Grey Hair Archives - NIKOL JOHNSON

Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere

April 6, 2019 ·

Ladies, I am back to inspire you with a fierce Silver Sister Spotlight with Caroline Labouchere. I became friends with Caroline through Instagram and my desire to visit Dubai where Caroline lives. I DMed her on social media and told her I wanted to come and run with her and see the country her response “Come, I will take care of you,” She has such a sweet and calming spirit something that reads true on her Instagram Stories. Let’s introduce you to Caroline.

It’s not every day you see a striking model sporting natural grey hair, owning the runway, gracing magazine covers and standing out from the crowd with a message that simply says aging can be beautiful. Caroline is fifty-four years young and the Region’s (United Arab Emirates) first ‘grey’ model. She grew up in Bedfordshire, UK. Her father was Lord Luke of Pavenham; a hereditary Peer of the Realm. Caroline grew up as a Sloane Ranger and came out as a debutante with a strict mother who dressed her in typical upper-class style. She is a competitive marathon runner, alongside her husband who is a world-class elite endurance triathlete. She has run the Dubai and Paris Marathons and she is currently training to run her first Ultra marathon. She clearly lives an active and healthy lifestyle.

Q: When did you start to go grey?

A: I was turning quite grey around the year 2000. It was hard covering it up and I went through phases of letting it go (feeling old) and coloring it. Peer pressure definitely has an impact.

Q: Did you feel empowered by your grey hair or defeated?

A: Initially through the perception of everyone around me I felt the need to fit in. I now feel completely content with it and cannot wait to be more grey.

Q: Tell us about the recent award you received.

A: Oh my, from the first random email invitation to the event I had a week to pull it all together. I didn’t believe the request when the email first appeared in my inbox. The pageant was called Golden Ambassador for Beijing Tourism. I was found through social media. Contacted by a French man, I thought it was a hoax, I got my husband to speak to him on Skype. I finally spoke to another contestant from Paris via Instagram. After our chat, I decided to go for it. I found the perfect dress, eight inches too long but fabulous, my visa and was on a flight to China. Other than our outing to the Great Wall we cat walked and walked practicing for the big day, the pageant. It was nerve-wracking although the lights were so bright we couldn’t see the judges. It was an incredible experience, it is unlikely that I will enter a beauty pageant again. I am happy I did and honored to have won.

Q: How do you view aging?

A: I dislike some bits, the lack of skin elasticity being the main one. I stay very fit and find it frustrating that I cannot naturally do anything about it the inevitable march of time. I will age gracefully with some help I think. Jane Fonda is doing it right in my book.

Q: Do you feel the fashion and beauty industry supports women with grey hair?

A: No, especially makeup. The shops are daunting the lighting is bad and it is too easy to be mis-sold products. I would rather follow someone my age on Instagram and buy with their advice.

Want to be featured in my Silver Sister Spotlight or know someone that would? Email me [email protected] Can’t wait to feature more women that are aging and embracing it with a bold, fierce attitude.

Why I Almost Deleted This Video

January 14, 2019 ·

It’s one thing to film a video it’s another to edit it and then watch it back. I was surprised at the reaction I had recently when I unexpectedly met another Silver Sister waiting in a line.

It’s becoming more apparent to me that it’s not just about the silver hair color that is connecting and pulling us together like a magnet. It’s bigger than that. The line of connection runs deep down into the soul of who we are and who we want to be in this world.

My video titled “How to Survive Your Gray Hair Journey” took an unexpected turn on the emotional roller coaster when I was filming. I never know what’s going to happen when I start shooting. On this particular video, I wanted to explain how Beauty Reinvented website even came to fruition, why I am so passionate about featuring other women on my blog and showing up in this world as a voice to break the beauty rules.

I mention a couple of examples of fate when publishing my book and meeting two women with compelling stories when I have been out and about town. I edited my video and watched it back multiple times, I started to second guess myself. Should I really be this vulnerable?

