Gray Under Forty

Yes, it IS time for a revolution!

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:33:53 -0400

Since finding Going Gray, I have been in touch with the blog’s Queen Silver Fox, Terri, and she asked me to write a guest blog. I’m also in the process of reading her awesome book with stories of women making the change. Then today, it turns out Going Gray is in the national news, and word is spreading out silver being the new black. I couldn’t be happier about it! Here is the original story - check it out! Silver foxes unite!

YAY! A full-time blog about going gray with actual experts!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:53:34 -0500

I’m so happy that I found this blog, I don’t even know what to do with myself. I’m so glad a real expert finally consolidated information on going gray all in one place!

http://goinggrayblog.com/

Working the gray....

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:50:00 -0500

Here’s a very helpful piece about the transition to gray… Going Gray? Don’t Hide It, Own It!

Sustainable Shampoo for Frizzy Gray

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:36:37 -0500

My hair is limp and frizzy, not an awesome combination. On the suggestion of my stylist, I’ve started using a safe (for the environment AND my body) product that I love: Alterna’s Bamboo. I use the Bamboo Volume shampoo and conditioner, and the Hemp Spray Shine. I’m not usually a fan of hemp stuff, but the smell is citrus-y and delicious, and a great pre-blow-drying finish. It’s not outrageously expensive for how long it lasts either. I suggest checking it out for all your silver foxes who want shinier locks!

Milwaukee Women Going Gray

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:49:23 -0500

Check out the full article here…

Vivian Diller's Thoughts on Graying

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:14:33 -0400

This is a truly awesome article because it is comprehensive, covers double standards and reasons behind graying/dying, and even includes statistics about who is gray, who dyes their hair, and even that 50% of the population would be gray if no one dyed their hair. It does say that most people gray between 30-40. That’s us!!! It’s worth reading from start to finish! Read Vivian Diller’s Huffington Post article here.

Weighing in...

Fri, 20 May 2011 16:41:49 -0400

A great piece from CBS San Fran about going gray. They still aren’t focusing on folks under 40, but it’s empowering nonetheless.

Is there gray prejudice?

Fri, 20 May 2011 16:38:55 -0400

Check out this piece on Huffington Post regarding a double standard between men and women going gray. I do think there is a double standard in the media, and I do still miss my dark hair, but I will keep my gray hair for now. What are your thoughts?

Anderson Cooper Before & After

Fri, 20 May 2011 16:34:31 -0400

From The Daily Mail

Deep Conditioner on a budget

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:59:00 -0400

I’ve struggled with whether to spring for Bumble, risk frizzy hair, or try every freaking product on the shelf that won’t bust my bank balance. I’m sick of dry hair, and I’m too cheap to spring for the salon-quality stuff, so I’ve been going with option 3, especially now that my hair is even more course since I’ve gone gray.

I tried some deep conditioner from the drug store that was only $8, but I’ve already run out! I worked OK, but it was no fountain of youth. I’ve been using Garnier products that seem to work pretty well, so I bought some Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in Conditioner - I really love it and it only cost about $5. I only use it every 2-3 days, but it’s great for putting on damp hair before blow-drying, or just using a tiny bit on dry hair to smooth down the ends.

My very favorite discovery so far, though, is Aussie’s 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner. On my first day of using it, I got 3 separate compliments at work on how great my hair looked. I don’t use it every single day because it’s very strong, but for less than $4 you cannot go wrong. It’s light enough to use 2-3 times a week without your hair feeling too oily or heavy.

What’s your favorite deep conditioner? Do you budget or splurge?

*Update 5/20/11 - my stylist says Aussie products can create a waxy build-up in your hair, so do not overuse. She recommends I spring for the slightly higher-priced stuff when possible, but who knows when that will be. More on that coming soon!

Rant du Jour: Let's kill the 'gray = old' stereotype

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:50:32 -0400

At least once a week I check google for any new articles about young people with gray hair. The only interesting thing I found tonight is a half-baked collection of images on a hair products’ site full of advertisements. Everything else was about hiding, preventing, pin-pointing the causes of gray hair. The fashion blogs have talked about it trending since last year, though, and there are pictures of celebrities on the red carpet and models on runways sporting silver locks. Does hair fashion take as long as clothing fashion to hit the streets?

