I never know whether to spell grey with an “e” or an “a.” I think grey is more common in Canada/Britain, but I also see gray constantly. I mostly go back and forth and use whatever spelling is striking my fancy that particular day.
Anyhoo. I’ve had my first grey hairs. It’s happened. Life goes on. I plucked the first one I saw, and then a few weeks later noticed there was more than one. At that point, it became clear that if I kept plucking, it would be painful and I might end up with little bald patches. So… going grey is something officially happening in my world.
On a related note, I’m on the lookout for a good texture spray. I don’t tend to get oily hair, and I know dry shampoo often doubles as texture, so maybe what I’m actually looking for is a good dry shampoo? I hate buying products and generally hate doing anything with my hair, but it does go very flat and limp after a day or two and needs a little umph. Any suggestions?
That’s all I have for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with FIGs! I’m so excited to share a post full of gratitude moments.
Your turn.
- Do you have grey hair? If so, do you go au naturel, or do you colour it?
- Do you have a go-to budget-friendly dry shampoo or texture spray you love?
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It’s inevitable for us, isn’t it? I color it which lasts a long time. I don’t have it much but they do bother me when I see them. the last I did it was July last year and still not noticeable enough to have to do it again. I guess choosing the right color is the key. I don’t like the chemical part of color but feel better without noticeable whites.
Wow! Almost a year on one colour is amazing, Coco!
Oh, great questions!
I’m starting to go grey, too. However, I’m very much in the low-maintenance hair camp, so I actually like the idea of letting it grey naturally. It blends softly and feels graceful. Colouring sounds like quite a hassle – you have to spend money and time on keeping up with it. I’m way too lazy for that!
I’ll definitely be reading the comments for tips with you. Colour or no colour? And if colour, how do people keep it simple?!
I will DEFINITELY not be planning to dye my hair. I am bitter about any time spent on hair in general and sometimes wish I could buzz it off (I mean, I realize I could but that is not the vibe I’m going for). I just don’t find dealing with hair to be anything but a nuisance.
I’m getting a few grey hairs around my hairline, but I think at 58 that is to be expected. I thought I would have more by this age, but I’m not complaining that I don’t!
And note that I put grey as it is the correct spelling 🙂 Gray is more American, grey has been in use for over 1,000 years apparently. And when I type gray it is flagged as a spelling error!
Ha 🙂 I get so confused with this one and can’t remember what is Canadian/British vs. American!
I found my first gray hair the week I turned 40- also discovered I needed bifocals the same week- I felt very old! But I decided that the gray was just silver highlights and liked the sparkle in my boring brown hair.
With your hair color, any gray- I mean silver!- will blend in easily. No one else will notice.
I’ve used “Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo for my and my kids oily hair when a shower wasn’t possible. It did a decent job and did provide sone body to my fine hair .
Silver highlights; love that framing!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Welcome to the grey/gray club! I found my first gray hair at 20 years old so you’ve made it a good long time!
Somehow it still took me by surprise!!
DON’T PLUCK!!!! Believe me! You’re blonde so it will be hard to see the grey anyway – and you can always colour your hair if you want to. I do mine at home and it works well, but then I’ve been completely grey for decades now. Actually I think it’s more white than grey. To be honest, if I had hair like yours and was only getting greys at your age, I might have just let it go – it’s MUCH harder to just “go grey” when you’ve been colouring your hair for 25 years. For you, you could just let the “sparkles” come in and it will look natural and lovely.
Texture spray! I like Cake products, you can buy them at Shopper’s and they work well. There is a texture spray that they keep changing the name of, it used to be “The Big Ass-k” and now it’s like Big Wig or something. I have also used Bondi Boost, which is good but I have only found it at Sephora. Go to Shopper’s! Get PC points!
I have no desire to colour my hair, mostly because of the upkeep. Ugh. I despise caring for hair, Nicole 🙁
Thanks for the recommendation and YES, I 100% want to get whatever product I buy from Shoppers. Optimum points for the win.
I can’t remember my first gray hair, but I have blond hair (it’s now more silvery in places) so it isn’t as obvious, except for the texture! For anybody struggling with the coarse fly away gray hair, Biolage Smooth Proof shampoo and conditioner have changed my life. I never needed “smoothing products” before starting to go gray.
Fun story: I was in my nurse aide class, and I was the oldest student (52, if anyone cares), and when I was helping a resident with her shoes at the care facility, she watched me tie her shoes and said, “Do you have little ones?” and I said yes, I raised four boys, and she said with a twinkle in her eye, “Do I see some gray hairs there?” I said, Yes you do, ma’am, and I came by them honestly 😉 She thought it was delightful that I wasn’t a “youngun” as she put it.
