These Ladies Proudly Showed Off Their Gray Hair—Here's What This Color Really Means!

The pandemic has brought about different phases in our relationship with our hair. From panicking about where to get professional salon services done in the early onset of the quarantine, to experimenting with DIY hair cuts and color, to reintroducing salon services at home, to mastering the art of dyeing one's hair at home—safe to say we have gone through a lot, hair-wise! 

We've also given much thought to hair health, and how we can improve our practices to keep our tresses in tip top shape, leaving a lot of us open to the idea of uneven hair color, letting our natural hair color grow out, to allow our hair to "breathe". Some have even gone as far as embrace gray hair completely, letting their au naturel selves shine! Case in point: renowned actress Dawn Zulueta and Fashion Blogger and new mom Camille Co-Koro! Check out their recent posts on Instagram:

Both ladies have expressed their decision to go au naturel, to embrace how Mother Nature intends for their hair to be, and to find confidence in their hair—no matter what color it may be! To say that we're inspired by them is an understatement, but we also want to find out why gray/white hair turns into that color, and why it is often considered something we should conceal/color/hide. 

It turns out, most gray hair is not related to stress, as a lot would imagine it to be. According to Harvard Health, hair doesn't 'turn' gray. Once a hair follicle produces hair, the color is set. So if it starts out as black, it will not just turn gray. As we age, our hair follicles produce less color, so as our hair goes through its natural cycle of dying and being regenerated, it will more likely grow as gray/white beginning after the age of 35. Also, genetics play a role in all this. 

While we're becoming more open to the idea of allowing our gray hair to grow out without coloring it, a lot of people will still feel iffy about it. Perhaps it's the idea that gray hair shows signs of aging, or perhaps, some just prefer to have fully dyed hair, without a strand out of place, color-wise. But then again, it's all up to the individual! After all, embracing our crowning glory is all about finding our own unique take on our hair cut, style, and color. Gray or not, let's learn to be proud of and flaunt what we've got!