Tracee Ellis Ross' Thoughts On Transitioning To Gray Hair Are So Relatable To Older Women

Tracee Ellis Ross has finally grown to understand and maintain the health of her hair, though it has taken her some decades to get there. Like many people over 50, she's had to navigate the inevitability of aging, however, unlike other celebs who have embraced their graying natural hair color, Ross may not be entirely ready to make the transition just yet.

In an October 2020 Instagram post, Ross shared a snippet of her hair journey she called "a tale of textures," reflecting on her evolving relationship with her curls. The "Girlfriends" star revealed she was experiencing graying hair, but on the upside had also come to understand her hair on a much deeper level. "My hair is now turning grey (evidence of my life and my years)," she wrote. "And while the grey has changed my texture and the dye I use to cover it has loosened my pattern, I finally know my hair inside and out."

For Ross, transitioning to gray hair isn't something she views through a purely superficial lens but instead, another chapter in her journey of personal growth and self-acceptance. "I've always said that my journey to self acceptance can be chronicled through my journey with my hair," she explained. "Taking the time to accept, understand and love my hair mirrors the relationship I have with myself. I have grown to love and appreciate my hair in all of its seasons. Because hair love IS self love." Even so, the "Black-ish" actor says she's not quite ready to give up on hair dyes, though she'll look forward to that day when it comes, stating, "And while I'm not ready to embrace the grey just yet, I'm sure that will be exciting when I do!"

Ross, who was in her late teens and early twenties during the '90s, faced the era's iconic but distinctively embarrassing and challenging hair struggles. Devoid of the modern silk press, curl-defining creams, advanced hair-care tools, or today's abundance of expert hair-care styling advice, she had no choice but to contend with harsh relaxers, scorching flat irons, and early product formulations that probably did more harm than good.

"My hair has played many a role throughout my life. When I was a teen, I didn't understand it so I tried everything under the sun to make it do what I thought it should. The results were not great. Namely, it was fried," Ross said in her 2020 Instagram post alongside an extensive photo carousel showcasing the many hairstyle transformations she has undergone throughout the years –- even the embarrassing ones.

Thankfully, the sitcom star said those days are behind her now that she has become one with her hair. "Once I began listening to my hair and started figuring out what it liked, my true curl pattern emerged. By the time I made it onto Girlfriends my hair was healthy and POPPIN," she said. "I know what she likes, what she doesn't like, and how she'll react in any given situation. Basically we're like this [sic] now!"