I started growing out my grey in the fall of 2013. I was 32 and grey since 18.

That means I was also at the salon every 6 weeks for 14 years. Growing it out was a personal journey and it seems to be that for many women too.

Here are 3 tips if you are considering it:

Evaluate your reasons!     Grey is not necessarily more authentic if one of your reasons is to be on trend (this is the classic “but everyone is doing it”), or if you know you are just not ready for it. I am certainly not opposed to dye (obviously I coloured my hair for more than a decade and have occasionally coloured parts of it for a little pop of pink!) Take a personal inventory and consider if it will help you on your inner spiritual journey – you’ll need the gumption and right reason for doing it, because, there will be opposition from other people, let’s be honest.

Find support!      A hairdresser who is willing to help you do you naturally, even if it means losing money, is a good sign they want the best for you, not their pocketbook. Check out my board on Pinterest or @shegreygrey for encouraging stories! It’s not a marriage, either – if you hate it, you can always go back to colouring and try again at a later time.

Document it!     Just like taking a ‘before’ at the start of a new workout routine, the small changes day to day will be noticeable in comparison to the beginning! I wished I documented mine more but here’s what it looked like for me. Blonde streaks helped to break up the “skunk line” and a few months after that I got it toned. My hair grows fast but adding taking a multivitamin with minerals helped it grow faster too!

BONUS TIP! Bold colours (and a little vintage HBC wool) are your friend!