Mumsnet Talk

I've had to start dyeing my hair. I'm dark haired and am grey around the temples. The greys are such stubborn bastards that they refuse to take colour. Ive tried everything. Salon visits, home hair dying , 10 min solutions, 2 hour solutions, wearing it all fecking day even. I've tried using a bit of the perixide from the home dye kit on my roots to open them up. I've tried hair drying the greys to soften the shits up. I've tried everything. Pls pls help me!! I'm not grey all over. I died my hair yest and my greys bitches are shining through already. If I keep dying my hair once a week I will be bald soon! Pls don't suggest not dying. I'm still young(ish). I've tried every brand. I've changed shampoos. I'm desperate!

I have the same problem. You need to use hydrogen peroxide 20% vol to pre- treat, don't think the one with the dye is that strong. Also, use a shampoo without SLS in it, these two things combined have helped me enormously, and mine are super stubborn.

Thank you! Where can I buy the peroxide from? Do I mix ordinary colour into it? Thanks again.

Try Amazon or ebay, or your local chemist might sell it. I dab it on with cotton wool about half an hour before I dye my hair. Don't mix it with your hair dye!

Another thing I do is when I need to re-touch my temples, I use my regular dye and mix enough for a strand test, a teaspoon of both. I keep a little plastic pot, plastic spoon and a tinting brush in the bathroom so I can do touch ups when needed. I also use demi-permanents to freshen up my colour and only do a full head of colour a few times a year. Nobody knows how grey I am, have got it down to a fine art!

I can't emphasise the SLS free shampoo enough though, that has really helped too. Somebody on these boards mentioned it and it has been a revelation.

Just checked, mine is 9% 30 Vols - got mixed up with my volumes and %ages there!

So hydrogen peroxide 9% and volume 20 is what I need????

Also, the sls free shampoo, do you have the name of one? I've checked amazon for both and it's bringing up loads of different things. Don't want to get the wrong thing! Many thanks.

I have a hair mascara I use on my temples between dyes. It's semi permanent and I use a brush from a highlighting kit, rather than the wand, to put it on. It's very effective.

I bought a L'Oreal shampoo the other week which is sls free.

I have very stubborn grey too. I use henna in blocks from Lush. It comes in 4 different colours - red, brown, red/baroon/brown and black, and you can mix the blocks to achieve your own colour. It covers brilliantly and leaves my hair in great condition.

Used to use 'normal' colour but it didn't last and I started to get a bit worried about possible allergic reactions from the PPD in it.

I'm worried about reactions too. Will look into the henna but there isn't a lush in our city. Will try online.

Do sls shampoos prevent the due reaching grey hair?

Baking Lush sell the henna online. I think there is some stuff on youtube on how to put it on in the easiest way - it is a bit messy the first time or two, until you get used to it.

I just use normal mascara and also keep my hair down.

I don't know why the SLS free shampoo works, just know I re-touch a lot less frequently, even though I forgot the hydrogen peroxide last time I retouched.

I use halos n horns which I use for my young daughters too, I bought from Amazon.