Whether covering gray or adding a few highlights, more than 70% of women in the U.S. color their hair. Clearly the social pressure to dye is high, but the number of women choosing to subvert expectations and embrace their natural silver is on the rise.
There are plenty of good reasons to lean into your changing hair. Many women report feeling at peace and more like themselves once they ditch the dye. Plus, they’re saving gobs of money, not to mention hours upon hours in the stylist’s chair.
Even more importantly, hair coloring has been associated with numerous allergic reactions and even diseases, including cancer. A 2019 study published in the International Journal of Cancer looked at 47,000 American women and found that women of color who used permanent hair dye were 45% more likely to develop breast cancer (versus an increased risk of 7% among white women).
RELATED: Study Links Increased Risk of Uterine Cancer To These Hair Products Used Largely By Black Women
The exact reason for the discrepancy between white and Black women is unclear, but several other studies have found an increased cancer risk among all women across the board.
But aside from the dangers of dyeing, the reason for going gray that seems most prevalent among silver sisters on social media is the camaraderie. Instagram accounts like @grombre, @silversistersinternational, and @artinaging highlight women who are finding the beauty in going natural.
Allowing those whites to peek through or take over your entire head is a little less scary when you’ve got hundreds of women, like the ones throughout this post, cheering you on and supporting your choice.
