‘Silver sisters’: Why more women are choosing to let their hair go gray

Trend started during COVID pandemic

DETROIT – More women are deciding to go gray instead of dying their hair.

Seleana Boyd stopped coloring her hair and went gray during the pandemic. She said she gets a lot of compliments on her hair.

Going gray became popular at the beginning of the pandemic, when most salons were closed down. Women started considering how much time and money they were spending at the salon.

Rei Colling started embracing her gray hair during the pandemic and decided she would never go back. She stopped coloring her hair last November.

“They used to say ‘blondes have more fun,’ but once you go gray, you stay,” Colling said.

More and more women used the salon closures as a way to take a personal journey. They challenged the idea that youthful appearances always equal beauty.

Two months into the COVID pandemic, #SilverSisters started trending on social media. Crystal Martinez owns Waymaker Salon in West Bloomfield.

“The No. 1 thing I always tell women is that going gray is very individual and personal. Only you can decide when it’s right and it takes soul-searching,” Martinez said. “It’s not going to be perfect right off the bat. Be patient with yourself, love yourself through it and remember that only you can define your beauty.”

Hairstylists said they believe the gray hair trend is here to stay.

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About the Authors:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.