Grey hairs

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Can I just give up dyeing my hair now please?! It's very dark brown and I've had grey hairs since I was 13, I'm now 32, honestly I've spent a small fortune!

Opinions please!

[321zerobaby]

Will having grey hair change the way you feel about yourself? Will you be happy with your reflection? Only you know the answer. For me, at 45, I would hate to stop dyeing my hair, but plenty on here have and liked it. It may depend on what colour the hair ends up, and also the texture. Wirey salt and pepper isn't a good look imo.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

It probably wouldn't be the best look I've ever had but it just costs so much to keep on top of it! I don't have anything fancy done just an all over colour and trim and it's £90 odd every six weeks! Even that is stretching it a bit as the greys are already obvious, spend most of the time with it tied up as that helps cover the majority of them ...

[Greengardenpixie]

why not try home dyeing if you arent happy? I am 46 and have thought about it. The thing is, i was looking at a woman standing in a queue in a cafe and she had grey hair. Tbh, she looked old at first sight and then i looked closely at her face and it surprised me that she was actually at most in her mid thirties.
I would like to because i hate the hassle but i dont think i am ready. In all honesty, she would have looked better if she had dyed her hair imo.

[321zerobaby]

The very dark brown colour isn't helping your cause any, grey hair will show up immediately as its such a contrast. How about putting some caramel lowlights in it to lift it a bit and show less regrowth?
You could also find somewhere less expensive, or salon training nights where they need models for a very modest fee.

[HeffalumpsnWoozles]

It does depend if you can face the growing out stage too, I've been hiding the greys since I was 30, now 42 & can't see myself ever stopping. But it's cheaper & less hassle as I do it at home. Slowly going lighter until I reach a blonde, makes the regrowth less noticeable. As soon as I see the little buggers growing through I feel older & I know I'd look older too, can't imagine going au naturale

[DayLillie]

I have been dying my light brown hair dark blond - it gives it a more interesting colour, covers the grey, but does not show as much as it grows out. I used to have three colours put in (my natural colour, a red colour and a dark blond) but it got too expensive.

I got fed up of the home dye, as it was not doing my fluffy hair any favours, and the regrowth was annoying - it is much less noticeable with the three colours. So, I have been growing it out.

I am going to have highlights to blend the top bit into the ends a bit, for my birthday . Eventually, I want to let it all go grey, with some interesting highlights.

My sister' premature grey hair has reached the white stage and she looks stunning!

[DartmoorDoughnut]

I think trying some high/low lights might be the way ahead, although I had them done years ago (at a cheaper salon) and they looked awful, whether due to the salon or as I'm so dark (have olive skin etc), they looked like tiger stripes, just awful! So will stick with the new but expensive salon for this new experiment!

They seem to be more prevalent this time around, not sure why, new ones have come through at the front of my hairline, normally they're fairly bang smack in the middle so easy to hide but no way of hiding them now ... woe is me!

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Lillie the ones that come through are proper white not grey or anything .. maybe I should save money and be brave like your sister!

[whereisshe]

I have about 75% grey on top (and I'm only 37 ) and I used to dye it dark brown permanent but the regrowth was horrendous.

About two years ago I got sick of it and got the hairdresser to do colour b4 to lift off all the dark dye, then a pale ash brown semi over the lot.

Now the greys are blonde and the rest of my hair is closer to it's natural dark ash brown colour, which looks quite good. The regrowth is less horrible and the semi roots touch up every 4-5 weeks is a lot more affordable! It's less damaging for my hair as well.

[SnazzyHotFlush]

Where are your greys coming through? Is it concentrated in patches or all over?

Personally I think going natural can look stunning. I like the Highland Fashionistas look. Lots of really stunning silver heads on pinterest too.

I'm growing mine out at the moment as it needs dyeing every fortnight with 30vol peroxide or the hair won't take the dye. Too high maintainance. I have been going grey for years and at nearly 40 it is time.

I have a ring of pure white around my face and a sprinkling all over that, when mixed in with my natural colour,looks taupe. I have a very cool undertone and dyes always add too much red in. Am looking forward to being done and it should only be a couple of months now.

One thing I would say is that you need to have a good hairstyle and use make-up if you go natural.

[peasandlove]

if you have olive skin you might be able to get away with going silver

[Cocolepew]

Im going grey atm after years of (mostly dark) dye. I do have very short hair though so Im hoping it will be easier. I had a pixie cut but have cropped it and lightened it. I'm 45.
If it looks realky crap I'll put blonde over it. The bits showing through are silver so hopefully the rest will be too.

I think if you are younger with grey hair its best to have a proper cut, I hate the word edgy, but that what I mean .

[marne2]

I'm the same, 32 and struggling to cover greys, I don't want to keep dying it as it makes my hair so dry.

[Stokey]

If you can, use a vegetable-based dye as these are less harsh. A good hairdresser like Aveda will have them or if you're in London Karine Jackson is great.

I do full colour only every three months (£90) and a root touch up in between which I think is £60 so not quite as pricey.

[Jenni2legs]

I would stock up on L'Oreal Casting Crème Gloss, in a shade one level lighter than it's currently being dyed and do those once a month, it will let the current dark brown grow out without too much of a 'line'. Then once all of the dark brown has grown out cut dying down to once every couple of months (or completely) and see if you like the natural look that is starting to shine through - the Crème Gloss stuff is only semi-perm, so washes out.

I am recommending that one as it has no ammonia and is quite nice to use, but any semi-perm would do, I think Boots and Superdrug do own brands.

This should cost you less than a tenner a month xx

[Dunwhingin]

I've just ended 8 weeks of my natural hair colour. I am 42 and about 50% grey evenly spaced.
polite people said they looked like expensive highlights, the mirror said that I looked like my 70 year old mother!
my remaining colour is very dark, I have gone a little crazy and had bleach applied which has left me a kind of apricot colour with white highlights.. the mood I'm in a present that about suits me
the main point is that EVERYONE who has seen me has said how much younger I look blonder, how ageing the grey was!!!

so.. go with a subtle colour change, building up the lighter highlights, go find that training salon, it is a great bargain as they are wholly supervised and don't go grey until it is 99%

[ZaraW]

Has anyone tried silver to gold a henna product but leave on your hair for around 15 minutes I think? Reviews are pretty good.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Thanks for all the tips

I'm going to leave it for a bit longer and see how I feel, far too hot to be sitting in a salon in any case at the moment!

More a sprinkling of greys rather than big batches of them but all along my parting and now at the front a bit too, will see what another few months brings! I don't wear make-up but was still getting id'd up until about 6 months ago so may take the ageing risk!

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

I'm currently 'going grey' As in, I haven't had any colour or highlights for 4 months. However what I AM doing is using the level one (no ammonia or peroxide.. coats the hair for a few washes) stuff to blend the roots with the old ..going brassy.. colour. So far I am happy. I actually like the white streak at the front and am going to persevere till ALL the old dye is grown out (short bob currently)

Then if I hate being half grey I will start again but lighter. So far I have noticed how much healthier the roots are.. soft and much better condition, and actually.. my face is ok for my age (46) so fuck it