Should I let the world see me this emotional? I keep my emotions pretty close to the belt in general but after going through hell with IVF and connecting with women all over the world on what seemed to be one emotional explosion. I am much more lenient with myself when I have these little passionate windows to my soul.

Ladies, have you stopped and thought what your gray hair journey is all about? Is it really about hair color? Age? Or are you creating a bold voice/movement in society and within yourself?

I have sat and stared at the sky and thought how silly that I would let other peoples rules and ideas affect how I show up visually to the world. And I am so happy that I took the plunge in my thirties and said I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE HAS TO SAY ABOUT MY HAIR COLOR!!!!!!!

It’s about your attitude, building yourself up from the inside out and stepping into the uncomfortable feelings. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you are right where you need to be on this journey.

I decided that I wouldn’t be embarrassed or apologize about this video and how much I wave my hands around or how passionate I got on the topic. Most days I am still trying to be “perfect” but videos like this tell me to just be real and go with it. Stop fighting who you are and let that woman out.

Is One Voice Enough?

December 17, 2018 ·

Gabrielle Union is the latest woman up on the chopping block because of her infertility and the picture of her holding her newborn in a hospital gown skin on skin. Before I jump into this topic, let me give you a little bit of background.

Gabrielle Union is an American actress, activist, and author. She is married to NBA star Dwyane Wade and is very open about her struggles to conceive. Even though I don’t know Gabrielle personally if we met, we would understand each other without having to say a word.

You see, we are both IVF sisters we share a silent bond of struggle, sadness, longing, heartache, and loss we also share a late diagnosis of endometriosis.

Dealing with painful periods my entire life was one thing and has since lessened after the endometriosis surgery but the pain of not being able to have a biological child well, that pain will last a lifetime.

Even though it seems like everyone is doing IVF or having fertility struggles coming forward publicly is not easy. Gabrielle’s decision to share her journey helps other women that might be silently enduring the pain of infertility.

When I saw the post on Instagram from Oprah saying that Gabrielle is receiving unfair criticism and Mommy shamming about the pregnancy and childbirth of her daughter it enraged me. Thank goodness Gabrielle was able to use a surrogate.

I am not sure why this is such a big deal to people, but it seems that Gabrielle was wearing a hospital gown and holding her newborn skin to skin common protocol for a new Mother. The public took this as she was trying to “pretend” she had the baby herself.

I am outraged that people are saying that she is “trying to pretend she had the baby.” For starters, Gabrielle went through eight to nine miscarriages (she has said she lost count of how many) and another eight failed IVF cycles. She has been completely transparent about her baby journey.

For the people that have made a negative comment it’s out of ignorance and the intent to spread negativity. Just like with any other life issue or struggle you will never know how it feels unless you are going or have been through it. When are we going to stop this negative cycle towards women?

The scary thing is most of these comments come from women. Why is it that we all think that we need to state our opinion, thoughts, or advice to a stranger on social media?

“WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP THIS NEGATIVE CYCLE TOWARDS WOMEN?”

I understand everyone wants to have a say in the social abyss. We have created a platform for every person with a keyboard under their fingers to chime in anonymously and give you their opinion about anything and everything.

I am not saying you can’t have a voice, but it seems that most of the nasty negative comments come without education or facts and THAT’S what the issue is especially when dealing with sensitive women issues. If we came together to help and support women when dealing with pregnancy, surrogacy, miscarriage and infertility problems maybe there wouldn’t be such a taboo hush-hush cloud covering these topics.

I thought after writing for three years for Not Just a Beauty Blogger that I wouldn’t really get involved in issues like this anymore, but it just hits a chord with me.

Is one voice enough? This question comes up a lot for me. Somedays when I get bombarded with negative and downright cruel comments about my appearance on YouTube I think why am I even doing this! Why even try and help women with their beauty when I get so much hate from WOMEN.

