Hilarie Burton’s ‘Silver Lining’ Roots Are a Stunning Salute to Essential Workers

When it comes to beauty routines during safer-at-home orders, really anything goes. Some feel better applying makeup and doing their hair and others are just doing the bare minimum to stay sane. There are no rules and it’s all about what makes you feel best. So when Hilarie Burton’s gray roots showed up front and center in the actress’ latest Instagram post, we weren’t totally surprised. But then we heard why she’s not touching up her roots right now, we were seriously touched.

“The ‘silver lining’ is literally growing out of my skull,” Burton wrote on Instagram. “For all of our frontline and essential workers who are too busy to fuss with things like hair color, I grow mine out in solidarity with you.” She noted that she doesn’t want to spend her spare time on “vanity” but instead wants to put herself to use helping those on the front lines. Though, she admits, it’s a small gesture. “It’s a small, silly symbol. Gray hair. Who cares, right?” she wrote. “But I hope the nurse or the vet or the store clerk who is feeling tired and overwhelmed knows that it’s a visible thing I can show that says ‘I’m with you.'”

It’s a really sweet salute to essential workers (not to mention, she looks great!), but you absolutely should not feel bad if you prefer to cover your own gray roots while at home. It’s all about what makes you feel comfortable right now and we are all finding ways to give back and help those who are working so hard to keep us safe. And hey, if you want to let your gray roots grow in, take inspo from Burton and just go for it.