How to Go Grey Gracefully with Dark Hair

|| Wrap bodysuit (also available in dark seaweed) || Sequin Track Pants (also available via Rent the Runway) || Heels || Sequin flower earrings || Photos: Melanie Foster Photography ||

This post is something that has been a long time coming. Six months ago, I embarked on a journey. In June, I decided to let my hair do its thing. You see, I started going grey at 22. At that time, it was not a big deal. There were just a few hairs here and there. My hairdresser (and friend, Jordan) and I decided we could manage it with semi-permanent hair color and cut appointments every six weeks. Until about a year ago, that was working fine. My hair has always been pretty healthy (minus the time I pretended to be blonde in college for a hot second) and grows like a weed. I honestly could color it every four weeks due to root growth alone. It just got to a point where it was unrealistic — I cannot spend that much time in a salon chair. I do not feel like that many hours in the salon chair is a good use of my time.

Here is the deal, you don't get an award for coloring your hair, and you sure do not get an anything special for embracing your natural color. It is just hair! If I get to a point and I do not like where I am at, I can change it. Since June, we haven't done a thing other than a cut and a trim. Most of the feedback has been positive. I found the first four months to be the hardest. Random people have made comments to me while grocery shopping, mostly thinking I highlighted it grey to be trendy and cool. Most of them are older men and women joking ‘look honey, she paid money to look like me.’ I politely inform them that this is my natural color and I am embracing it with open arms. It gets a little awkward sometimes, but I try to change the conversation and make them feel comfortable.

If you are considering going grey with grace, I want to extend my support to you! You will have some people in your life that don't understand your decision, and that's okay. All that matters is that you are happy with who you are! There is an inspiring community on Instagram that I have been leaning into. Grombre, going grey with (grohm)(bray), is a radical celebration of the natural phenomenon of grey hair. They spotlight different women and their self-love stories. I am telling you, this is one of the things that has given me permission to love my new normal. I must say, my husband has been supportive of this 100%. I told him I was considering it in May and he said go for it! He has the same thought; I could always go back to being a brunette if I wanted. Growing older, we are faced with decisions about how we want to handle the aging process, choose whatever makes you happy.