At 42, I Grew Out My Grey Hair For Good. Here’s What The Process Looked Like
Ditching the dye and growing out my white blaze has been an exercise in sitting with my discomfort about all the things I can’t control—and embracing the things I can.
Claire Sibonney
Updated
The author at the onset (left) and 46 weeks into growing out her grey hair.
One of the few bright spots of the past year has been forcing myself to slow down and appreciate living in the moment while riding out long, drifting days with nowhere to go. Working from home full-time is a privilege that comes with many benefits, the more frivolous of which includes spending dramatically less time on appearances. While some of my friends have given up bras and makeup, I’ve ditched the hair dye. In facing all this change and confronting what’s important—and what’s not—self-isolation has finally allowed me to sort through my unsettling feelings about aging and the relationship I have with my hair. It’s been an opportunity to contend with the discomfort of going grey in the privacy of my home and away from the judgment of others. This is a diary of what I learned about myself along the way.