek.
Water, sun, and heat can bring out yellows in silver and gray hair. I am very careful not to use high heat when blow drying and only medium heat or lower. I always wear a hat when in direct sunlight and any hat will do. I also use a heat protector before styling to ATY, aka, Avoid The Yellows. Pool water and ocean water affect my silver strands, so I always rinse afterward if my hair gets wet. Hard water is also a cause of “the yellows.” That is why I use a filter on both showers to remove the chlorine etc., for my hair and skin. This is the one I use below:
My favorite heat protector sprays:
This is the straightener I use when I want a sleek look. I like it because you must only pass through your hair once for results.
My dryer is an older model that needs replaced. I’ve been watching for a Dyson on sale, which my stylist uses, and I love the results.
Between home and our beach house, I use various shampoos and conditioners. I have listed them below:
My favorite styling balms are below for frizz free hair :
My silver hair is dry, so I only shampoo every four days or so, depending on workouts I often rinse and let dry naturally for a tousled wavy look between shampoos in the summer. I use these products to achieve my beach hair look.
Stay tuned as my daughter recently introduced me to her sleek hair look, currently my favorite for the summer. It’s been effortless to do after my hand and elbow surgery. I will post about it soon.
Gray hair does not take much work as long as you know the ins and outs. Hopefully, my friends and I have helped you with our tips and tricks. And if you are not following these lovely ladies, I highly suggest you do.
I look forward to your comments and remain your Sincere Silver friend.
