Katie Goes Platinum on the number one issue people have with grey hair
And how she helps them have fun with it
Grey hair will make you look old.
I’ve told myself this many times. So has my hairstylist. And my mum. I’m not offended; I understand. There’s no escaping it.
Or is there? After all, it’s your choice. It’s up to you if you want your gradually greying locks to affect you (or not).
“I think my favourite topic to address has been the fear of looking ‘old’ with grey hair,” says Katie Emery of Katie Goes Platinum. “It’s a very common fear and one that keeps a lot of women dyeing years longer than they wanted to.”
Katie would know – as the founder of Katie Goes Platinum, she meets people and encounters questions like these a lot.
Katie Goes Platinum is a website where women with grey or greying hair can find tips, tricks, products, salons, personal stories, and other inspiring and practical resources to help them in their journey to “ditch the dye and rock their natural grey hair” at “any age and stage”.
Katie started dyeing her greying hair as a teen, and decided in 2018 that “enough is enough”. She began her grey-hair transition that year and finished it in 2020.
It’s given her a mission. “I also like giving women tips on how to go grey, as it’s easy to get stuck at the beginning of your grey-hair transition,” she adds.
“It’s fun to help other women figure out the best way for them to go grey. It depends a lot on their temperament and what would be easiest for them.
“Going grey is an emotional process due to all the baggage our society places on us as women.”
You can say that again
Refer to the first line above. Yikes.
I mentioned to Katie that when I look at her site, I feel like it’s so comprehensive and complete with its various tips and information about grey hair.
“I’m so glad you feel that way!” she tells me.
Did she ever think that there would be so much to do, write and talk about when it comes to grey hair?
“When I first started my blog, I worried that there wouldn’t be enough to write about, and that I’d run out of ideas,” she recalls. “But every day my list of posts to write grows longer, and I just don’t have enough time in the day to write everything that I want or need to write.
“I do sometimes get a little tired of my subject,” she admits. “When that happens, I take a break from my grey hair Facebook group (Silver Revolution) and hide Instagram for a bit.
“After a short while, my enthusiasm for the topic comes roaring back. I find grey hair endlessly fascinating, so it’s a pleasure to write about it!”
Besides, the questions just keep on coming
Katie constantly receives them, as well as different kinds of feedback. No wonder: “I’ve had a lot more women expressing their enthusiasm for going grey, no matter what age they are, and that’s a great thing!”
It’s also the one thing she’s found that’s been gaining loads of traction. She’s surprisingly (and even pleasantly) been getting asked about it more and more.
So what happened?
“I think the pandemic really helped propel women away from dyeing their hair,” she observes. “They just needed that extra time away from their peer groups (and salons!) to grow out their hair in peace, with no pressure.
“Also, there have been more studies coming out lately about the possible side effects of hair dye, and that has created more interest in the grey-hair movement,” she continues.
“People are concerned about their health, as they should be.”
It’s an amazing time to be alive
Especially grey-hair-wise. Since we’re on the subject of personal health (healthy hair is a part of it, right?), it’s good to know that there have been advancements in hair care, with products and techniques getting better and more varied. Thanks to Katie and Katie Goes Platinum, we’re now more equipped to deal with and maintain grey hair.
“I only started growing out my hair in 2018, but I’ve already seen more products on the market that cater to women with grey hair, and that’s a good thing,” she says. “We’re a growing market and, just like everyone else, we want our hair to look and feel good.
“I think product manufacturers might be (slowly) coming to the conclusion that many of us already knew – that not all grey hair is the same. Some women find that their grey hair is smoother, finer and shinier than their dyed hair. Other women have coarse and wiry grey hair.
“Everyone’s texture is different, so I’m happy to see that there are more products on the market today that address the wide variety of grey-hair textures.” (Check out Katie’s product recommendations on the site or here.)
Does Katie believe that a lot more changes will come?
“I suppose it’s possible! It’s hard to predict,” she answers.
If she were given free rein, though, what kind of changes would she like to see?
“I can’t really think of any changes in the product market, as the manufacturers are already doing a pretty good job of coming up with products to target grey-hair issues (like yellowing – but more on that later).
“In terms of culture, though, we still have a long way to go to change the ingrained ideas about grey hair – that it’s coarse and unruly, or that it’s only acceptable for very elderly women to let their hair go grey.
“Grey hair is simply a different shade of hair colour – some women go grey in their teens, and they shouldn’t feel pressured or ashamed to display their naturally silver hair. And the reverse is also true – we should not pressure women to stop dyeing. It’s a personal choice.”
And it’s your personal choice…
… to face some issues you’ve had with your grey hair. Because there could be a solution, or at least a healthy compromise.
Katie shares hers. “The number one issue I’ve had with my grey hair is yellowing. I like my grey hair super silver, which it is, but if I get lazy about protecting my grey hair from the sun, or if I forget to clarify my hair on a weekly basis, or if I use the wrong hair products, the yellowing starts up and it drives me crazy!
“When that happens, I use a purple hair mask or purple shampoo to reduce the yellow tones. But I want to get better at preventing yellowing before it happens,” she states.
Katie’s tip: Use a purple hair mask or purple shampoo to reduce yellow tones in your grey hair.
“Aside from yellowing, I don’t really have any issues with my grey hair. I love it! It’s really easy to maintain, and it brightens up my complexion. I get a lot of compliments on it – more than I did when it was dyed. So that’s fun!”
Let’s topple the number one problem for people with grey hair
Again, it all comes back to: Grey hair = old. It sounds repetitive, I know. Maybe we can never really escape it, and that’s okay.
“My readers send me their problems, and I have to tell you that the number one problem they have is overcoming the negative stereotypes that we’ve all been fed by the advertising agencies about grey hair,” Katie reiterates. “That’s why I try to provide a lot of content on my site that busts the myths about grey hair.
“Grey hair is beautiful, and once you can start to look at it differently (as just another hair colour, not a marker of advanced age), then the fun can really begin and you can start to enjoy your grey hair!”
And you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun now, would you?
Find Katie on Katie Goes Platinum, as well as on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Looking for more grey-hair resources? Try Joli Campbell of QuickSilverHair.com. According to Katie: “I think my favourite revelation is one that Joli, my fellow grey-hair blogger, and I have been talking about for a while – that going grey is fun and exciting and oh-so-liberating!”