Let’s celebrate grey hair: Local women share how they grew to love their silver tresses

We published an article about Jin Cruce, a pharmacist from Alabama, USA, who had spent years deliberating over whether to let her hair go grey, but had always been discouraged, until now. She has become an inspiration.

We asked our readers to send us their photos with their natural grey hair and tell us how they are embracing change.

Keba Mokoma

My sister's name is Johanna Lebele and she is 55 years old ,she started growing grey hair when she was in high school .She  was tormented and tortured by teachers who thought her hair was dyed .

Linekela Simon

I love my grey hair afro even though it is a struggle to find the right hair products.

Ndeshi Hangula

It all started in my late twenties/early thirties, and I used to dye my hair black all the time.  At one point I gave up and decided to let it out. Today I regret why I did it because so many people admire my grey hair and ask me the name of the brand I’m using for my hair colouring and I always tell them with a smile “it’s natural.”  I’m embracing my gray and I wear it so proudly

Baronice Arends

My mother in the middle with all her daughters. Some of us used to colour but have stopped so we're all on a natural hair path and loving it.

 From left to right: Beverley Sauls (2nd eldest), Bernadette Kayser (3rd born), our mom, Bridget Plaatjies (eldest) and me Baronice Arends (youngest).

Lee-Ann Olivier

I have just turned 30 and I've had Grey hair since primary school, just one or two here and there. It has now taken over and I love it. People often ask me when I'm dying it again and I tell them that it's way too much upkeep. My daughter is 8 and she is already starting to have some of her hair turn Grey too. She loves it because her hair will look like mine too!

Manana Diale

I'm gracefully transitioned to grey hair and starting to love it. It started when I was 45yrs, I honestly hated it with a passion. But now I'm learning to love it because it's not going anywhere. Funny how people who doesn't have it loves it and will always say “wow! your hair is pretty.”

Odette Gallant

No more dyeing for me. I'm 45

Tafadzwa Mutemanyanza

I am just 48 yrs old but hair already greying. I used to dye it until l stopped because l had to do it frequently and l got tired.

Tsitsi Ndaba

I'm 54 and I love my grey hair. When my hair stated getting grey at 34 people were telling me how nice the silver colour looked. I fell in love with it and I decided to keep it grey. 

Julie Davidson-White

I began to go grey over lockdown, it was quite a process as I have long hair, however wallah- I am loving my grey locks. Natural grey is so much cheaper to maintain, and less time consuming, I no longer have to go every six weeks to the hairdresser for touch ups, or full head colours 

Shirley Crankshaw

Had my silver grey hair since I was in my 20's but always coloured it. About 25 years ago I said no more. I wear it short and spikes and people are always stopping me to say how much they love my hair. Now 71.

Alyson Lewis

Grey and loving it! At the age of 43, the pandemic exhilarated the graying process. I get so many compliments and have truly embraced my new natural look.

Toni Sedall

Covid hair and allergic to hair dye.  69 years old.

Celeste Herbert

Started to really appreciate these about 6yrs ago when I turned 50 and never looked back.

Evey Armstrong 

61 years old and have finally embraced my gray hair.. no more dye and getting many compliments.

Prudence Mini

When I was 17 years old, I got my very first strand of grey hair. I kept on plucking out every grey strand I could find out until I saw there was no winning. I eventually accepted it. It was my natural grey hair and I had to own it. I am now 36 years old and celebrate it as it slowly takes charge of my hair.

Sthembile Masondo

I have had my grey hair ever since I can remember from primary school. I used to be very angry at comments I love it now. I'm 43 years old.

Verny Turton

I turned completely grey in my mid-40s. Stop collecting at 50, now at 61 I am feeling absolutely great and get lots of positive comments 

Serap Baerker

Valerie McFall

Love my grey hair I am 68 and decided upon this decision 2 years ago. Never looked back.

Aaliyah Rajkomar 

I am 49 years old. I always wanted to go natural but was afraid that I would look old. Since allowing my hair to go grey I have received several compliments from strangers wherever I go. I love who I am and going natural is the best decision I have made. 

Charlotte Snyman

I had to stop dying my hair due to allergic reactions to the dye and other ingredients. So I took the plunge 4 years ago and even though I had some negative comments from people, I have loved ditching the dye and revelling in the joy of just being me, grey hair and all. I am 54 years old and loving it!  

Nirvana Skeepers

Growing out my tresses and embracing the Grey streaks. No more hair dyes for me! 

Sonia Jarrett

I was never really afraid of grey hair, it was a bit difficult at first, my natural color is dark brown, I got married and it was increasingly difficult to hide the growth of the root, so I let dye use, sometimes I used ash blonde extensions and then grey extensions and I did some highlights on my hair until all my hair is almost natural, at this point, I don't have to use extensions. Now I get more compliments, I know I can look older, but I feel fresh and relieved not to use dye. 

Pauline McCarthy

I’m 71, coloured my hair for years. Going grey over lockdown was the best thing I’ve done! Be brave!

Lyn Jocelyn

For over a year & a half, I grew my hair out it was a long process. Wore my hair mostly in a ponytail as my hair grew out from blond to my natural grey highlights. I am proud of my achievement, and I am embracing who I am now at 52 years old.

Henrietta Holman

During the lockdown, I coloured my hair once (box dye) and decided to let it grow out naturally. it’s still a process for me, I’m 49 years old. For now, I’m m happily going grey and I’m not sure what tomorrow will hold but I’ll cross those greys when I get there. 

Carol Millward

Covid struck, remembering my orange disaster, and unable to visit the hairdresser's, I wasn't prepared to attempt another DIY misadventure. Instead, I decided to go grey gracefully, and given that we weren't socialising at all, this was no biggie. 

Irvana Singh

I had started going grey from around the age of 30 and started colouring my hair. However, after a few years, I started having allergic reactions that worsened with each application, until my hospitalization in 2005. Doctors warned about a serious anaphylactic reaction, that could be fatal if I continued to colour my hair. I, therefore, had no option but to embrace my grey hair. I must admit though, it does give me a sense of freedom!

READ MORE | Study finds stress can 'turn your hair grey' but colour can be restored

Claudette Carolo

I too decided to grow my grey hair out and love it, despite getting a lot of negative comments.

Mavis Sithole

I'm 43 years old and have grey hair. It started in my late 20's but now it's gone viral. I applied colouring over the years because it made me feel old but now I've become so tired of colouring it because the more I colour the more it becomes viral. 

Priscilla Pillay

Covid changed my life and the colour of my hair. Trending and styling, making heads turn with my Grey's, no more hair dyes.

Linda Benjamin

65 years. Grey for 15 years. Love it!! 

Jackie Retief

I have also struggled for the past 4 years. I'm in the early days and it's been 6 weeks for me of growing out my greys and I am super excited at the age of 51. I just got so tired of colouring my roots every 2 weeks.

Catherine Swanepoel

It's tough, but after 20 years of colouring my hair, it began to fall out. I still get a fright when I catch my reflection in a mirror. I'm still adjusting after 2 years.

Cheryl Susan

Sherril Gerard

Tina Marjeby

Lwazi Kubukeli

Do you have gray hair and are enjoying the new colour? Send us your photo here.

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