Awww. What a sweet story, Karen! A “youngun”…all relative, isn’t it!
Thanks for the rec about Biolage products! I’ve tagged some Smooth Proof products in my online cart.
I stopped coloring my hair last year after more than forty years, Elisabeth. Just decided enough was enough. I would say I’m kind of half and half these days, dark blond with streaks of gray. My new/old hair does have a different texture than my colored hair did, and it’s super fine. I don’t like to fuss very much, but I want to look presentable. I use a squirt of Pantene Volume and Bodu Mousse for a little fullness. I just apply it after washing, scrunch, and go!
These are my thoughts exactly: “I don’t like to fuss very much, but I want to look presentable.”
Good times! You get to choose your own adventure from here – either dye or go natural.
Back when I was younger I always imagined that as soon as I got the grays I would get some dye, but now I have a different POV. I’ve never dyed my hair, but it doesn’t seem like something that I would enjoy doing or maintaining. Right now my plan is to let nature take its course, but that’s me speaking as someone who only has a few grays here and there.
I’ll go natural (I’m just not a hair person – I wish I enjoyed doing stuff with my hair, but I do not.) And the maintaining thing is what would really get to me!!! (Plus how much it can cost.)
Yes, I think “grey” is the British/Canadian spelling. I got my first gray hair when I was 30, and have going gray very slowly ever since then. I still think of my hair as brown, but a couple times lately I’ve been startled when I see a photo of my hair- there are way more silver “sparkles” in there than I thought! Like Catrina, I’m way too low-maintenance (i.e. lazy) to do anything about it.
My daughter uses the Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo, and that has some texturizing. I’ve used it a couple times but couldn’t really tell a difference (she likes it though).
Hey, sparkles are fun! And I always think that some grey hair makes me feel like someone is a bit older and wiser. There’s something reassuring about having a doctor, for example, with some grey hair. It makes me think they’ve been around the block a few times 🙂
I always get a bit mixed up about Grey but as I am from the UK I spell it with an e. I started going grey when I was about 23 years old and I dye my hair now.
I have heard of people that start going grey in high school!!
My grandma had this gorgeous salt and pepper hair; I observed multiple women stop her to ask where she got her hair colored! Apparently she started going grey in her early twenties (or maybe her late teens?). She dyed it jet black for a long time, but I only ever knew her with natural salt and pepper coloring.
You and I are the same age. A few months ago I started getting bothered by greys that were coming in around my temples. I’m pretty vain and just didn’t envision myself with greys at this stage of life, so I started adding a tint to my hair. It doesn’t cover the grey as completely as traditional dye, but helps blend things. I’ve been happy with it. Simultaneously, I am trying to accept that aging IS a privilege. 🙂
Aging is a privilege—I love this! Yes, yes, yes.
I got my first greys around 20, just a couple and then got a significant number more in my mid 20s (I blame grad school). It’s basically confined to the sides and it honesty doesn’t bother me so I do absolutely nothing about it. I am EXTREMELY low maintenance in terms of hair and makeup though so maybe it should bother me more? (Like I saw something about the average number of products women use and I use – basic Walmart shampoo and conditioner, soap, and plain water. I definitely fail at this aspect of femininity lol.)
I am blaming my grey hair on kids-haha.
I use SO few hair products. I tend to use whatever shampoo is on sale (sometimes a shampoo/conditioner mix). And I don’t own any face wash or moisturizer. I really probably should put in a bit more effort.
I used to dye my hair, but now I let the silvers shine on!
Pictures and post about it here: https://practicalwalk.com/2024/11/25/bye-to-the-dye/
I use dry shampoo, but don’t have a set brand right now.
I read your post and LOVED it!
I’m graying and loving it. Nothing is more beautiful than a silver mane, I think.
Some of the most stunning hair I’ve ever seen has been grey!!
I’ve been grey since I was sixteen, so that’s that. I colored it until the pandemic and then I grew all of it out and now I’m just using copious amounts of purple shampoo and hoping to make my silver as pretty as possible. Living Proof is the gold standard dry shampoo, but super sadly for me, my husband hates the way it smells. I have not found anything nearly as good. Let me know if you find something.
ALSO! I feel like I need to write this over and over again on everyone’s blog. Dry shampoo is for CLEAN HAIR. Don’t wait until day 2 or day 3 after your shampoo to use it. You put it on after your clean hair is dry and then just use it for touchups. You’ll be able to go longer between washes if you start using the dry shampoo right away.
