Let’s Go Bananas – A Journey To Going Natural

It’s difficult to pinpoint the actual day that my journey to my natural color began. I’d roughly place it sometime between my last “color refresh” in early February 2017 and the next appointment I would have had four weeks later. In reality, I’d begun to dread the wait in between appointments because my silvery roots would become so noticeable by about the third week (at least to me). I’d once thought that I wouldn’t make this change until I’d retired, wanting to avoid the possibility of age discrimination.

On the other hand, I’d been curious to see how much silver I had considering how obvious (at least to me) my roots appeared to be. It had been on my mind for a while, and for some reason after that last “color refresh”, I decided that it was time to go natural. I did some online research for tips and suggestions on how to address the grow-out demarcation line. On my next visit to my hairdresser, I had her weave in blondish highlights.  I’d hoped that they would camouflage that dreaded skunk line (see April 2017 photo below). It kind of worked but I only did it that one time because my goal was to get to my natural color as quickly as possible.

At the end of December 2017, I decided to cut off as much of the old color as I thought I could handle. I hadn’t had short hair since the early ’80s.  With an inspiration photo in hand to show to my hairstylist, the results are below.  I think she did a great job of delivering on the vision I had.  The before and after photos below were taken by my stylist.  If there’s one tip that I can offer to someone going through this process is keep your hair looking healthy and well cared for.  This means getting a good cut, conditioning, and using styling products.  Be intentional and not apologetic.

I adored the initial cut and found that it was so much easier (as in less time-consuming) to take care of my hair. I got a ton of compliments and never did anyone offer an opinion that the gray made me look older.  A few months later, I got a trim that cut off more of the old color.  All was going well until about a year and a half into this adventure when I saw this hairstylist again.  I believe that it was in October 2018 when I had my next appointment and asked her to trim just enough to accent my curls but keep as much length as possible.  The result wound up being much shorter than I had wanted but the remaining old color was gone.

It took a really long time to not be a little startled at seeing my new hair color every time I saw myself in a mirror. Not in a bad way, it just took a while for it not to be a surprise. I now truly understand the meaning behind “gray is the new blond”.  Even though I am having more fun😉,  the change from dark hair to light takes some adjusting.  The color choices I make in my outfits have shifted from muted tones to more vibrant ones so as to prevent my overall look from looking washed out, and too gray.

The photos above were taken about a year ago.  By this time, my hair was getting longer and the reflection in the mirror was mine again.  This past November, I went to a new stylist who had some experience with curly hair (but not Deva trained) with the hope of getting a curl-enhancing cut that would keep as much length as possible.  Again, the result was too short for my liking but not as short as it had been in 2018.

That brings us to the present. I’m giddy to be free of worry about scheduling my next color touch-up appointment.  Life is easier without trying to hide the roots that start to show through after two weeks. And, I’m delighted with the color which can look different from day to day because of the natural tonal variations and depending on how the curls are behaving. Each and every compliment I get thrills me to no end and I get them from young and old, women and men alike. I’ve even been recognized in public because of my do.

If anyone ever asks me if they should “ditch the dye”, I wholeheartedly say YES! For those who are worried that gray hair will age you, it is that type of mindset that can make you look “older”. This is not me on a soapbox telling you why you should stop coloring your hair. But if you’re on the fence about making this change, consider that overly processed hair does not look natural. There is no shame in looking your age.  There are probably so many other things about your appearance that are aging you that could be attended to as well. Like picking colors that flatter you, remembering that style and comfort are not mutually exclusive, and ditching the RBF. Smile and LET’S GO BANANAS!

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