I then realize that my voice is POWERFUL, BOLD and UNAPOLOGETIC beyond measure. I open the folder I made on my computer for what I like to call my email “love letters’ that I have received from women all over the world. I read through these emails and feel recharged. It gives me hope to hear how much I have impacted their life whether that might be through my IVF blog, Fresh Beauty Studio’s blog or my Beauty YouTube channel.

So I ask myself this again ‘Is one voice enough?’I would say YES! One voice starts the movement of change. Luckily my voice was united with dozens of other women that had or were going through their own fertility journey back in 2014. Together we did and do make an impact on educating the public on infertility and endometriosis.
So ladies, if you are sitting behind your laptop or mobile device today feeling overwhelmed by what strangers have said to you about the color of your hair maybe you are feeling you are too old to date or feel like a big fat failure because you are or have struggled with fertility. Know you are not alone.

We can make a difference and stop this negative cycle of comments by choosing the words we allow out of our mouths. Check in with yourself and open your heart and arms to women just like yourself that are struggling (don’t kid yourself, we are all challenged in some way throughout the years) through this thing we call life.

Jane Your Tartan!

December 13, 2018 ·

I woke up this morning to a comment on my Instagram that went something like this: “Tartan in your knickers doesn’t line up…..not well made.” Hmmm, first I had to stop reading with one eye open and recall what the hell tartan was, Oh, right my underwear. WOW, someone is looking at the seams in my UNDERWEAR noticing they don’t match up? LOL I have made it!

Jane Your Tartan! — Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography

I laid in bed looking at the ceiling thinking it’s amazing I am even taking pictures in my underwear at forty-three. It’s ironic because when I was shooting this shot, I would run over to my photographer Rick and say let me see how these are coming out. I then would proceed to tell many insults about my body or how the robe was laying. Rick always rolls his eyes and says something to the effect that I am foolish and not practicing what I preach. It’s the truth, for some reason we women like to beat ourselves up over little imperfections that in reality WE can only see.

I am just like you with not always being positive about my body, hair, skin you name it that is why I am so passionate about writing and speaking about being yourself, embracing your age and finding the silver lining that we all have inside.

It’s not so much about the tartan or my ridiculous thoughts about my body in this photoshoot but how women are so quick to point out the negative, the flaws in each other. Why is that? I know the comment about my dysfunctional seams on my underwear isn’t a huge deal and maybe it’s true that the seams are beyond screwed up, but it’s the underlying energy and example that this statement creates. Perhaps the woman that wrote the comment is very unhappy with her life, maybe she is sad around the holidays, and this made her feel better, or maybe she is coming apart at the seams (pardon the pun) and needed to say something that was just true and obvious? Whatever it was it wasn’t positive no matter how you try and lessen that comment.

So what is the lesson today? What’s your take away? Think about what you are saying first before you say or write it. The holidays are a very highly emotional time for a lot of people. Think about how your comment might make someone else feel. Do you think it will empower that man or woman? Do you think it makes you a better person if you say it? Get real with yourself, find out where your intentions are with the words and comments you say.

Words are powerful make yours be a reflection of who you are.

How to Stay Fit Over 40

November 5, 2018 ·

You might have seen on my Insta-Stories the other day that I met a woman who had an unbelievably toned smokin body and then she dropped the bomb that she was seventy-one years old. I immediately thought can I hire you as my trainer? Maybe I can get her to write a workout program for me?

She has almost thirty years on me, and she looks like one strong powerhouse! I decided at that very moment that I better pull it together if I want to look like her when I am seventy-one. Her body was lean, toned and it wasn’t about plastic surgery. She told me that she works out at Orange Theory Fitness and Ladies, that’s fierce.

You are probably wondering why I am wearing sunglasses and a red lip while working out right? When you have silver hair, you can do whatever you want. I even didn’t shave my Greek stomach hair because I don’t think it matters does it?