Wait, you are blowing my mind. I need to use dry shampoo BEFORE my hair gets greasy. I did now know this. Thank you for the education, Engie! This is such helpful information!
Yes!! This is such crucial information. I don’t know why we all think we need to wait until our scalps are oil slicks to use it! Prevent oil slicks!
I first noticed grey hair around 30, my family genetics seem to be prone to fairly early greys unfortunately (my brothers are the same). Now my hair has significant greys. I dye my hair- at home, from a box. It’s cheap and only takes an hour. Around every 2 months. But I also buy touch up spray to do the roots in between which extends the time. If I only had a few I’d just go natural but I feel too young to be completely grey still! Maybe around 50?
I don’t think I ever stopped to think about the genetics of it, but this makes so much sense. And I think that dark hair tends to go grey faster?
I am also embracing my gray hair and stop highlighting it now that the sparkles behave like highlights. I don’t enjoy the powder from most dry shampoos and really like Oribe Texture Spray. I purchased on Black Friday on discount and use it sparingly (when I know I’ll be photographed at work, for example).
I am so shocked by how expensive hair products are… but then I wonder if my problem with not liking anything for my hair with being so dang cheap. I known quality can really matter. So I have added Oribe Texture Spray to my Wish List and will wait for a discount!
I got my first grey hair at 25 and I was stunned. But it was the only one for a long time. Eventually they started to be frequent enough that I only plucked them if they were doing that alien-antenna thing and would not integrate into the rest of the hair. Now, of course, I have way too many to feel like pulling them is a good idea–unless there is one that is mysteriously half an inch longer than any other hair in my bangs, and tries to get into my eyes. True story.
WHAT IS WITH THE ALIEN ANTENNA??? And the same with the occasional errant grey eyebrow?? What is with the texture?
Congratulations on your first gray hairs! (I am always confused about spelling gray vs grey, but my natural inclination is gray.) I have red hair, and it has a lot of white strands, which makes it look like it’s getting a lighter shade of red. I don’t mind it, so I’m letting it be natural. You will be gorgeous with sparkles!
Awww, you’re so sweet. I adore red hair; it’s so lovely and unique <# What determines if people will go white or grey? Do people go grey first and then white? But sometimes people seem to go right to white? I have so many questions!
I much prefer the “grey” spelling. It looks more pleasing to me.
My first grey hairs showed up when I was 18! I have a big patch of grey hairs in the middle of the front of my hair, and it’s been there for decades. Of course, now I also have grey hairs above my ears. I suppose it’s not surprising, considering my dad’s side of the family all went grey pretty early. But I am not ready to give in to the grey yet, so I keep coloring my hair every couple of months. Several of my friends are letting their grey grow in and it looks lovely. If only my grey hairs were a little more evenly distributed, I might try to give it a go…
Patchy grey sounds frustrating!!
I’ve been going gray since my late 20s! My paternal grandma went gray in her 20s too so it must be genetic. My mom is a blond so any grays are very hard to detect. I color my hair because I am not ready to go gray just yet. My kids are too young and I work in an industry where image is inportant (sadly). It would be quite a process to transition to going gray with bad transition stages. I will let future Lisa figure that out!!
Yes, that is definitely a Future Lisa problem!
My mom is dirty blonde and is in her late 70s and from a distance doesn’t look hardly at all grey! Light hair definitely makes a huge difference!
I also always forget which way to spell it, but I think my instinct is with an E. I go to write Grey’s Anatomy and I have to Google it every time. I did not Google it this time, so it is probably incorrect here in this comment! I may have gray/grey hairs but I can’t see them yet, so phew! My Dad has the same hair color as I do, and his is grey but it is not very noticeable so I am hoping mine will be the same. My father’s mother and one of his sisters both went grey in their 20s, and have been dyeing theirs ever since! I believe I will not dye mine when the time comes, but I guess we shall see!
I don’t see myself dying my hair (the money! the upkeep!), but then again we’ll see how I feel as it spreads, haha!
I don’t think you’ll need to colour your hair, since it’s already blonde. I get half a head of foils done, which lightens my hair colour and makes the grey less noticeable. I won’t do a full colour because it irritates my skin (with foils the colour isn’t in contact with my skin). My colourist is a whizz, and so it is not obvious when it grows out and I go at least 10 weeks between visits, although sometimes it’s been months and it was not too bad.
