A woman has become a global inspiration after she embraced her natural silver locks in her 30s.

Heather Gray, 38, a mother from West Michigan, spotted her first gray hair when she was in junior high at about 13.

She started getting highlights in high school and was fully dyeing her hair by the time she turned 18 - eventually having to re-do it every few weeks to cover her roots.

But she ditched the dye aged 34 - and gained thousands of fans online who watched her transition to a fully gray 'Silver Sister.''

And while she admits the grow-out was tough, after years of hiding her true self she's more confident than ever, and hopes to inspire other graying young women to be themselves.

"A friend found my first gray hair by my locker, surrounded by friends [at school]," she says."

"Everyone shrieked, and someone yanked it out. From then on, I was hyper-aware of my hair and constantly worried about anyone finding a gray."

After that, she started getting highlights in high school and was fully dyeing her hair by the time she turned 18.

This continued for years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Heather saw an opportunity to try something different.

"I had started seeing women around my age embracing their gray on Facebook and was intrigued. I had assumed I'd dye my hair forever, but when I saw these women loving their natural gray, it inspired me to ‘give it a year.' "

"I was stuck at home anyway, and it seemed like the perfect time to see what was under all the dye," she says. "

Heather began documenting her grow-out journey on Instagram and discovered a global group of women, affectionately known as the Silver Sister Community, who supported each other through every stage of the transition.

Being part of this community has transformed Heather's confidence and sense of identity.

"Personally, it's been incredibly empowering to embrace my natural gray hair alongside a supportive group of women who are also redefining beauty standards."

"This journey has given me the confidence to accept myself fully, without feeling the pressure to conform to societal expectations about aging or appearance," she shares. "

"Embracing my natural gray has allowed me to show up more as my truest self. It's translated into greater confidence on my social media, and I've realized that embracing myself can inspire others to do the same." "

Heather is also excited about her involvement in the upcoming documentary Your Roots Are Showing, which aims to shed light on the beauty and power of embracing natural hair, especially gray.

"I hope viewers will see gray hair for what it is — just another beautiful hair color that women should be able to embrace without judgment. Aging is a beautiful thing, and seeing gray hair with fresh eyes has been so incredible."

While her journey to gray has been mostly positive, Heather admits that there were moments of self-doubt.

"I've been blessed to have a partner who has encouraged me since we started dating 18 years ago. "

"But at about eight months into my grow-out, I was struggling with the half-gray, half-brown look, and I remember feeling near tears before a night out with friends," she says. "

"It's not just about hair. It's about authenticity, self-acceptance, and breaking free from the narrative that gray hair is something to hide."