EVOLVher Spotlight: Meet Diane Britt-Smith, A Pro-Aging Actor, Model, and Silver Sister.

 
You're an actor, model, pro-age advocate, and such a warm, positive light to follow! We're grateful for the opportunity to learn more about you and to introduce you to our community if they aren't already following you. Can you share a little more about yourself?

I was born and raised in the South in Richmond, Virginia. I made my way to New York City via Maryland and DC. I'm based here now, but I still travel to lots of different places. I retired early from a fantastic career in broadcasting to become an actor and model. I had dabbled in it over the years, but I plunged right in after retiring from my first chapter. I've done so many wonderful projects: print gigs, video gigs, commercials, and all kinds of fun stuff. I could not be more grateful to be where I am today. In addition to being an actor, model, and content creator, I'm a street portrait photographer. I meet people, talk to them, and ask them about their story to find out if I can take their picture. New York City and all cities are full of incredible people with incredible stories. We all have a story, and some of them are quite compelling. I am also into fitness and staying on top of my health, so I like to walk. I walk more than 10,000 steps every day. I like to cycle and play tennis. I think it's really important at this age to stay active, and that is important to me.

What is your hair type? If you're open to sharing, we would also love to learn more about your silver hair journey.

My hair journey to silver started when I was 30. I noticed a couple of grey hairs among the brown ones, and it made me very happy. I grew up watching my mother with snow-white hair. She started at age 17, and I was wondering what took me so long when I started at 30. I've never colored it and I've just embraced it. It's a challenge sometimes, I won't lie about that, especially as I let the relaxer go and I'm all-natural now. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone who is just starting their silver hair journey?

Be patient, silver hair in my case, and a lot of people that I know, the hairs are wiry when they first come in. They’re not smooth and they don’t behave like your original hair color, and I was very surprised at that, even though my mom had told me what to expect. So they soften as your hair becomes whiter and whiter, but at first, that’s quite a challenge. In fact, one of the reasons that I decided to keep the side shaved is because I don’t have to worry about it being unruly or frizzy. So that would be my number 1 advice, be patient. Find the right products for your hair. Some people have low-porosity hair or high-porosity hair, and there are perfect products for each of those types. And if you use the right ones, you have fewer problems. At least that’s what I found. Another thing about the hair journey is to connect with people who have grey hair. Find out what they do, and share best practices. If I straighten my hair, it turns yellow, and it’s not necessarily the products, it’s the heat. So I have to be very careful. I rarely straighten my hair.

Aging is a privilege. Can you share any experiences that highlight the beauty that comes with aging?

I am so privileged and blessed to be this age. I'm working hard to age gratefully and gracefully and maximize the years and moments that I have with me, the moments to do what I want to do to live my best life. You know the saying, aging is a privilege, one that's denied to many people. I don't take that for granted. I'm making the most of what I can do, what I have, and what I do. I am most interested in staying healthy, staying fit, and really taking care of myself so that I can do the things that I'd like to do. 

How do you hope to inspire others through your silver hair journey and pro-aging content?

So my advice to people as we get older, take good care of yourself, put good things in your body, don’t put junk in your body, nothing tastes as good as healthy feels is my motto. So I really work hard, of course, I'm not perfect, no one is, but the more I concentrate on that, the better my quality of life. That's my 61 cents.

Someone asked me what pro-aging means. Pro-aging means that we are advocates for what getting older can look like. We are busting the stereotypes. We are making sure people know that we are vibrant and vivacious. We still have lots to offer, and don't you try to sideline us.

What brings you joy?

This list is very long, and it starts with my family. I understand how precious every single moment is, and we enjoy spending time together. I've been married for 35 years, and my husband and I really enjoy spending time together and staying active. We have some common interests. I also love spending time with my girlfriends and extended family, just concentrating and having as good a time as we can despite the stressors that we all have. Everybody has stress today, and yours may be worse than mine or vice versa, but let's just make the best of what we have.

What is your favorite way to practice self-care?

I practice self-care as much as I can. I walk, eat right, exercise, eliminate toxicity in terms of people, and simply embrace all that life has to offer, as well as all the things that come my way.

Last, but not least! Do you have a favorite EVOLVh product?

I'm so glad that I discovered EVOLVh. It is a wonderful brand and the products are great. My two favorites are the SuperCurl Defining Cream and the DreamGel Strong Hold Styler. Really, my hair loves them. I really feel good when I use these, and I get lots of compliments.