11 People Share Their Perspectives On Going Gray

Gray hair is having a moment (and, as evidenced by each of the beautiful manes below, it’s easy to see why). Whether you’re debating ditching the dye or just here for the radical self-love, here are a few portraits and perspectives from people who are embracing their silver strands.

1. Whitney, @silverstrandsofglitter

“Gray hair is not a bad thing. It is a feature that has no more power than you give it. And when you take away its power, it becomes what it has always been: just a hair color.”

2. Shelli, @hairscapades

“I was always someone who was VERY comfortable in her own skin and dancing to the beat of my own drummer, not caring what people think as long as I was happy. This gray journey made me realize that I wasn’t as confident in my authentic self as I thought. It made me very uncomfortable, sad at times, down on myself. But I’ve come out on the other side and I’m here to tell you: if you are on this journey, be patient and kind to yourself. Others may judge, but trust the process and yourself, and you will find your beauty, confidence and resolve stronger for the journey.”

3. Kathleen, @k_growing_gray

“Every day I am falling more in love with the color variety in my hair and how I get to have a new shade of silver depending on where it's parted!”

4. Kate, @katedinota

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still wrestle with my decision to ditch the dye. I still turn to my husband and exclaim that I’m ending this experiment and dyeing it black! But at the end of the day, this is ME and ME is all any of us can ever really be.”

5. Alex, @schimiggy

“I've never felt so liberated. You'll learn that beauty standards are defined individually. It's not black or white (no pun intended) or cookie cutter. It's a spectrum of grays and where we exist on that spectrum is unique to who we are as a human.”

6. Liz, @liz_kamarul

“Do whatever is right for you. Want to keep coloring over it? That's totally fine. Ready to let it grow out? Go for it. You're never too young and you're never too old to go gray and there's no wrong way to do it. Your hair is such a personal expression of who you are, so have fun with it in whatever way you want. Forget the rules. There are no rules.”

7. Jin, @agingwith_style_and_grays

“You can’t control everything. Your hair was put on your head to remind you of that.”

8. Maria, @embracingmyroots

“Gray is a color, not a number.”

9. Maura, @sel__et__poivre

“It was fun being a blonde, but I’m not sure it ever really felt like me—know what I mean? That’s not the case with silver, though. Definitely feels like me.”

10. Ashley, @rainydayjames3611

“People shouldn’t ask how old a woman with gray hair is. Do they also ask a natural blonde, brunette or redhead? [Gray is also] a naturally occurring hair color, people!! So, no, I’m not too young [to have gray hair]—this is me, this is what the good lord gave me, and I feel pretty darn lucky.”

11. Tenille, @thetenillelife_

“Your hair or even your hair color DOES NOT define your beauty—only YOU can do that. Embracing your natural hair can be very emotional and is certainly an individual choice. We each get there in our own time, or [never], and that’s okay.”