Oh, I am sure there are plenty of women out there that will say something about that happy little trail. I ~~think~~ know there is beauty in what everyone takes and shames away. Now, have I always thought this hair on my stomach was beautiful? No, but I feel after you go through extremely challenging trials with your body what’s a little hair on your belly?

I started thinking that my body is the only thing I have any real control over in this world. I decide what I eat, drink and slather all over it, no one else does. Maintaining a fit physique doesn’t just happen it takes work to see incredible results. Not many people are up for putting in the time, discipline and sweat it takes to reap the toned and sculpted rewards.

Lucky for me, I have always been into working out and enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to new levels physically. Do I love every second of my workouts? Some days I do and others I would like to pull the covers over my head and pretend I am not alive.

When I was young, I was very active in playing soccer, tennis, and softball. As a teenager, I was drawn to the leotards and step aerobics then working out in the gym. I will admit in the 90’s I did buy Suzanne Sommers “Thigh Master.” Secretly I think that thing worked and toned my thighs.

As an adult kick-boxing was my jam, then I fell in love with spinning. I can’t tell you how many creative ideas have come to me in the hour spinning classes I have taken. Being active is a part of who I am. When I have stressful days, only a workout can reset my body and my attitude. It’s honestly a lifesaver. I made staying active a priority, and it became a habit.

It goes without saying that I put my body through hell when I fought to get pregnant with every IVF cycle, nine to be exact. Not only did I inject truckloads of synthetic hormones for four years but I altered the actual shape of my body. It’s unsettling to see the strange changes that synthetic hormones do to your body from the amount of hair growth to the inches on your thighs that appear practically overnight.

When you are a human science experiment like I was it’s incredible how out of whack your body can get and takes years to recover. I feel a responsibility to my body to stay in shape, eat right and work out because of everything I put my body through trying to get pregnant.

I am not obsessive with working out, but I do make the time every morning to power walk with my Frenchie then get in the gym for a Peloton session or my favorite cardio with the slide board. If you don’t know about the slide board you should, it’s a game changer for your butt, thighs, and legs.

Are you are sitting back reading this blog post and feeling bad about yourself because you haven’t worked out in years? This is your push. It’s time that you decided to get off your heinie and hire a trainer, sign up for a spin class, get your girlfriend to walk with you before or after work, make your dog your workout partner. The time is now, decide to push yourself and do it.

Dig deep because when you are out of your workout game, it is incredibly hard to start up again. My eye surgery this past summer derailed my working out, but once I got back into my groove, it was like I never took a little hiatus.

Here are my five top tips to stay in shape after forty:

Be realistic with yourself: Don’t try and run a marathon if you haven’t trained. Find a workout that makes you happy whether that is Pilates, yoga or walking on the beach or in the cold brisk mountains. It’s not about fitting into what you see in Shape magazine it’s about what makes you wake up in the morning.
Plan out your meals: Don’t wait until the very last minute when you are starving and about to eat anything and everything in sight. Set Sunday’s for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner planning each week. I just signed up for Martha Stewarts Meal Delivery Service to take the stress off of having to create exciting meals each week. I will do a review on what I thought of the quality and ease of making the meals later this month.
Set Goals: Where do you see yourself in one month, six months, one year from now physically? Map out your exercise plan and set mini goals. Once achieved reward yourself with something that makes you happy from a blow out at DryBar (one of my favorite things to do) or a delicious glass of wine. You deserve to celebrate yourself and reaching your fitness goals.
Find a partner: This can be your husband, girlfriend or someone you meet at the gym. Having a workout partner gives you a little push on the mornings where you want to hit the snooze button a million times.
Get involved: There are many ways you can find support with other women just like you looking to be in their best shape. Gyms have fun contests and programs that make you push yourself; Facebook groups are an excellent way to connect with other women that are sharing tips and advice on getting into shape. Don’t see a group that fits what you like? Create one yourself.

There are many free apps now that you can download on your phone that gives you personalized workouts. YouTube has excellent videos from simple exercises to the full-on CrossFit training. In the world we live in now you can’t make an excuse for not working out.

