SHOULD I GO GREY?
Not the easiest of decisions.....
Hello lovely readers.
I hope this missive finds you well and coping with the year in its last quarter. How did we get to October?? But still, because of the lovely summer we had in the UK (the best one we’ve had for years!) the leaves on the trees are turning into the beautiful autumn colours and showing the countryside off to its best advantage. Enjoy!
Talking of colours, the one thing on many women’s minds is - should I go silver? It’s never an easy decision and, I fully admit it, but I haven’t had the courage to take the plunge just yet. So I continue to trot to my lovely hairdressers every 6 weeks and pay quite a sum of money to continue to look like I do.
And I really admire those that have had the bravery to think“What if I just stopped colouring my hair?”
For many women, that thought comes with a mix of curiosity, hesitation, and — eventually — freedom. Going grey isn’t about giving up; it’s about showing up, just as you are.
Hear me out…..
Deciding to Grow Your Colour Out
The first step is understanding why you want to do it.
For some, it’s about reclaiming time (and saving money) from endless salon visits. For others, it’s a statement of authenticity — a quiet but powerful, “I’ve earned every strand.”
You might start slowly: stretching the weeks between touch-ups, blending in highlights, or switching to a softer, more natural shade to ease the transition. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” way to go grey — only your way.
And, if you decide to go down the silvery slope (pardon the very cheesy pun!) then get your hairdresser on board. They’ll know your hair far better than you do and will be able to make suggestions about cuts, products that can help and ways to wear your hair to try and not make the colour growing out as obvious.
What to Do Whilst It’s Growing Out
The in-between phase can test anyone’s patience, so make it fun.
If you’re feeling especially brave, a shorter cut can help blend the regrowth line quickly and feel like a fresh new chapter. However, if you can’t bear to lose your long tresses, look into using silver toners and blue shampoos can help your natural tones shine through. Slight plug here - but I especially like the purple shampoo from Lush. I’ve used it for years (it’s good for both silver and blonde hair colours) and smells amaaazzzing! They use violet oil in the formulation and you can really tell! Here’s the shampoo I’m talking about
So while you’re getting your hair into the best condition it can be, don’t forget about adding things in your hair. Hair accessories can work wonders to deflect attention away from the fact that your hair is two colours! Think hair clips, funky grips, butterfly clips and even hats. And the hairdresser can probably suggest stuff that can help to. If you’re working with a trusted stylist, ask about blending techniques like “shadow roots” or lowlights to soften the contrast and keep things looking chic.
Remember: growing out your colour isn’t an awkward phase — IT’S A TRANSFORMATION IN PROCESS!
Inspiration: Women Who Went Silver and Shone
Let’s talk icons, shall we?
Andie MacDowell (star of Four Weddings and A Funeral) wowed everyone when she stepped onto the red carpet with her natural curls and silver streaks, and called it “liberating.”
Helen Mirren (one of our National Treasures) continues to radiate style and sophistication with her icy-white bobs and playful pixie cuts.
And beyond the celebrities, there’s a whole online sisterhood of women documenting their “grey-volution” — proving every day that confidence, not colour, is what makes a woman glow.
Here’s a few pictures to inspire you…
My Final Thought
If you’re considering your own grey journey, remember this: it’s not a surrender to age — it’s a celebration of life, experience, and authenticity. Every silver strand tells a story of resilience, wisdom, and the woman you’ve become.
And if you do decide to head down the silvery path (sorry, again!) then I hold you in the highest esteem. I haven’t got the guts to do that just yet - I wish you well and stand in awe!!
A final word…..
As some of you may know, I’ve been producing this newsletter fortnightly for free since 2020. And I absolutely love doing it - deciding what subjects you might need to know about, researching things related to that subject and physically writing the newsletter and sending it out to you lovely lot.
And, I’m delighted to say that the number of subscribers has grown steadily and organically through the years and is now at almost at 190. Which is wonderful - I never could have envisaged that when I first started.
I’m delighted to announce that I’m extending the newsletter to offer more editions during the month. These editions will be more in depth and will cover subjects that will differ from the regular fortnightly editions I produce for everyone. And they will be more highly researched with inputs from experts in that subject, occasionally.
These new editions won’t be available to the usual subscriber membership. Because they will be far more informative, they will be a paid for version, still on the Substack platform - it was just be another aspect of the 45 Not Out suite of products.
I know from conversations that many of you enjoy reading my newsletters and tell me how much it resonates with them. So, I’d hope that those of you who do value what I write, will become one of my paid for subscribers. The cost will be:
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70 USD paid annually - that’s a 20% saving on the monthly subscription
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So that’ll be a wrap from me. I hope you find something in the all my ramblings above that resonates with you. If there’s a particular topic that you’d like me to cover, just shout. You can always contact me by replying to this newsletter - it will find me :)
So, till next time
Una x