Model Wife of Ryan Lavery from 'All My Children' Went Gray in Her 20s & He Adores Her Silver Hair

• Cameron Mathison, known as Ryan Lavery from "All my children," has been married to his model wife Vanessa for 20 years, and they raise two kids.
• Vanessa started going gray at 20 and struggled with coloring for years.
• Now, she shows off her fantastic hair, which her husband adores.

Cameron Mathison became a household name after his role in the popular sitcom "All My Children." The show ran from 1970 until 2011 and comprised a total of 22 seasons. Mathison starred as Ryan Lavery from 1998 until 2011.

Now, he has created his own family with children and is living a happy life with his loving wife. The pair often show one another off on social media and appear blissfully in love with one another after years of marriage.

Mathison and his wife recently celebrated 20 years of marriage together and took to social media to express their happiness. Since leaving the show, Mathison's life has not been empty but filled with love.

To mark the occasion, Mathison shared a photo of him and his wife, Vanessa Arevalo, embracing one another with their foreheads gently touching. They each wore a white ensemble. Another photo showed the couple on their wedding day 20 years ago.

Vanessa Matheson and Cameron Matheson during Mayor Bloomberg Hosts a Reception in Celebration of the 32nd Annual Daytime Emmys at Gracie Mansion in New York City, New York, United States | Source: Getty Images

The photos were remarkable, but it was Mathison's caption that touched the hearts of all those who read it. Mathison's caption read:

"20 years of marriage. 240 months of morning coffee together, 1043 weeks of cherishing each other, 7035 days of togetherness, 175,320 hours of love, and 1 beautiful family. Happy anniversary my love. I have no idea how you've put up with me for 20 years."

Fans, friends, and colleagues all shared their happy thoughts with the couple and said how amazing it was that they are still so in love after so many years together. In fact, they still flirt with one another on social media.

Arevalo recently shared a photo of herself with grey hair on her Instagram page. She shared a powerful quote to go with the picture and showed that she was embracing the aging process. Mathison immediately commented with three hearts, showing his love and support for his wife.

Many others also thought that Arevalo was incredible for not coloring her hair and deciding not only to age gracefully but to share her journey with the world. Some fans called her stunning pr gorgeous, while others said she inspired them to embrace their grey hair.

Why Did Mathison's Wife Start Going Grey at 20?

While Arevalo's head is now almost entirely grey, she started out with only a few grey patches at the young age of 20. She said she started going grey in her early 20s, but by the time she turned 25, she had to color her hair to hide it.

Cameron Mathison and Vanessa Arevalo arrive to The Inaugural Gateway Celebrity Fight Night held at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on March 12, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona | Source: Getty Images

She mentioned that when she first started coloring her hair, she could do it every five weeks, then it turned into every four weeks, and by 2021, she had to dye her hair every three weeks for her grey hair to be covered.

Mathison's wife said she has been incredibly insecure about her hair, constantly worrying if someone would see it. She even went to such drastic measures as to use hair mascaras and wear hats so people would not notice she was grey.

Arevalo said the stigma was strong for any woman with grey hair, but especially women in Los Angeles, but that she was growing tired of coloring her hair and had been thinking about fully embracing her grey hair for three years before she finally found the courage to do it.

Cameron Mathison (L) and his wife Vanessa Mathison (R) on the set of Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 07, 2020 in Universal City, California | Source: Getty Images

Although she acknowledged it would be difficult for her, she was ready to jump. She said she would look older and then continued:

"But that's ok because guess what, I am getting older…and I'm grateful. Getting older is a blessed gift; not all are guaranteed."

Mathison's wife said she was inspired by two other women, who she didn't know personally, but admired from afar. She mentioned they had shown her that she could embrace her natural appearance without fear of what others might think.

Apart from the women she mentioned, Arevalo also said her husband, who worked with Kelly Ripa on "All My Children," had been a deciding factor in her stopping her hair coloring journey because: "...He has shown me the purist love and embraced my grey from the beginning."

Arevalo ended the post by saying this was what she looked like with grey roots and that even though she felt a little scared about revealing this part of herself to the world, she also felt liberated.

Why Did Arevalo Sacrifice Her Modeling Career to Raise Two Kids?

Mathison once revealed that he and his love met at a gym in New York City in 1998 but didn't start dating until a year later when they met up again at a Ford Model's party in Los Angeles. They have been together ever since.

Arevalo and Mathison tied the knot in July 2002 and welcomed two children. Arevalo later gave up her career and dedicated herself to her family and raising her two children, although it was initially difficult for her.

The couple's children are Leila and Lucas, who are now 17 and 19, respectively. However, when they were born, Arevalo admits she thinks she had an identity crisis because of the swift transition between being a model and a mother.

She mentioned that she was a model for 18 years and was successful and independent. She could do whatever she wanted whenever she felt like it, and suddenly she became a stay-at-home mother of two small children.

Cameron Mathison and Vanessa Mathison during The McCarton Foundation Benefit For Autistic Children - May 22, 2006 at Pier 60 in New York City, New York | Source: Getty Images

However, she said that while it was overwhelming, she took great joy in caring for her children even if she didn't know who she was at the time. She said it took her a year to figure out her place in the world.

Arevalo said she had no friends who were mothers initially, but when she made friends who had children, it made it easier for her to find her place and become happier being a mother to her children.

She also had a lot of help from her husband, who she said was a hands-on dad and that he had been from the beginning. She hadn't expected so much support from her husband and said he surprised her.

Cameron Mathison, Leila Emmanuelle Mathison and Vanessa Arevalo attend A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN! National Love Our Children Day at Spotlight Live on April 5, 2008 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Arevalo also confessed that she had no plans to return to modeling. She said she had done it for 18 years and had her fill. She expressed gratitude for the opportunities modeling had afforded her but said she would not miss it.

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