Initially, my gray hair wasn’t visible, being on the inside. So friends and family probably never noticed it unless it was tucked behind the ear or got pulled up and back.
I dyed on and off at home for about 20 years. I first dyed it shortly after discovering those white strands. At some point in college, I was OK with having gray hair.
Over a span of 8-10 years, 3 comments stood out: “Gray hair makes a person look dirty”, “gray hair makes a person look old”, “gray hair makes a person look unprofessional.”
Around October/November of 2014, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t stand seeing roots of black and white and the rest of my hair dirty blonde, light brown, and whatever else.
Between working long hours and attending to a toddler at the time, I didn’t have much time to fuss over my hair, so time passed by fairly quickly. I did feel alone in my journey.