Of course the truth, I now know, is that loads of us are sprouting grey hair from our teens onwards, but since most of us dye it (around 75%), we all collude in this belief that only the old go grey.
My mum had dyed her grey hair certainly as long as I’d been alive, and I was well-used to the ritual of home hair dye kits. My dad used to don the plastic gloves and do it for her in our kitchen.
My mum sadly died before I decided to grow out my grey hair. My sisters were supportive when I told them, although I recall one being slightly shocked and expressing concern that I’d look older (especially as I was the youngest sister).
I experimented with a range of colours, different shades of brown, even a kind of carrot orange colour for a spell at uni. Once I got my job as a university professor I decided to get my hair coloured professionally.
I was, as I promised myself, transitioned in time for my 50th birthday in April 2016. So around sixteen months. I must admit the bob had to keep going shorter and shorter to reach that target!
Then, remembering how I’d used online discussion forums years ago to help me through the child-rearing years as a clueless parent of a colicky baby, I thought perhaps forums might also exist for those of us tired of dyeing our hair but apprehensive about how to go about it.