It was a great relief to stop coloring, and now and then when I think about coloring my hair again (usually when someone mistakes me for being even older than I am because of the gray), I remind myself how hideously difficult the growing-out process was. It took a couple of years and several really expensive transitional coloring jobs from the salon, and I'd never want to go through it again. It's very liberating not worrying about roots after 20 years of worrying about roots!