A stunning woman strutted down a Manhattan street, silver locks flying, pointedly ignoring Jack. That woman was Cindy Joseph, a pioneer of the Grey Hair Movement. I remember thinking that she looked confident, vibrant and like a woman who knew her own worth.
As an infantryman’s spouse, there was never any shortage of stress in our lives, and after every tour of duty, I found that I was spending more time covering up my rapidly silvering hair.
Six weeks after my last dye, my hairdresser gave me a pixie cut. Having missed six weekly touch-ups, I was pretty sure that the entire world was staring in silent judgment at my silver temples.
I bought Regis DesignLine Super Silver shampoo and conditioner and began to use them weekly. I found that the purple base brightened my silver, and reminded me of the amazing colour awaiting me at the end of the process.
By October, the worst of the transition to gray was over. Only the ends of my hair on my crown had any dye remaining, and my colour began to look purposeful. By January, there was just slightest colour left on the tips of my bangs
With my new silver hair, my stylist insisted that we grow it out in slow stages, because unfortunately, grey can look dowdy if it’s not kept crisp and stylish.
But in all honesty, my dark hair would have looked horrible transitioning in that fashion. If I’d gone that route, I most likely would have lost my courage and resumed colouring it again.
In my wildest dreams, I never thought that I’d be having this much fun in my mid-40s, and cheering other women on via Instagram and on the street, as they contemplate their own journey to silver hair.