No time? Well, there are time management apps for that too or how about hiring a virtual assistant? See, I told you No Excuses. What’s your favorite workout to do? Share in the comments below I am always looking to add something new to my routine.

5 Things To Remember When You Stop Dyeing Your Hair

November 2, 2018 ·

Do you know what to expect when you stop dyeing your hair? I didn’t and I suspect the majority of women don’t either. Let’s keep it, real Ladies, we have dyed our hair for decades why would we think about all the pitfalls when we stop dyeing our hair?

I think it’s essential anytime before you wander in an unchartered territory such as the gray hair transition to get an overview of what to expect. I filmed a video a couple of months ago called What To Expect When Going Gray. I receive dozens of DM’s and emails a week from women telling me they had no clue on what to expect and wished they had some idea before they kicked their dye box to the curb.

I have rounded up five things to remember when you stop dyeing your hair.

Go into this exciting and unique time in your life with the knowledge of where the challenges and emotional pitfalls are, so you are prepared when you hit those rough patches. I feel the more you know, the more successful you will be with your gray hair goals.

Book Launch December 1st, 2018

October 18, 2018 ·

I am so excited to announce my first book launch on December 1st, 2018. Writing a book has always been on my radar, I wasn’t sure how my book would take shape would I write on infertility or going gray or both? In January, I made the decision that I would write a book to help women all over the world FINALLY have a Bold, Fierce, and encouraging step-by-step guide on how to embrace their natural gray hair in a modern and empowering manner. Beauty Reinvented encourages women to live authentically with an unapologetic attitude toward society’s view on gray hair and aging.

I had zero help when I started on my gray hair journey; I couldn’t find one woman in her thirties that had a blog or had written a book on how to go gray. I wanted a little insight, guidance, and raw information so I could be prepared but google search after google search I came up with nothing. I felt so alone and unattractive, but I pushed forward and made it to the silver lining two years later. I designed my book to be a workbook format that will help prepare you for all of the ups and downs of going gray. Some of the highlights of Beauty Reinvented include Developing Your Gray Attitude in chapter 4, and down-to-earth informative advice in chapter 5: My 5 Strategies to Going Gray. The book is rich with personal anecdotes and infused with my expert beauty advice on how to upgrade your skincare and makeup routines throughout your gray hair journey.

Beauty Reinvented will be available on Amazon and Kindle December 1st, 2018. Don’t forget to sign up for my Newsletter for exclusive invites, offers and discount codes.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Shelly

May 4, 2018 ·

For Our Silver Sister Spotlight, this week is on ‘Dr. Shelly,’ a college professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of instructional design, adult learning, and instructional technology at a large Midwestern university in the U.S. She is married to her high school sweetheart and best friend, whom she met when she was just 14. “We have two beautiful children that I adore with all my heart, both teenagers.” Her latest hobby is training her first-ever pup – a Goldendoodle named Ted – to become a therapy dog at the local Children’s Hospital. “Just looking at Teddie makes people chuckle; I hope he can bring joy to the children and momentarily allow them to escape their illnesses.” She also enjoys just about anything outdoors, including her butterfly garden, snorkeling in tropical waters, yoga, hiking, boating, and relaxing at the family’s lakefront cottage.

I was so taken back when I found Shelly on Instagram because her hair is so dramatic, fierce and tells a story. It takes a strong woman to bravely embrace her gray hair transition. Shelly reminds me of a mix between an extraordinary woman that was in my life when I was a child and Julia Roberts. When you look at Shelly’s gray hair journey documented on Instagram the beginning pictures have a lot of weight and uncertainty to them. As Shelly progresses, embraces and allows her hair to almost develop like a butterfly you can see the pure light that radiates within her. Bold, Fierce and Owning her beauty. Ladies, this too will happen to you. I am so happy that Shelly agreed to be featured on Beauty Reinvented, her hair has a story to tell, and we can learn so much from her journey.

