Going Grey

“This is not a period of decline. It’s a period of growth.” Tracey McAlpine

Grey hair is having quite a moment. Magazines feature models with manes of glossy grey hair. Celebrities like Sharon Osborne are choosing to go grey overnight and a whole host of instagrammers are charting their grey hair transition, yet the idea of going grey is something many of us have mixed feelings about.

When is the right time? Will I look older? Will it drain my complexion? And for those of us with long hair..what do I do during the awkward in-betweeny two-tone stage as my old colour grows out and my grey hair grows through?

There’s been a lot of talk about going grey in the True Style Journey group. Several members began making the transition to grey during lockdown. One of those women was Tracey McAlpine, founder of FightingFifty website and Fabulous Magazine Beauty Ambassador. I first connected with Tracey through instagram, inspired by her beautiful grey hair and informative Live interviews, so I invited Tracey to join me in the Rediscover Your True Style Facebook Group to talk about going grey and how to make that transition, when you choose and in a way that feels empowering.

Tracey had loads of great tips and insights on going grey, re-framing the second half of your life and owning change. So I thought I’d share a few nuggets from our interview and some great product recommendations. If you’d like to watch the interview you can view it here. Here are some of my key takeaways:

Gather inspiration first

If you’re nervous about making the transition to grey, start gathering inspiration first. Follow the #goinggrey hashtag on instagram. There are lots of women documenting their own transition to grey there, so there will be someone with a similar colouring, hair type and style to you that you can connect with and get ideas and inspiration from. Read books on going grey. There are many. Have a look at Going Gray: How to Embrace Your Authentic Self with Grace and Style by Anne Kreamer or Silver Hair: Say Goodbye to the Dye and Let Your Natural Light Shine: A Handbook by Lorraine Massey and Michele Bender. Google the topic of going grey and a whole host of great websites, support forums and blog posts appear.

Retouch a headshot to vision yourself grey

This is something a friend of Tracey’s did for her and it sparked her decision and gave her the courage to go grey, because it helped her visualise how she would actually look with grey hair.

Self Love

When going through any transition in life, self love is key to journeying in an empowered way. “I decided to be kinder to myself and to my hair” says Tracey.  “The transition takes time (2 years for Tracey) and there will be days you doubt your decision and don’t feel great, but you can choose to OWN it.” Tracey ditched all products containing SLS and silicone, tied her hair back in a pretty silk scrunchie or headscarf on off days and slowly but surely grew her confidence. “It gets to feel kinda kick ass!”

Re-think your makeup

Any big change in hair colour impacts how you look and will require a re-think in terms of the makeup you wear. Tracey’s advice and something I recommend to my clients is to keep your features defined – think lips, lashes and brows – to balance the change in hair colour. Especially if you are going from very dark hair to a much lighter grey colour, you will benefit from adding more depth and definition to your brows, lash line and lips. A regular lash & brow tint is a very affordable way to maintain definition as your colouring fades a little.

Product recommendations

Tracey really knows her stuff when it comes to hair and beauty products and home treatments and she had some fabulous recommendations to share. All natural, no SLS and no silicone. Including investing in a good hairbrush. Here are Tracey´s top product recommendations with links and discount codes:

• Megi-Wellness Advanced Hair Growth 60 capsules £30.00 

https://www.megi-wellness.com/: use code Fifty for a 20% discount

• Boucleme Colour Toning Drops 30ml £25.00

Lookfantastic* 

*These magic drops really help to blend the demarcation line when growing out your colour.

• John Masters Organics 

Shampoo for Fine Hair with Rosemary and Peppermint 236ml £24.00

Conditioner for Fine Hair with Rosemary and Peppermint 236ml £24.00

Hair Milk with Rose and Apricot 118ml £29.00

Use code Fifty for a 20% discount (excluding collections)

• Haer Susinum Luxuriant Hair Oil 50ml £39.00

https://haer.co.uk/product/susinum-luxuriant-hair-oil/

• Maria Nila

Sheer Silver Shampoo 350ml £25.00

Sheer Silver Conditioner 300ml £25.00

Pearl Liver Colour Refresh 300ml £27.00

• Sosson Boar Bristle Hairbrush £9.99 

Amazon* 

*Fighting Fifty Affiliate links

 

Join the FREE Facebook community to watch the full interview. Our community provides a safe space to explore your own true style and navigate change empowered with regular Live interviews and teaching, free workshops and sisterhood support.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on going grey, your own experience or any tips for other women considering the transition.

Big love,

Leesa

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