For many women daring not to dye is a big no-no, but lately more and more celebrities are putting down the bottle and proudly showing off their natural colour.
Whether you’ve decided to gradually go lighter, allow some au naturel highlights to shine through, or just stop dying your hair altogether, we applaud you for your choice.
Speak to your hairdresser to find out the best way to embrace your new colour; a shorter haircut or chin-grazing bob might even make you look and feel younger!
And if you’re still on the fence about going grey, just take a look at these 11 stars who have embraced their natural colour as the years go one.
11. Samantha Armytage
There was a surprising reaction when Sam let a few greys peek through on Instagram this year, with fans quickly pointing out that the TV personality was “going grey”.
“I AM going grey, that’s what happens when you’re lucky enough to get older,” she later wrote on social media, though she’s “still paying my beautiful hairdresser a fortune to make me blonde.”
But the 45-year-old added in a column for Stellar that she totally supports any and all women who choose to embrace a full head of grey hair.
“How brave it is these days when a woman in the public eye allows a real wrinkle to poke through, or even some greys,” she wrote.
10. Sarah Jessica Parker
The stunning 56-year-old actress was accused of looking “old” by some critics when she started letting her greys shine through, but the Sex And The City star clapped back.
Sarah addressed the double standards around going grey while speaking to American Vogue, saying: “There’s so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man.
“‘Grey hair, grey hair, grey hair. Does she have grey hair?’ I’m sitting with Andy Cohen and he has a full head of grey hair, and he’s exquisite. Why is it okay for him?”
9. Meryl Streep
Meryl’s naturally fair hair transitioned to grey a while ago and the 72-year-old totally welcomed the change.
The Devil Wears Prada actress previously confessed that she struggled with fears about aging when she was in her 30s and 40s, having seen so many actress’ careers end at 40.
She told WSJ Magazine: “I remember as I was hovering around 40, I thought each movie would be my last, really.
“And all the evidence of other 40-year-old women at that time – this is 27 years ago – would lead you to believe it was over.”
Fortunately, Meryl has totally proven that’s not the case anymore!
8. Allison Janney
Allison surprised the world when she stepped out on The Drew Barrymore Show with a short, grey pixie cut and told Drew it was “amazing” to finally embrace the change.
“I cannot tell you how amazing it is to feel free – free from hair colour, and hair extensions, and hair tapes, and blah blah blah,” the 62-year-old revealed.
“To be able to run my hands through my hair and hopefully sometime a man will be able to run his hands through my hair and appreciate it, it’s just heaven. I’m enjoying this new chapter in my hairdo world.”
7. Glenn Close
Glenn looks great with a short, icy, pixie cut which she has been rocking for years now.
The 74-year-old has spoken before about how powerful she feels as an older woman in Hollywood, despite ongoing ageism.
“It’s kind of ironic [that older women are discriminated against in Hollywood], because we’re at the peak of our power. We really are,” she said at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.
“The advent of cable, and all the other places where people can express themselves, will hopefully be helpful for women, because there will be more places to find money for their projects.”
6. Helen Mirren
If we had to name a queen of the grey mane, this 76-year-old star would be a main contender for the title!
“I have very fine hair so I’ve always been quite careful not to overtreat it. I don’t normally colour or dye it, I like it to grow naturally,” Helen once said said.
More recently, she added: “I think women were just so terrified of having white or grey hair because it immediately put them into a different category.
“And of course, you are in that age group. I’m sorry, but you are! So, why not just embrace it, go a long with it and welcome it? Make it a positive thing as opposed to a negative thing.”
5. Emma Thompson
Emma embraced her grey locks back in 2018 and has been rocking the look ever since, much to the delight of her fans.
Talking about how empowered she feels at 62, Emma said: “I’ve never felt so powerful and so calm. I just don’t care, because I’m too old.
“It’s such a great feeling. You don’t get to judge me. I’m my own person, I don’t care what you think.”
4. Andie MacDowell
The 63-year-old made waves when she embraced her grey hair in lockdown and decided to keep it when she returned to red carpet events.
Writing about her decision on Instagram, Andie said: “During coronavirus my roots grew out, and I had to make a decision quickly before I went to do a movie.
“I kept asking permission from everyone and asking everybody what they felt and not really getting clear answers so I decided to do what I felt was right.
“I went natural and embraced my true colour. I want to be proud of where I am in my life! I don’t want to be ashamed of my age.”
3. Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton has been rocking this signature silver look since 2014, when she debuted the colour on the Golden Globes red carpet.
Though she hasn’t spoken much about why she decided to embrace the look, we can’t get enough of her multidimensional shade.
Asking your colourist to add a few highlights and lowlights to your own grey mane can help you achieve a similar look.
2. Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis has been letting her natural silver show through for years now and has inspired many other women in the process.
Speaking about her decision to embrace the grey, she told Everyday Health in 2017: “The epiphany came when I was sitting in a hair salon thinking, ‘What the f- am I doing putting a chemical on my head that burns?’
She also hinted at the pressure most women feel to cover up their greys or otherwise change their appearance to meet beauty standards.
“What does it say that you walk into a room and not one person’s hair is her natural colour? You go, ‘What?'” she said.
1. Dame Judi Dench
Judi has been rocking this signature cropped, grey style for years now and proves you really can be glamorous at any age and with any hair colour.
She previously spoke about how she doesn’t like the way ageing has such a negative association for women, especially in the entertainment industry.
“It’s the rudest word in my dictionary, ‘retire’. And ‘old’ is another one. I don’t allow that in my house. And being called ‘vintage’,” she said, via Refinery29.
“I don’t want any of those old words. I like ‘enthusiastic’ and I like the word ‘cut’ because that means you’ve finished the shot.”