Q: At what age did you start seeing gray hair and what made you decide to ditch the dye?

I saw my first gray hair when I was 18 years old. Without blinking an eye, I bought a hair dye kit, and that was the beginning of three decades of dying. At that young age, it was already programmed in me that gray hair was something to hide. We must change this mindset. I found my daughter’s first silver hair last month. I have encouraged her to think about not coloring her hair, should more silvers appear. Let’s encourage our beautiful daughters to love their whole selves to be confident in who they are, not in who society tells them they should be.

Q: You have a very powerful transformation. How did you feel when you started seeing the white roots?

I was admittedly horrified. Society has deeply entrenched us to think that silver hair on women is unattractive, yet men are more distinguished with their gray hair. It is ingrained in women that gray hair is ‘old, ugly, shameful and that we should go to great lengths to hide it.’ I have made significant strides in my evolution of how I perceive hair color. I now see the white, silver, brown and steely gray as unique and now that I am 11 months into my journey, see a complete picture of what the end will look like and I cannot wait! There is no one else in this world that has my unique blend of natural highlights and lowlights. I am 100% unique now! No more hiding, no more shame. It feels so good just to accept it and move on.

Q: Did you find that society was shocked by your decision to be authentic with your hair color?

I was really worked up about what people would think, but the truth is, people truly do not care about other people’s hair. Most ignore it. Some are confused. Some think it is intentionally dyed to look this way. One man said, “Wow, you must have paid a fortune for that hair color!” I have heard a couple of ignorant comments. But what I love most is when I catch another woman glancing at the new hair growing out of my head because when she smiles back at me, I am 100% certain I have encountered another Silver Sister in the making, and I hope I have given her pause to consider accepting her silvers.

Q: What do people say to you about your hair?

I have had more compliments in the past year than I have ever had in my entire life put together! One woman chased me down in a furniture store to tell me how gorgeous she thought my hair was, and she ended it with “And I’m a hair stylist so I should know!” Random women and men have stopped me to tell me they like my hair. I stand out now. I am different than any other woman I know in my age bracket. I am a Silver Sister who has broken that bloody awful cycle of dying my hair and feeling the need to dye my hair every week because of the white halo that emerged about five days after every dye. What kind of quality of life is that? Every seven days I was embarrassed to go out because my roots were visible and it looked awful. I have had a humiliating year at times with a really awful demarcation line, but it was worth the trade because I am free now, and empowered. I am no longer held down. I have a greater quality of life, and I have so much more time to enjoy my life because I have broken this vicious dye cycle. I lived for the dye. It dictated my life. It was like a drug that I needed a hit off of to make me feel good. I am coming up on my “Silver Anniversary” – the one year mark of having a healthier body and mind since ditching the dye. I am so happy to be in this place.

Q: You have mentioned in your Instagram posts that your body became very ill from the toxic dye. Can you tell us what symptoms you had?

My body started to systemically reject hair dye in ways one would never directly correlate with hair dye; and now that I no longer dye, my symptoms have almost all disappeared. It started with digestive symptoms and food intolerances a few years ago and then moved to eczema of the eye. Every time I colored my hair, my scalp burned for days. After my last professional salon dye 14 months ago, my scalp was so damaged that every time I brushed my hair, electrical shocks were sent to my eye. Within 24 hours of my last home dye on May 6, 2017, my body went into anaphylactic shock, and for days I carried an Epi-pen with me, even slept with it, I was so fearful. I could not eat anything without my body reacting; my body was red, swollen and itchy; my scalp on fire; my heart raced for weeks every time I ingested any food or drink. I honestly thought that my hair was going to kill me. My body was outraged, and it finally drew the line in the sand. Enough was enough. (And no thank you to all who have recommended the natural, organic hair dyes. I’m done!)