I can’t wait for the day that women in their twenties and thirties can just let the gray grow out without getting funny looks; that change will lead to healthier hair, healthier attitudes about ladies’ appearances, and most of all a healthier self-image for the early adopters. I used to want to be different, a rebel, which is why I dyed my hair for the majority of my adolescence and young adulthood. Now that I have other priorities in my life than being cool, I’m having to summon my inner pirate and wear my silver with pride just because there aren’t enough people* doing so….

Yep, maybe I’m tackling a petty issue - hair… who cares about it? - but I like to think I’m making a tiny dent in a larger issue that hangs over our society: the expectation to look younger, prettier, always be properly made-up. Eff it. Whether I’m making a difference or not, I’m sleeping better at night not worrying about the next time I have to buy dye at the drug store. Yay!

(*I do my best to say “people” so I can be fair, but let’s be honest: the #1 adjective used to describe men of any age with gray hair is “distinguished.” Sorry, guys. Not trying to leave you out. We love you!)

John Frieda's "GHOSTS": Gray Hair Over Stressed Twenty Somethings

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:49:00 -0400

I just found this very interesting and overly sensational article in the UK’s Daily Mail about the increasing numbers of twenty-somethings going gray. I was one of these. Sure, maybe it was stress. Maybe “kids these days” are just too unhealthy. I don’t think they need to refer to it as “alarming,” but I imagine they’re just trying to sell newspapers. The accompanying picture would make me WANT to go gray, not scare me about how insane it is… I want that color!

Read about John Frieda’s “GHOSTS” here

Update 3/22/11 6 PM… this person agrees with me.

Faking the gray

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:28:00 -0400

If you have it, flaunt it, if you don’t… fake the gray! Even teenage fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, as of a year ago (hey I never said I was fashion forward!), was getting in on the “granny look” in this New York Times article and slideshow about “Young Trendsetters” streaking their hair with gray dye.

More big words from the scientists...

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:23:51 -0400

Explaining melanin, genetics, gender, and debunking the myth of pulling the grays out… The science behind gray hair from scienceline.

Des Moines Register: "Silver Chic"

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:20:40 -0400

None of these folks are under 40, but the tips are good and they all look great!

Read about “Silver Chic” here

Pretty, please: Yes, I do dare!

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:59:19 -0400

My friend Stephanie is one of those girls who looks like she’s straight out of a magazine, or more specifically right off the set of Amélie, on a daily basis. I don’t know HOW she does it, but she’s always the most stylish at the table. Even parties at her place are gorgeous, well coordinated and comfortable. I know it’s not 100% effortless, but she makes it look that way.

She has been kind enough to share her beauty secrets in her blog, Pretty, please. When I started Gu40, she was the first person I thought to consult. Not only did she ask for tips from her blog, but she did some extensive research on gray hair tips! From Frederick Fakkai to Bedhead, there are lots of great products on the market for silvers. Check out Stephanie’s “Do You Dare?” post and share your tips with us! Thank you, Stephanie!!

The Grandma Trend

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:34:07 -0500

I don’t know how I feel about Lady Gaga being a gray-hair trendsetter, but I do sometimes dress like a grandma, so this article makes me happy:

5 Trends We Borrowed From Grandma That You Actually Can Wear Now

Feb '11 Allure Magazine: Are You Young and Gray?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:40:32 -0500

Feb '11 Allure Magazine: Are You Young and Gray?:

Posted By Alison Caporimo: “This past year, girls rocked gray nails on and off the runway and celebrity trendsetters like Lady Gaga and Kelly Osbourne were spotted twirling long, silver locks. Once reserved for grandmas’ hair and wizards’ beards, gray was suddenly catapulted to color spectrum stardom. But its somehow different when you choose gray, rather than when gray chooses you… Have you gone gray yet? When you do, will you choose to color your silver streaks or let them shine?”

Young and Gray...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:07:00 -0500

Young and Gray...:

Another great story of a brave silver!

Slate Magazine: "I'm Gonna Keep That Gray"

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:10:00 -0500

Slate Magazine: "I'm Gonna Keep That Gray":