I vividly remember the moment I found my first gray hair…I had just turned 21, I was living and working in London, and I was DEVASTATED!
GIRL, I know it sounds extra BUT I am not exaggerating when I tell you I cried A LOT when I found that first gray hair. You see, I was TERRIFIED at the idea of getting “old” and for a LONG time, I had NO idea why.
But then I realized…
I’ve grown up in a society that praises “young” and fears old!
I know it sounds as though I’m pointing fingers but think about it…
Whether it be online, TV, a subway ad, or ANY media, we women are encouraged from day 1 to color our gray, fill our lines, cover our marks and scars, and do SO MUCH MORE to fit the mold of “young” and therefore “beautiful“.
Society has led us to see aging as bad, ugly, sad, and I realize that for a long time I BELIEVED THAT LIE.
And that’s EXACTLY what it is…a lie.
I can’t tell you the exact moment I realized it was a lie, but what I can tell you is that accepting it as a lie has made getting older MUCH more fun. Now don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments…
You know….THOSE moments where you look in the mirror, spot a new line and immediately google the latest wrinkle cream or schedule an appointment with the Med Spa downtown? Yeah…those moments.
But the difference is that NOW I’m empowered to RECOGNIZE what triggers those body shaming moments. NOW I RECOGNIZE that age and beauty are not dependent on one another. And to be REALLY honest, I now make image based decisions like whether or not to color my hair, whether or not to get Botox, whether or not to do XYZ from a stance of “this is for ME” rather than “this is for THEM“.
And GIRL, I’m really freaking proud of that!
In fact, I’m so proud of my empowered stance on aging that I’m embracing my gray hair! Hell, I even asked my stylist to add MORE gray in my hair to compliment my naturally silver streaks! Now I’m not saying I’ll FOREVER rock the gray, but for now I LOVE IT and THAT is all that matters!
I think the underlying message here is that it’s not only okay to be gray but okay to age! And GIRL, maybe embracing age means growing out your grays OR maybe it means coloring your hair! Maybe it means getting the latest Med Spa treatment or maybe it means accepting every fine line you find. Either way, I want to challenge US to stop believing the lie that aging is bad, ugly, and sad and instead embrace it in our own unique way.
REMEMBER- aging goes hand in hand with body confidence too. It is ALL about how YOU see you, and GIRL….you’re beautiful.
And GIRL, if you want MORE of THIS (this being a community of women inspiring and empowering you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE while you go after your DREAM life), join Ditch the Clique COMMUNITY today!
Oh & GIRL, I’d love for you to follow along here at Ditch the Clique! Plus, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram for more inspiring stories and empowering words!
*Hair cut and style by Hollie Payette at Legion Hair Studio*
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