Our skin is our biggest organ, and when you make it absorb the toxic chemical frequently found in darker hair dyes, Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), it can have a dangerous impact. I fear the damage I have done to my body with dying my hair so regularly, and for so long, as it has been linked to cancer (American Cancer Society, 2018). Educate yourselves before starting or continuing on this journey. There are options!

Q: How have you dealt with the anxiety and self-doubt that gray hair brings?

I do believe that “gray anxiety” exists and it can be depressing, debilitating, and frightening for some. We have started a gray revolution because we want to empower women to embrace who they are, to reform beauty standards, and to learn to accept and love themselves as they are. I think many women mourn their youth so ditching the dye in a way, becomes symbolic of accepting we are growing older, that we are not immortal. And similar to mourning, I think there are stages we must work through on our journeys – shock, sadness, depression, and eventually, acceptance.

After recognizing that “shaming” my hair in front of my kids was only perpetuating societal views on going gray, I refrained from speaking negatively about my hair ever again. I relied heavily on my biggest supporter, my husband, who tells me every day how beautiful he thinks I am. I decided to be openly gray this time and never used the temporary hair colors to diffuse the demarcation line; for me, it made going public even harder after hiding and then revealing the hair again. I also found great strength in the Silver Sisters who are part of my Instagram family. They are the most evolved, loving, compassionate, and supportive women. They are a close-knit group; they accept you when you fail, shower you with love when you need it, inspire you with their confidence; and humble you with their honesty and vulnerability. Many of the Silver Sisters are professional models, who are showing the world it’s okay to age; it’s okay to be gray. Nikol, you are one of these women. Thank you for your inspiration to the gray revolution and reinventing beauty!

For more inspiring pictures follow Dr. Shelley on Instagram @ Silvertransitions.

Silver Sister Spotlight with Rhiannon

April 27, 2018 ·

I have decided Friday’s will be the day that I feature our Silver Sister Spotlight. I think it’s a great day to kick off the weekend and give you some hardcore inspiration. Today I am featuring the gorgeous Rhiannon not only is she rocking her gray hair journey as a young Mom she also has curly hair. I know so many of you struggle with gray and having unruly curly hair. Rhiannon shares with us in a bonus question what hair care products she uses to tame her curly hair.

Rhiannon is a Licensed Esthetician and Cosmetic Laser Technician but decided to stay at home for a while to focus on her kids and her health. Rhiannon will be celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary this year and is very excited about this milestone. Her husband’s support through her gray hair journey means the world to her. Rhiannon posts YouTube videos of her documented gray hair transition. She recently created an Instagram account to continue inspiring others as well as herself. Her followers love the fact that she’s not only growing her gray but that she is also a naturally curly girl. There is a demographic of women out there who are looking for ladies embracing both silver hair and curls, hence the title of her channel: Silver Curl Journey. Rhiannon hopes to be an example to her daughter, showing her that gray hair is ageless and beautiful. Head on over to Rhiannon’s YouTube Channel and Instagram and show her some Silver Sister support!

Q: When did you start seeing gray hair and what were your initial thoughts?

I remember the day I found my first gray hair. I was about 16-years-old, and at the time, I thought it was a rare strand of platinum blonde hair because it had no color. I actually plucked it right out of my head, twirled it into a circle and saved it in a velvet ring box. A few months later, I discovered another one of those colorless hairs in my head. That’s when I realized, “Oh wow. I’m getting gray hair already??”

Q: Did you have support from friends and family with your gray transition?

Oh yes. My husband had been encouraging me to grow out my naturally gray hair for at least a decade. Every time I had a baby, my gray hair would become more intense. He thought it was awesome, but I was having too much fun playing with vibrant highlights and fun box colors just to stop and be natural. When I finally decided to grow it out, he was ecstatic.

Q: As a young Mom do you find other Mother’s celebrating your decision to go gray?

You know, it’s hard to tell. Some of the questions I was getting, in the beginning, seemed very superficial. People thought I was going through a phase. They would ask how long I planned on growing it, whether I liked it or not, etc. It wasn’t until very recently that I finally started receiving what I recognize to be genuine compliments.

