TLC Star Kim Plath Is Proof You Can Embrace Gray Hair Without The Short Chop
Conventional wisdom says that when transitioning gray hair, it's best to cut it into a shorter style. However, TLC's "Welcome to Plathville" star Kim Plath has shown it doesn't have to be that way. In March 2026, the reality star posted a selfie to Facebook, which showed that her luscious blond hair now had gray strands peeking through at the roots. However, unlike many other 50-somethings who switch their hair to a pixie as soon as they spot gray, Plath's hair appeared in long, loose curls that went past her collarbone.
Understanding how your hair changes as you age– and figuring out how you should change with it is a learning experience that many people have to go through. For some, a dramatic cut is the best solution because it decreases the amount of time you have to wait growing out your gray roots until your entire head is that color.
However, techniques like gray blending are offering solutions that makes transitioning to gray a little bit easier — without having to sacrifice like. The popular color trend involves highlights being woven in alongside gray hair to create a seamless look. This eliminates any obvious breaks between the roots and your former color. In Plath's case, however, it seems her hair color change wasn't intentionally crafted, but simply nature at work.
Kim Plath doesn't mind going gray
While Kim Plath hasn't explicitly shared with fans how she's maintaining healthy hair in her 50s and beyond, her color can't be attributed to professional gray blending. The star shared she'd never used hair dye in a video shared to Facebook. She added "I don't mind the gray. I think it blends nicely with the blond." It seems she is taking the gray blending approach, which highlights are woven in alongside grays to create a seamless look. However, in Plath's case, she's achieving the look with her natural hair.
In that same Facebook video, she explained why she had grown accustomed to long hair.
"My hair grows really fast. It's already down to my waist." she remarked. "It's a little bit harder to put [my hair] up when it's shoulder length." However, she pointed out that having such long hair meant she deals with issues like tangling. She then asked her followers to weigh in on how short she should cut her hair and if she should consider any color changes.
The majority of the poll results, which were shared in late May 2026, encouraged Plath to cut her hair to shoulder length. However, at the time of writing, Plath has not appeared to cut her hair that length. However, keeping her hair long turned out to bring some additional good to her life. It presented a bonding opportunity along with her daughter, Lydia, to cut her hair during season 8 episode 3 of the show.