If you’re on Instagram, you may have noticed that young “influencers” are prolific on the social media platform. Yet, as a mature woman, on Instagram I have amassed more than 155,000 followers. Maybe that's because mature women are alive and well and like to see themselves represented on social media.
My signature is long, gray hair. It is something I embrace and encourage my followers to embrace their grey hair, too. Many women went this route during the pandemic, deciding to keep their grays after salon shutdowns forced them to take a hiatus from coloring their hair. For me, I commenced my gray hair journey several years prior, and have since collected a wealth of knowledge on how to make gray hair look its best — from both personal and professional experience. Let me share my expertise with you.
Remember that the journey to acceptance isn’t always easy.
When I found my first gray hair at 27 years old, I wasn’t ready for that change! I plucked it out, praying it wouldn’t damage my career, and proceeded to dye my hair for the next 10 years — until I reached a point where I got sick of monthly salon appointments, using strong chemicals, and trying to cover up who I was. Just as I was about ready to give up on modeling, as fate would have it, my gray hair gave me a unique look in the fashion industry. Years after finding that first gray, I'm working more than I ever expected. While you may worry and fear that grays will reveal your own natural aging process, I urge to jump into that fear — after all, you never know what the results might be. You may end up accessing a newfound confidence, plus you’ll inevitably save money skipping all those salon appointments!
Find the products that work for you.
It's been years since I stopped dyeing my gray hair, but that doesn’t mean I quit following a haircare routine. There’s been a lot of trial and error involved in finding the best products for silver locks. I’ve tried a lot of hair products in the past. Today, my favorites are Redken and Kerastase, for both regular and purple shampoos and conditioners. Purple shampoo can restore the smoothness and luminosity of gray hair. My favorites are Redken Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo (Buy from Amazon, $25) and Kerastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet Shampoo (Buy from Amazon, $23.46).
I'm also a fan of Olaplex, a brand who makes a leave-in styling treatment (Buy from Amazon, $30), as well as Oribe’s Silverati line, which is specifically made for silver hair, and includes an Illuminating Pomade (Buy from Amazon, $39). I'm always open to discovering new products, and lately I'm particularly interested in using ones that are vegan and environmentally friendly. Recently, I've been enjoying Authentic Beauty Concept’s Hydrate Cleanser Shampoo (Buy from Amazon, $31), which features naturally moisturizing ingredients like mango and basil extracts. You can find more of my favorite products on my Shop tab.