Q: You have some very hip and trendy gray hairstyles from braids to super sleek tell us about your personal style.

Oh, thank you! I try to be creative because I do become bored very quickly with my hair. Hence the reason I played with hair color for 20 years. My style is more about simplicity than anything else. My kids have hectic schedules, which means I am always on the go. So whatever I can do in 10 minutes or less is my goal. I hardly ever wear makeup, but when I do, it only takes me a few minutes to apply it. You won’t catch this girl contouring and ‘baking’ her foundation! Ha! I have naturally curly hair, so the easiest thing for me to do is a wash-and-go style. I have no shame in rocking ponytails (synthetic ones are fun!), pigtails, baseball caps, or bandanas on days when I’m in a rush. In fact, I seem to get more compliments when I have my hair pulled all the way back, exposing the majority of my silver hair. That’s when braids come in handy. I braid my hair when I feel like I want a little attention. Haha!

Q: What advice would you give other women going through the first six months of not dying their hair?

Those first six months are the most eye-opening months for both yourself and the people around you. When you own it with cheerful confidence, everybody recognizes that as a type of beauty you didn’t even know exists, even if you look and the mirror and don’t see the beauty in yourself just yet. Your hair changing on the outside is kind of like that cocoon wrapping around that beautiful butterfly just waiting to be revealed. So hang in there! Once your transition is complete, you will feel like a new kind of beautiful. You will flutter around and attract all types of new people and adventures. I mean, look at me! I’m just a regular person who wanted to embrace her natural hair, and here I am being featured on the website of the very person whose videos inspired me to make this decision in the first place!

Q: Working with curly hair can you tell us what hair products you currently use and recommend?

Sure! I use sulfate-free, silicone-free products. My current favorite brand is Cantu. I’ve tried a couple of others, but my hair texture and curl pattern didn’t agree with them as much as they agree with Cantu. If I could sample every curly girl product out there, I would! I just haven’t had the chance to experiment some more. I recommend trying anything and everything until you find what works for you. Some curls do well with silicones and a little sulfate. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all method for curls. However, for those with curly silver hair, it is an absolute MUST to avoid too much heat (flat irons, etc.) and to use colorless products. Any cream or oil tinted with even the slightest shade of brown or yellow will stain our lovely white strands and dull the overall appearance of our hair. When and if that happens, there are plenty of purple shampoos that will help correct it. 🙂

Feel The Thunder

February 28, 2018 ·

Aging and acceptance are not easy because if it were than I wouldn’t need to create a movement about it now, would I? How many times have you looked at a magazine, social media picture, cosmetic counter beauty image and thought that you were not good enough? That your beauty wasn’t good enough? Wasn’t your body good enough? Hell, your fashion sense was off? I hope you start feeling the thunder of your inner beauty rising just reading this blog post.

Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography

If you don’t know the song Feel The Thunder, you can listen to it here. Just put it on and continue reading. I love this song because I hear it every morning when spinning and the lyrics are on point:

Not a yes sir, not a follower
Fit the box, fit the mold
Have a seat in the foyer, take a number
I was lightning before the thunder

You don’t fit the mold ladies; you are a beauty leader, you are not one to fit into a box, a hair dye box that is. You are the lightning before the thunder. Start stripping away all the nonsense you keep telling yourself. Infuse your day with positive mantras, if you struggle with mantras I am going to give you three to write on post-its, write with lipstick on your mirror, record your voice on your phone and play or better yet my favorite is to set your mantras as a reminder on your phone so each day without thought they pop up and infuse your day with positivity.

I am beautiful and love that I don’t look like everyone else.
Gray hair is empowering; it gives me special beauty powers.
Aging is something I accept with grace and gratitude.

Reach deep down and find what makes you tick, what makes you happy about yourself. The time is now ladies, not tomorrow because we are only given today so make the best of it and don’t look back.