by Theo Chester

Created on: March 04, 2008   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

Grayheads unite! It's time to fight back against the war on gray hair. Let's band together and dispel the myths. Going gray takes courage, confidence, and a good attitude.

Gray hair is totally in sync with the organic culture. Here we are worrying about the toxins we inhale, the pesticides we eat, and the chemicals we're exposed to in our day to day life. Yet, when it comes to the color of our hair, all caution is thrown to the wind. Hair dye comes with a huge price tag, all for the sake of vanity.

After 35 years of having my hair dyed, I finally decided to go back to my roots. My defining moment was when I saw a picture of myself. My hair looked great in the photo, but all that I noticed was how obviously dyed it looked. It seemed harsh, very unnatural.

From that moment forward, the decision to go gray was easy. Sure, I'm aging, but I love to dress stylishly, trendy for my age, and I'm in good shape. My reasoning was that I could continue to have fun with my clothes, but if I had gray hair, people wouldn't tend to think that I was trying to look younger than my age.

Growing the gray out was not an easy task. My hair was long and red. Honestly, I looked like a dirty Q-tip for a long time. There are easier ways to go natural and have a gorgeous head of healthy gray hair. The following are some suggestions for those of you brave enough to give up on what is usually dyed too, too black, like carbon color, strange fake doll hair color, or apricot poodle blonde hair color, and come on over to the natural gray side.

1. Growing it out - try to cut off as much as possible as you begin the process. It will speed things up and you won't have the drastic contrast between the new and the old colors for too long.

2. Color - you may want to consider having some white/blond streaks put in the front of your hair to make the growing out stage less painful.

3. Maintaining the Gray - Make it shine! Use moisturizing shampoo and moisturizing conditioner to keep your hair from drying out and looking too dull.

4. Color enhancements - To keep the yellow out of your gray hair and to illuminate the beauty of your gray, use a glaze or shine booster. The John Frieda Collection has a clear shine that is a wonderful product that is gentle enough to use daily.

5. Gloss - There are many products available to add shine and moisture to your hair. I suggest the Paul Mitchell Gloss Drops for a non-greasy wonderful finish that adds just the right amount of oomph to gray hair.

Keep your new and gray hair (not old and gray) styled, moisturized, and wear it with pride. Be sassy and gray. You've earned it!

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