Pro's and Con's of Going Gray
If you read my post or saw my video, “Deciding to Go Gray”, I talked about the factors that play a role in making the decision to go gray. It will be a lot more difficult if you don’t have a positive attitude toward going gray or if you don’t have a solid support system. You may question if you are doing the right thing, if you value the opinion of others who are discouraging you.
Dealing with negative comments can also be something you have to face. Some people can be just as tactful with gray hair as they are when you are 8 months pregnant, and they tell you how HUGE you are. I don’t understand this, but it happens. How you handle it is your choice, but you have to value your own opinion more than others. That is not just going to happen though, it is a process of learning to trust yourself more and to not take things personally. You need to know that people generally don’t mean to hurt your feelings. They just didn’t think before speaking, and we have all been there. Then there are those who purposely hurt your feelings. You have to consider the source. Anyone who purposely wants to hurt someone else has their own insecurities, and they need to elevate themselves by putting others down, so it really isn’t about you at all.
Another con is how we as a society put little value on aging and gray hair is definitely part of the uniform. A lot of assumptions go along with gray hair. “Oh you are throwing in the towel and letting yourself go”. I could do a whole series on ageism, but that is not the point of this video.
What I am very happy to be see is a shift in what is defined as beautiful. We have seen a “trend” that started about 6-7 years ago, where young women were dying their hair gray. I’m not sure how long trends last, but this look is still going strong.
Another thing that may not be too obvious is that every gray head is unique. Factors like your original hair color, the ratio of white to dark hair, and the pattern that you have really gives everyone a different look. Keep in mind that if you are growing out your hair and you don’t like something about it, you CAN change it. You can customize your own look with different processes to achieve what you want. I will discuss those techniques in “Get the Gray Hair You Want”.
Another pro is that you will have healthier, shinier hair. After years of processing our hair, we don’t even remember what it is like to have virgin hair again. Dying and bleaching our hair really takes a toll on it, and we become used to how our stressed hair is, so don’t be surprised if your hair looks and feels better than before. Also, you no longer have to fight that dreaded demarcation line! Once you start growing your hair out, your relationship with the demarcation line completely changes. Now I love seeing that line grow and my grays hair reveals itself more and more!