Mum bullied for going grey at 16 has ditched the dye and embraced her natural colour
It’s 2022, and more and more women are revelling in their natural beauty.
Molly-Mae Hague and Faye Winter had their fillers dissolved, Kim Kardashian is believed to have had her bum implants removed, and Andie MacDowell has decided to go grey - and we think they look all the more fabulous for it.
And one woman who has decided to follow suit is Shannyn Pierce, who has ditched the dye and embraced her natural grey locks.
Advert
The now-34-year-old was mortified after grey hairs started sprouting from her head in her teenage years, which led to a slew of cruel bullying for something which was out of her control.
Shannyn said: "It was a typical high school experience. I was really involved in sports and with friends and then I just started growing grey - it's my genetics.
"People had opinions and you start being ashamed of it and want to cover it up, which I did for about 15 years.
"At high school, I started getting all sorts of comments about how ugly it is, and people were saying 'you're old' and 'you really need to get your hair done',” she recalled.
She then began to dye her hair dark brown, spending both her time and money - around £130 per session - to top up her colour every six weeks in an attempt to cover up her greys.
She admitted: "I grew up in a household where my mother always coloured her hair, and she still does to this day - I'm pretty sure she'll die with a box of hair colour in her hands.
But when her 30th birthday fast approached Shannyn, the mum-of-two made the choice to stop dyeing her hair once and for all and stand by her natural colour.
While she was nervous at first after hearing from others that she ‘left herself go’, Shannyn stuck with her decision in the hopes of becoming an example for other women who were embarrassed by their grey hair - which is a completely normal phenomenon.
She said: "Right before I turned 30 years old, I had seen so many women and young girls getting made fun of and being given such a hard time for having grey hair.
"To me, I just felt that was absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary, so I decided I'm just going to go ahead and do it.”
However, some still felt the need to comment on her personal choice to go grey gracefully.
"I had mixed emotions when I started growing it out. There's always that little inner voice in your head when you start doing something that is against the norm.
"I did receive a few comments like 'oh man, you've really let yourself go' or 'you need to get your hair done'.
Four years later and Shannyn has really and truly fallen in love with her new grey colour, and has had more of a positive reception than she first thought.
The Texas-based hockey coach said: "It's honestly the best hair of my life. I've never received more compliments on my hair than I do now.
"To other women that are struggling to accept their natural hair, I'd tell them what I've told myself - that you could be the example to someone else and show them it's OK to embrace who you are.
"To me, it doesn't matter what age you are or what your mindset is - if you can come to terms with embracing your true self, then you've crossed a line that not many women in today's society can do, and that's like a superpower."
Gabriella Ferlita