My Silver Gallery

The first gray strands appeared when I was just 18. Well, I plucked them out while they were few, but as time passed, the need for dyeing arose. It all started with those tinting shampoos, the ones that somewhat concealed the emerging grays. Later, I was left with no choice but to embrace hair dyes (see the 2018 photo).

By the time I crossed the threshold of 40, I noticed a change – my hair was thinning, a bit more sparse, as if it was losing its density. So, I began by trimming them lightly at first, and later, it was time for a drastic cut to shoulder length (as seen in the 2020 photo).

Yet still, the hair kept falling. It wasn’t about my diet, nor about vitamins – I’ve always been health-conscious, carefully considering what I eat. I started to suspect whether it might be the dye… and today, I know, it was indeed the dye. It was weakening the hair follicles, causing thinning, and wreaking havoc on them.

Since the Autumn of 2022 (October 2022), I’ve bid farewell to hair dye.

I feel LIBERATED.

And guess what?

The hair is thriving, growing lush and content 😉

Here you will find a recipe for a natural hair strengthening lotion that I have been using for years!

ps. 1. In February 2023, I lightened the upper sections of my hair, creating a look of light brown, orange, and yellow hues.

2. I repeated this process in May 2023, focusing on lightening the lower sections to eliminate that almost black shade.

3. I went for a significant trim – around 5 cm – in July, and I believe this hairstyle will stay until December now 😉

Hello again, small update – September 2023 🙂

I didn’t quite vibe with my orange-yellow bleached hair – unfortunately, that’s the side effect of lightening multiple layers of color on my hair. I was on a quest for a solution to return to a “cooler” version of myself, not wanting to be a “golden autumn” all year round 🙂

Turns out, the toner I applied to my dry hair did the trick! Note: I kept it on for just 10 minutes on dry hair! ( I used Wella True Grey Graphite Medium Dark).

Lucky me! Of course, I only applied it to the sections with bleached hair, leaving my new, gorgeous silver strands untouched! Take a look – the result is truly intriguing 🙂

Hello October 2023 🙂

After my sunny vacation in Zanzibar, I had to refresh my color with a toner, and once again, I kept the toner on for just 10 minutes on my hair 🙂 In Norway, there’s no sun, so the risk of toner fading is not a concern – at least until the next vacation 😉

February 2024!

Oh, I’ve been away for a while, but I’m back 🙂 The silver journey continues!
And I’m posting more photos here to document it – you can make a difference in your appearance within a year!

Well, it’s really possible 🙂

February 2024 🙂

March 2024 🙂

April 2024

Mai 2024 🙂

Next up date 🙂 June 2024 🙂

June marks the 20th month of growing out my natural hair 😉 I’ll stop referring to them as gray—because they are NATURAL! And they just happen to be this color 🙂 Oh well 🙂 It’s beautiful! Among the thousands of comments I’ve received lately, some suggest these aren’t my natural hair but done by a stylist 🙂 What a wonderful compliment! Though, of course, I don’t believe a stylist could achieve such a magnificent and lasting effect 😉

July 2024

I started testing shampoo bar. I’ll definitely do a separate post about it soon, because it’s worth it 🙂 One thing I know now -I highly recommend it! I thought my hair would feel “unclean,” but surprise – my hair is great after washing. Really, the bar formula works well -the only thing is that, you need to choose the right ingredients – I already know that any oil additives in shampoos don’t work for me -they make my hair too heavy and less fluffy, but for straight hair, it might be the ideal product.

Products I’m currently using:

1. Purple shampoo – I’ve been using it very rarely lately, but when I do, it’s every third wash and only once (which means I first wash my hair with regular shampoo, and the second wash is with purple shampoo). I apply a small amount of the shampoo to my hair and leave it on for about 1 minute.
2. Regular shampoo – I’m currently testing various shampoos – only those with gentle formulations – meaning without SLS and SLES – here Tołpa is soothing – so far a great product.
3. Then I apply a mask – the best for me are highly moisturizing ones! And note, I only apply it to the lower part of my hair – not to the scalp, as afterwards the hair is too weighed down at the roots.
4. I rinse the mask off ONLY with COLD water – I know, I know, just the thought is chilling, but it really works – many people struggle with overly unruly hair – frizzy, and it’s the cold water that causes the hair cuticles to close and “calm” them 🙂 Try it! It’s just a moment 🙂
5. Curls – so far, the number one choice is Catwalk Tigi curl cream. I’m currently testing another brand – we’ll see what happens after longer use – I’ll definitely describe it 😉 And mousse – here I use Taft, but I always choose the strongest hold – I like when my hair is a bit stiff 😉
6. Hair gels, and curl gels – here too – the favorite will always be the strongest one 🙂 It turned out that my natural hair is soft, and I like the feeling of stiffness in my hair, hence I also apply strong gels 🙂

August 2024 – part I 🙂

September 2024 🙂

October 2024! 2 years Silver Journey!

Two years ago, in October 2022, I dyed my hair for the last time. That was the beginning of a journey that changed not only the color of my hair but also my entire perspective on life. This decision turned out to be the best “side effect” of my transition to silver. Only those who have gone through it will truly understand – it’s more than just giving up hair dye, it’s a deep, inner transformation.

What ended?

• The monthly fear of “those silver strands” showing up again is gone.
• The persistent itching and stinging of my scalp during every dye session are over.
• The battle for my curls has ceased, and my hair stopped falling out in clumps.

Yes, these two years have changed everything. Slowly but steadily, centimeter by centimeter, I walked towards freedom. Freedom from the “necessity” of dyeing, from the fear that my gray hair would reveal my age. Freedom from old beliefs that “this isn’t for me” and from the worry about what people would say.

Today, I am a more mature woman. I wear my hair with pride because I no longer want or need to hide anything. I live without the fear of others’ opinions and wholeheartedly encourage other women to take this step. Because the “side effects” of this decision are priceless:

• You will discover a strength within yourself that you may not have known existed.
• You will gain confidence or reinforce the confidence you already have.
• You will experience an incredible sense of freedom.
• And along the way, you’ll meet fantastic new friends who have walked the same path.

I don’t regret this decision for a single moment! It was hard – the transformation took time, and the regrowth was always visible. But I didn’t want to chop off my hair drastically, so I had to persevere.

And you know what?

Time passed anyway! So, if you’re at the start of this journey today, my dear, keep moving forward!

Don’t look back, because it’s worth it – a thousand times over.

The sense of freedom waiting for you is beyond words!

With Love

Ilona

November 2024 🙂 Silver style 

 Since I started my journey with silver hair, I’ve been experimenting more with clothing colors. I remember that around the age of 30, I wore mainly black and white. Later, I slowly began returning to the colors I loved as a teenager. The transformation process helped me rediscover bold colors – perfect for diverting attention from my gray roots. At least, that’s what I thought 😉 Now, I’m happily going back to my favorite greens, khaki, and gold. I also love the combination of blue, pink, and silver I’m cautiously embracing black and white again, but only for special occasions 🙂