We are living in a time where inclusivity is king. Attitudes toward aging are changing, and self-expression comes in many forms ― including electively going gray.
And yet, our society continues to value youth and beauty. Ageism still exists, and no celebrity opting to dye their hair gray is going to change that.
So if we’re going to celebrate gray hair, we ought to celebrate the women who earned it. And if you ask them, there’s a lot to celebrate.
A call out from HuffPost for women to talk about their gray hair generated hundreds of responses with a common theme ― a love and acceptance for going gray.
In spite of that, many women, like the ones we spoke to for this story, have a complicated relationship with graying and the aging process in general. Some have fully embraced their hue, while others still lean on hair dye to cover it up. Read these 10 real stories below from women who started going gray as early as 16.