I’ve decided to stop dying my hair.

My reasons are mostly practical. I’m tired of the hassle and expense. My hair grows quickly, so after a professional dye job, I get about two good weeks, then I spend the next four weeks obsessing about my roots. My husband nixed home hair coloring because every blessed time I try it I get dye on the walls. And besides, home hair color tends to fade really quickly on me. So unless I want to start coloring it with a Sharpie, it’s going to be gray.

Reservations? Sure. I’m a little worried about looking older (though to be honest, I don’t think my faux red-brown hair was making me look 21). I’m concerned about the ugliness of the growing out period; since I don’t want to chop all my hair off and grow from scratch, I’ll have a skunk-like hair color pattern for, oh, about a year. My husband has been supportive, but I do fear he’ll freak out a little when he sees just how gray my hair really is.

But mostly I’m worried about being mistaken for my boys’ grandmother. And as they are two and three, it’s no stretch – if I had started having kids at 20 and my children followed suit, I would be proud grandma right about now. So if anyone makes that error, it’s only natural…like my emerging hair color…which I’m currently covering up with a pretty bandanna.

Some friends I’ve confided in called me brave. Honestly? I have my hair salon on speed dial, just in case.

Posted by MommaSteph.