Why I Stopped Coloring My Hair

It was such a personal decision and commitment to stop coloring my hair. As I approach my year anniversary the only regret is that I did not do it sooner!

 Pictured above is me today sporting my natural hair color with my gray sparkles!

Why I decided not to color my hair anymore

At first, when I decided to stop coloring my hair it was an exciting adventure that I had embarked upon and a huge commitment that I was determined not to fail myself. Back up to 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I began immediately treating with a clean living and eating lifestyle, bypassing all conventional drugs to date. One by one I began combing through my life looking for ways to reduce my toxic load, as I believe that was part of the reason my immune system was so compromised and stealing my life. I am of the mindset, control what you can when you can, and it will never be perfect. Once I discovered the toxins in hair dye, I knew it had to be done. It took me about a year to talk myself into it, I felt like it was my one gimmie, and for a while, I was ok with that. Until I wasn't. See, clean living is a rabbit hole for me, the more I learned the more I wanted to accomplish. After all, I was thriving in this clean-living lifestyle and feeling like wonder woman.

The Day I stopped coloring my hair

 

Hear me out

It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies throughout the last year, I had moments of doubt and my own demons I had to conquer here and there. I mean going gray will make me old and we aren't supposed to look old, right? I will be 48yrs old when my year mark hits in January, my birthday. It was a gift I gave myself. Little did I know how big of a gift it was! So yes, clearly I ditched the toxins in the hair color, but far greater was what it did for my mental health. Struggling with the idea that flaunting my grays was ok. Aging was ok. My thoughts and views of myself began to change and morph over the year into something so beautiful. 

Pictured here was a day I struggled. A day I almost bought hair color. A day my husband talked me off the edge of a terrible mistake. A day I am thankful I went through and have no problem sharing now.

 

What I learned

I am more comfortable in my skin today than I have ever been and it only becomes greater each day. The shedding of my hair color allowed my true self to emerge and I fell in love with her for the first time in my entire life. A new appreciation for the gray hairs, I like to call my sparkles, was exciting to watch come through over the year, I actually wanted more! Loving my body today for all it has carried me through in this life, even when I was not so kind to it. What I put in my body and on my body are equal ways of showing my love to my home, my body. It also led me to begin The Graceful Aging Revolution in my company. Helping to end the "antiaging" marketing and promoting positive skincare and graceful aging where we can all be proud of the skin we are in at every age with zero apologies. 

Pictured below are me and my gray mama! This woman has survived it all and been my rock through it all! Born with a hole in her heart, undergoing multiple surgeries, bearing 3 children, surviving a car crash that should have killed her, crushing breast cancer, and many other scares, she is nothing short of a miracle and my strength. Together we flaunt our gray today! My mom stopped coloring her hair after her cancer treatment and switching to a toxic-free lifestyle as well! I hope my gray hair is as soft as hers as it grows out.

Somedays my hair shows grayer than others, here is a great example of a "more gray" day.

You can shop be well's curated Graceful Aging Kit that includes all of my favorite clean skincare products.

Looking Forward

Excited to see where this journey takes me in the next year and how I will transform even more. Know that this was a personal choice for me and in no way judge anyone that chooses to color their hair. That's the joy of it all, it's a choice we all get to make every single day! Just like what we eat, our attitude, what we wear, our friends etc. If you are embarking on the no coloring or right smack dab in the middle, hang in there through the ups and downs, I promise it will be worth it in ways you didn't even know.

For those looking to read more on why hair color is considered toxic read this article as it is super informative with a lot of research by a woman who walked the same path. This brings me to, stick together, support each other, we all have our own journey to fulfill, let's just do it gracefully.

 

Love & be well,

Natalie

founder/ShEO be well company