Breaking an Addiction

I am an addict.  There.  I said it.  Isn't that the first step to conquering an addiction?  Admitting that the addiction exists.

I am addicted to the bottle - the hair color bottle.  I have been coloring my hair since I was a freshman in college - 26 years.  It started with Sun In and grew from there.  I have been coloring my hair for so long, I no longer remember what my original hair color is.

I used to dye my hair because it was fun and let's face it, hair is meant to be used for fun.  Then, I found my first gray hair - which was quickly followed by more - and dying my hair was my way of staying one step ahead of age.

But I am becoming exhausted and my wallet is taking a hit trying to stay ahead of the gray.  Almost as soon as the color is finished processing, my lovely gray Lily Munster streak starts to come through.  So, I am wondering if it's time to check in to hair color rehab. 

The problem is, I don't want to just stop coloring my hair and let it grow out so that eventually I have two-tone hair before cutting off the old color.  I honestly don't think I could handle that.  So, I am seriously considering taking a kamikaze approach to going gray and cutting my hair very short - a la Mia Farrow - thus cutting off all of the color and letting my natural hair grow in.

I have a friend who beat her bottle addiction by close cropping her hair and letting it grow out to her natural color.  And her hair is gorgeous - it's silvery gray and doesn't age her.  I am terrified that if I do this it will be the opposite result.  I am afraid my hair is going to come in looking like salt and cayenne and make me look old. 

Can I drown out the siren song of Revlon and L'Oreal and allow my hair to age gracefully?