Woman becomes an Instagram star by showing off her natural gray hair

A 40-year-old woman who has spent two decades dying her gray hair out of ’embarrassment’ has revealed how embracing her natural silver locks helped her to earn Instagram fame – while also saving her thousands of dollars in salon fees.

Whitney Lichty, from California, first started dying her hair for fun during high school but when in her early twenties she first noticed silver strands of hair in her dyed brunette locks, she felt pressure to dye her hair to conceal the strands.

To maintain her colored hair, Whitney went to the salon for touch ups every three weeks – Whitney’s parents own a hair salon so luckily she’s never had to pay for a hair appointment but they typically charge around $80 per color appointment.

All natural: Whitney Lichty, 40, has earned Instagram fame by sharing images of her natural gray locks – which she spent two decades covering up with dye out of ’embarrassment’ 

Show it off! The California resident started going gray in her early twenties, and says she felt huge ‘pressure’ to cover up her silver locks (pictured while dyed) – which she did for 20 years

Breaking free: In 2019, Whitney started seeing other women sharing images of their natural gray hair online, and decided that she didn’t need to feel ashamed about her own silver locks 

Whitney used to feel as though her gray hair was something that needed to be covered up but after talking to a close friend, she realized that her feelings of embarrassment and shame surrounding her natural hair color weren’t her own, but stemmed from societal expectations.

Whilst Whitney was considering ditching the hair dye, she stumbled across a community of women sharing their gray hair journeys on Instagram and she decided to quit the hair dye once and for all in October 2019.

Since then, Whitney has been growing her dyed hair out and has been thrilled to discover the beautiful ‘salt and pepper’ shades that lay beneath her dyed brunette hair. She can’t wait to rock a full head of silver hair when the length of brown has grown out. If Whitney had to pay for her hair appointments, she would have saved approximately $1,360 since ditching the dye.

Whitney has been sharing her journey on Instagram, where she shares stunning pictures of her various hairstyles and has 38,000 followers who inundate her with messages of love and support every day.

‘I noticed my silvers peeking through in my early twenties and I immediately felt the pressure to dye my hair,’ said Whitney.

‘I started dying my hair in high school and went in for touch ups every three weeks.

Early stages: She stopped dying her hair altogether in October 2019, and began embracing her silver roots – while documenting the process on Instagram 

Feedback: Whitney was stunned by the positive response to her ‘salt and pepper’ hair, and she says her husband was particularly supportive 

Boom: Since she started showcasing her silver locks, Whitney has built up a following of more than 38,000 users 

Helping hand: ‘I found so much support in this online community and I also wanted to be able to offer that same support to anyone else deciding to stop dying their hair,’ she said

‘Many years ago, I had a conversation with a close friend that led me to realize that every emotion and thought that I ever had surrounding gray hair, was never my own.

‘Over time, I decided that this thought deserved more of my attention, and I began to feel resentful for being made to feel that something as natural as my own hair color, was something to be embarrassed about or that needed to be covered.

‘While I was considering the idea to quit dying my hair, I stumbled across a woman on Instagram who was sharing her grow out process.

‘After finding her, I realized there was a huge and incredibly supportive community of people sharing their own gray hair journeys. I decided that I wanted to not only document my grow out but that I wanted to be a part of that community sharing with others, not only the joys, but also the struggles of this journey.

‘I found and still find so much support in this online community and I also wanted to be able to offer that same support to anyone else deciding to stop dying their hair.

‘I had always imagined that my hair was stark white underneath my dye or at least that is what it seemed like every few weeks when my roots would start to reappear and lay in stark contrast with my dyed hair.

‘I was surprised to find I was much more of a mix of salt and pepper. It did not take me as long as I thought it would to feel at ease with the growing color and I absolutely love it and look forward with anticipation to a full head of gray.

Budget: Before she stopped dying her hair, Whitney was visiting the salon every three weeks to get her roots touched up 

 Woah! Since she stopped dying her hair in October 2019, Whitney has saved more than $1,300

Go with your gut: Whitney says that she wants every woman to make decisions based on their own happiness – not what society dictates is more ‘attractive’ 

‘The reaction to my gray hair has always been overwhelmingly positive. That being said, everyone has an opinion and the choice to ditch the dye is not for everyone.

‘Comments and opinions, whether they be good or bad, are simply comments and opinions and they don’t and never will have any bearing on my self-worth or the decisions that I make for myself.’

Whitney has had the support of her family throughout her entire gray hair journey, and she shared her words of advice to others.

‘My husband has always been my number one supporter,’ she said.

‘In fact, he started encouraging me to stop dying my hair way before I had ever even considered it.

‘He has cheered me on every step of the way and has been a huge part of why I was able to continue on this journey even through the tougher months.

‘I think he is very proud of me and has noticed a greater shift in self-love and acceptance that has blossomed from this journey.

‘Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You may find that after a few months of starting the journey, you are not ready to ditch the dye.

‘You may find that you feel more comfortable with your hair colored. Either way, it’s ok. It’s your hair and your decision.

‘It’s more important that we love and have patience with ourselves. That we feel comfortable in our own skin and understand that one person’s journey may not always be our own.

‘Do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what other people think. Believe me, I know that’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.’

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

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