My Curly and Silver Hair Journey- Georgina Juarez

Rediscovering the meaning of beauty 

Deciding to stop coloring your hair or straightening it is a difficult choice to make. Most of the time, we get used to doing it, and when we realize it, decades have gone by. It takes time and effort to alter behavior. It means breaking a current habit while cultivating a new, perhaps unfamiliar set of behaviors; behavior transformation is complex and not a linear process.

Meet Georgina Juarez (@curlysilverfox). She is a proud Latina who let go of hair dyes and straighteners and started embracing her natural hair. 

What she faced

In her twenties, Georgina started having her first gray hairs and promptly decided to color them. Twenty years later, she decided she had enough of hair dye and straighteners: ‘’I was done, so done touching up my roots every other week’’. She decided she was going to embrace it as much as she could. Women who choose to go through this process have different experiences, but it was not an easy one for her. Georgina cried for the first six to nine months of the journey. 

"It looked like a skunk. It was weird, and nobody I knew was doing it’’.

She also comments that there weren’t Facebook groups or Instagram accounts that she could look up to and inspire her through the journey. She mentions that although every woman in her family had either snow-white hair or salt-and-pepper hair, she did not see that as flattering. ‘’My training had been that it is for women who are older, for grandmas.’’

Gray Hair Stereotype 

Women who have decided to go gray have long been stigmatized. Ancient Egyptians created the earliest henna hair color, approximately 1500 B.C. Hair dye was first created primarily to cover gray hair.

The correlation between aging and gray hair proved challenging to extinguish. Early in the 20th century, chemical hair dye was still regarded as dangerous. Not to add that hair color was seen as something only conceited ladies would use in an era of modesty. This mentality contributed to the perception of hair dyeing as a taboo subject. However, the social pressure on women to hide their gray hair persisted. Georgina says that she likes knowing that she is accepting something that society deemed as old or unkempt. 

Since then, gray hair is frequently connected to aging or ladies who are letting themselves go. However, the truth is that we can start having gray hair at any age. It's not about the age but the loss of melanin that leads to graying. Georgina states that she had been getting gray hairs since she was in her twenties, and it was never related to her age or getting older. 

Nonetheless, she persisted as she knew healthy hair awaited her. ‘’It became this amazing kind of journey for me’’. In doing that, she affirms that she learned how to self-accept and self-love and really hone in what beauty represented to her. ‘’My natural state of being is worthy and is beautiful’’. 

Georgina's Curly Hair Routine 

For Georgina, accepting her natural hair also included embracing her curls. While facing two challenges at once, she was determined that going through the curly transition would help her achieve her hair goals. 

She understood that to have her defined and pretty curls back, she would have to emphasize on cleansing, conditioning, and using natural hair styling rather than the normal damaging practices such as harsh shampoos and excessive heat styling.

"I chose to no longer use products that had harsh chemicals, which helped me maintain my natural curl pattern and helped me with my  gray hair as well.’’ The chemicals that curlies should avoid are silicons, parabens and sulfates. This is because they weigh down your hair strands, causing dryness and later breakage, leading to persistent buildup on your curls.

Her Journey with Kerotin 

Georgina found out about Kerotin on social media in 2020, two years after starting her transition. They had recently launched the Freshening Line, which is cruelty-free and doesn't contain any non-CGM-approved substances, and immediately she said, ‘’I am all in!’’. 

This line was uniquely designed to stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss during your wash routine. Formulated with hair-strengthening properties such as Keratin and Biotin as well as key oils for hair growth such as Argan, Rosemary and Peppermint oil. This line improves hair follicle health, nourishing them with essential nutrients for growth and reduced hair loss. 

Key ingredients in the formula that helped Georgina maintain her curls well-nourished and healthy: 

• Avocado Oil is easily absorbable and rich in vitamin E, promoting hair growth and is also a good antioxidant.

• Sea Kelp Extract: has been added to shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments for strengthening and nourishing hair and scalp. 

• Coconut Oil: rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, and it has antiviral, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. It also improves the appearance, texture and health of our hair.

• Rosemary Oil: improves hair thickness and growth, thanks to its ability to boost cellular generation. 

Another essential step in Georgina’s hair care routine is deep conditioning. In addition to replenishing moisture and essential proteins, it helps to guard against heat and styling tool damage. Deep conditioning is crucial for people with damaged, brittle, or color-treated hair. Most importantly, your hair regains its luster, gloss, and strength through conditioning. "I like to do it biweekly, and my hair loves their mask!’’ 

Georgina Now

Georgina nowadays teaches others about her ancestry and all the knowledge passed down from her older family members. She also shares in her social media tips and tricks that she learned during her transitions to inspire others to persevere when the process gets challenging. Lastly, she hopes everyone going through a transition embraces it as much as possible. ‘’Whether you color your hair or not, whether you straighten it or not, whatever it is, whatever makes you happy. I hope you ladies are having some fun enjoying your journey because it is important at every stage.’’