Embracing My First Grey Hair In My 30s

When I first found a silvery strand, I panicked. But now? I’m embracing my first grey hair and looking forward with a positive attitude.

Did you ever think that one day you would wake up to seeing a grey hair in the bathroom mirror? Yea… neither did I.

We all believe wholeheartedly that we can defy aging and for most of us, we certainly try to. Whether it’s eating healthier, using skin care, or plastic surgery, we are always somehow trying to prolong our lives as much as possible.

When you’re in your 20s, it’s a naïve, but also a common thought to think It will be years before I go grey!

Some of us, like me, might attempt to base the day we go grey off of when our parents go grey. It’s a common theory that most of us will go grey around the same age our parents did. While sometimes genetics can play a role in when you will get your first grey strands, it’s not always the case.

The Initial Shock of Finding The First Grey Hair

When my first grey friend showed up, I was 30. And I was overwhelmed with emotion.

A lot had happened to me when I turned 30, and then to add this into the mix, it was rather bittersweet.

Here I was having a milestone birthday and getting my first grey hair all at once. It was as if the universe was saying, happy birthday, you will get wrinkles and grey hair. What a kick to the gut that was.

One day I was getting ready and doing my hair. And I thought I noticed a shiny spot on my hair that was just reflecting the ceiling lights. The light reflection was, of course, too good to be true.

To my surprise, it was a grey hair sticking up slightly more than the rest of my hair. There it was, grey-ish white in color, wavy, and coarse. Now you might be wondering what I did next. If you’re curious if I left it alone or not, well, I most certainly pulled it out. Sure enough, it grew back a few months later. It’s as if it was never gone.

I didn’t want to believe it was really there. My mind was flooded with concerning questions.

Could I really have a grey hair this young?

If I pulled it out, would 3 more really take its place?

Will I need to start dying my hair soon?

Honestly, I was probably overreacting. I was just shocked! Even so, I do feel like my concerns were justified. After all, I was only 30 years old!

Over the last 2 years, I now have a total of 3 grey hairs. I lovingly refer to them as my “grey friends.” For now, they are all in spots that I can either flaunt or easily cover. I am not as bothered now as I was when my grey friends showed up.

However, it’s a daunting thought to think that more will come and it will be less ideal to be able to cover them up easily without having to dye my hair.

Shifting Perspectives and Embracing My First Grey Hair

One thing about me is I have never dyed my hair. I have dark brown hair and never wanted to deal with the upkeep and spending money on dying my hair.

Growing up, I saw my mom constantly spending so much money on her hair. She still does but usually does root touch ups. Looking back, I would always think, I hope this won’t be me someday. Naively thinking I was immune to grey hair. Now that that day is here I am faced with what to do next once I started having more and more grey friends show up uninvited to this unplanned grey party.

So, now I have to think of how long I will go until I have to dye my hair. I’m honestly dreading having to add that as an expense as well, because as most of us know, it’s not cheap.

I also have to factor in the time. I really don’t care to sit for long periods of time, And getting your hair colored and blow dried takes a couple hours at least. It’s also something I will have to factor in as part of a new routine. Some people enjoy their hair time and others don’t. I know everyone feels differently and that’s ok.

Among the cons are many pros. While I don’t really care for the extra cost and time it will take, I am looking forward to having different ideas and dying my hair different colors.

I know hairstylists are so good at giving you what you’re looking for. My hairstylist has already told me that when I do start dying my hair, we can chose a color that is easy maintenance. She has already made me feel more at ease about having to dye my hair someday in the near future.

Another good thing is so many more woman are also embracing going grey and hairstylist can also make it look complimentary to your look. I’ve seen women in their 30s going full grey on purpose to simply embrace their grey hairs. It is empowering.

Embracing It

Embracing my first grey hair came with mixed emotions. However, I’ve learned to embrace them. I am not dying my hair anytime soon as I only have a few greys. Likewise when I do, I am prepared for it mentally and overall.

Grey hair shouldn’t be something to be afraid of. Sure, it can bring on so many feelings related to aging. It’s scary to think we are yet another step closer to aging. In a sense we live are first two to three decades getting older but not aging.

Then we spend the next several decades of our life aging and figuring out ways to slow it down or reverse it. Instead we can maybe just embrace it a little. Reassure yourself that it’s a process that is inevitable but doesn’t happen over night either. It can happen over time, so don’t let it scare you.

How are you embracing your first grey hair?

If you’re like me, finding that first grey hair was a shock. But let’s try to embrace that first grey hair and see it as a sign of wisdom.

I like to joke that my grey hairs each have a reason, each reason in regards to my daughter, because let’s face it, kids drive our stress through the roof at times.

When we go grey, it may be from stress, genetics, kids, or aging. Whatever the reason, embrace in a way that suits you. Going grey is in no way the end of the world.

Share with us in the comments your experience with finding your first grey hair or how you’ve coped with it! We’d love to hear your experience.

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