I do have grey hairs (I’d say I’m about 50/50 now) but I only have to use a root touch up product. It’s quick, easy, and cheap!!! And I must say, it also looks very natural.
I think the American spelling is “grAy” but I always spell it “grEy” because I think it looks better, lol
Welcome to the Silver Sparkle Club! 😀 I got my first grey at 18 and they’ve slowly added up over the years. Minus the time I was teaching my much younger little cousin how to french braid, on my head, and felt lots of pulls. When my aunt walked in, the little scamp looked up and said “I pulled out all her grey hairs mommy!” LOL! Cousins … Anywho. In the last few years, the grey/silver has really sped up and I’m working on a few cool little streaks. I actually love it, and would love to be one of those cool old ladies with the stark white braids wrapped around her head 🙂
I do nothing to my hair, so cannot offer many recommendations – although I did just switch over to Earthling Co shampoo bars (because when a tiny rooster lands on your head regularly, it gets washed a lot more frequently). They are making my hair feel great to the touch! Mr even had to get one for himself, after borrowing mine a couple times.
I’ve dyed my hair for YEARS. But last year, I gave it up mainly because it reached the point where if I wanted to completely cover the gray I would have to dye it every two weeks. And I felt like that was just too much and I knew dying it that often couldn’t possibly be good for my hair or scalp. So I quit. I have a long way to go to get rid of the color but I am making progress.
Every two weeks definitely sounds like wayyyy too much upkeep! Good choice, Gigi.
Your hair has grey colour; mine has gray color. (°v°)
What is the point of dry shampoo??
My hair has always been light brown; now it is lighter brownish gray (or maybe grayish brown). I am cheap about hair stuff, can’t stand all the products, the fuss and time required. I used to only get it cut every few years, and always twisted it up and stabbed it with hair sticks. Now I get 2 haircuts a year and use a clamp, because long hair does not flatter most upper middle-aged women.
A while ago I watched a youtube video about how to do a proper blow-out. (I must have been really bored.) By the end I was beyond disgusted by the girl’s obsession with her appearance, the talk about “doing her face” while waiting for her hair to be the right dryness to begin, by the way she posed, by the whole thing.
And now, EVERYONE has long hair, no bangs, middle part, and those sort of loose ringlets which probably took an hour to create.
You can clamp it, pony it, braid it, bun it up, wear a hat. And let it go naturally!!
Dry shampoo helps hair from going limp and absorbs oil so you can go longer between washes.
I like the ease of shorter hair from washing/drying (my hair is very thick and goes very frizzy with air drying and it takes forever to air dry)… but long hair is so much easier to toss up into a messy bun.
My daughter has long hair, middle part, and loose ringlets and I can confirm that she puts them up into overnight curls in about 2 minutes and that is literally it! As hair prep goes, it’s QUICK!
I think grey looks so much better than gray, and not just because I’m British! Anyway, I have very few grey hairs. I haven’t dyed them (I have never dyed my hair). On a side note, Madeleine L’Engle wrote something about the different aesthetics of the spelling which was interesting.
I am getting some grey hairs along the hair line but I use a toned gloss and it usually makes them blend in more (grey is not forgiving with darker hair, you can probably get away with it more easily).
My favorite dry shampoo/texture spray is Batiste (for dark hair), because it doesn’t leave white residue (and it’s affordable). I also didn’t know that you have to use it right away on your clean hair…. so I’ll be trying Engie’s tip next time!
I know Batiste is easy to find at drugstores and I think they make it in travel size, too, so I might pick up a little bottle for the trip.
My mind is still blown by Engie’s hack!
Welcome to the club!
I started getting gray hair later than most; 53? I do a natural hair color on my roots to lift up the shade just a tad and a few highlights. My hair is so fine and soft, I actually need to do a bit of ‘damage’ to make it do anything fun or else it is flat and blah. Not sure if that makes sense to you.
I was told that grAy was America and grEy was Europe.
When I do use dry shampoo, I use Batiste. I find it at Marshalls or TJ Max for a discounted price.
What a great way to remember the different spellings for grey/gray. I think I might actual remember it now!
I have just been growing “sparkles” as I call them. I will never color my hair and I am with you Elisabeth, anything to do with my hair is just annoying. I had bangs forever, grew them out (looked old I thought), back to bangs and now they are driving me crazy. The easy thing to do would be to grow them out again, but looking old? Gaaahhhhhh. I hardly even notice yours.
I really do genuinely dislike every second I spend on my hair 🙁 I wish I would look okay with a buzz cut. It’s very tempting!