Talk to me about going grey if you a brunette please

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Just dyed my hair with a different dye to usual, and it's not covered the grey at all (Clairol Nice & Easy; I usually use John Frieda). I'm sick of dyeing it every four weeks but also really can't face just trying to grow it out for months and months and months.

Has anybody managed to go grey gracefully? Or find a way to look half decent without dyeing it every few weeks?

I don't mind going to see a hairdresser. In fact, I'm half tempted to go and ask somebody to just dye it all grey for me!

[3catsandcounting]

No advice, but as a fellow brunette going/ gone grey and who hates the whole Nice&Easy palaver, I empathise.

[Sammy867]

You need to add lighter colours to blend it out a bit. I’ve had grey patches since I was around 16 (one big tuft in the centre but no more since) and I found highlights are the best bet for covering it- then you can just so a root touch up every so often.

[MattBerrysHair]

I just let the dye grow out. I'm about 25% grey and it's mostly at the front. People said it looked cool in a Rogue from Xmen sort of way, but I think they were just being kind! A good haircut and defrizzing is essential or you can end up looking a tad scruffy as the white hairs stick up due to their coarser texture.

[Batinahat]

I decided to stop covering my greys a couple of years ago. I talked to my hairdresser and we agreed the plan of action that suited me which was that I wanted to transition to all natural grey as quickly as possible but without a scary solid line halfway down my head! For about 6 months we gradually went slightly lighter with my colour. Then when I was ready to stop completely I had one last colour session which was microlights to break up the brunette further. From then on I didn't have any colour and within about a year it was mostly grown out, fairly painlessly and as it turned out, my natural grey looks great and I love it. For me it was easy because for some reason I had just flipped that switch in my head to be free of covering it up and so I just didn't worry so much when I felt people looking at my roots etc. I also found lots of inspiration online to keep me going - I love the Instagram account Grombre which is massively helpful if you want to see people's experiences and journeys.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks all. I'm not sure going lighter will work for me because the hair that isn't grey is still really dark when not dyed.

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

Yes, I went from almost black to almost white. It was a case of changing colour from dark brown, to medium brown to light brown to cold turkey. I home dyed so just bought a different colour. Best decision I made, my hair is the best condition it's ever been and I get lots of compliments.

[Singlenotsingle]

I use Nice 'n Easy too. My problem is that although I use Light Brown it always comes out really dark. I wouldn't want to go grey though. It's bad enough getting old without being reminded of it every time I look in the mirror.

[Batinahat]

I was the same, really dark brunette and about 20% grey but bringing the colour very gradually lighter (just a shade or two lighter brunette for me) just helped me face growing the grey out-I personally had huge anxiety about the line but this isn't everyone's fear of course. Talk to your hairdresser though about ways to transition and what you want to achieve. A good hairdresser will support you to do what you want even if it means them losing out on the colouring business long term :)

[Batinahat]

Couple of other tips for the growing out phase - I found wearing mine a little messier/wavy helped to make the roots less noticeable. I also found it looked best when freshly washed as day old hair emphasised the roots more. Regular trims to keep the condition good and remove the old colour too

[IDoAllMyOwnStunts]

I’ve stopped dying my brown hair which is about 15% greys. I now use a Superdrug own shampoo and separate conditioner for brown hair which has temporary brown dye in it. It sort of blends in the greys a bit. I’m going to wait for it to grow then stop using it all together.

[IDoAllMyOwnStunts]

www.superdrug.com/Superdrug/Superdrug-Colour-Effects-Wash-In-Wash-Out-Rich-Warm-Brown-4/p/751854?gclid=CjwKCAiAuqHwBRAQEiwAD-zr3RcDOnl2Xus8vuEPmCXiX6y085I2ZM3k-KyhqckvSmKdVglH_fSctRoCjyAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[nowyoulistenheretaeme]

I wore my hair up a lot when I went cold turkey. When I was half and half I bought a grey hair-piece thing (like a hair-y scrunchie) to cover the darker bits.

It took me longer than a year (nearer two) but my hair is long.

The only thing I want to do is to dye my anti-Mallen streak - a stubborn little stripe which is still almost black...

[IDoAllMyOwnStunts]

I’m hoping by doing this I’ll go grey gracefully rather than have that sudden white line growth.

[twoblackdogs]

This is what I'm doing right now. I wanted to start with highlights, probably a good idea too, but then I just went a bit lighter brown, after a while it sort of washed out a bit, and now I just let it do its own thing. First thing I noticed - my scalp is definitely healthier. The grey hair is somehow thicker - or it just seems that way, so it sticks out a bit, so I have to be careful of how I style it. All in all - I am glad I did it.
And Grombre on Instagram is brilliant.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I like the sound of the anti-Mallen streak.

[AnnoyingSatsumaInMyStocking]

My hairdresser did this:
Highlights with a gradually lighter brown base until hair is blond-ish.
Enjoy being blonde until you realise everyone who is not dyed brown has same hair colour (and a sensible mum bob).
drop the base colour and change to ash toned highlights.
Embrace the grey, with occasional treatments to brighten the silver tones.

Love mine.

[percheron67]

My hair was becoming more and more grey and became really expensive to maintain. I decided enough was enough and, with the help of my hairdresser, grew it out. It is now totally grey, lighter on top and iron grey underneath. I love it! Regular cutting is essential I think for your confidence. I wish you well.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Loving Grombre. But everyone on there is beautiful - I'm not.

[Elephant10]

I went cold turkey - took about 18 months to go it out - my hair is chin length. Once it got beyond the first 2 inches , the band of grey didn’t bother me as it was obvious I was growing it out - the first 2 inches was painful! Now it’s done, it’s great - I love not having to get it dyed - I only go to the hairdressers every 3 months or so. I did have to invest in some really good shampoos and treatments as it is more frizzy. I get compliments all the time when I’m out and about, particularly by older women. I am lucky that I have thick hair - my colleague would love to let her grey out but she has very thin hair and her scalp would show and it would be incredibly aging. I am more careful about going out with make up and about my clothes - as some people assume you’re “giving up”!

[nowyoulistenheretaeme]

Don’t be liking the anti-Mallen too much! It is at the back, not the front.

I look like a skunk

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'm sure you don't, NowYou. Anyway, skunks are very cute when one isn't downwind of one!

[BirdandSparrow]

I went blonde in the end. I got to 42 ish and got totally fed up of basically having to dye my hair about every 3 weeks.

But I was basically completely grey under the dye. I think every hair on my head is grey. Which meant as soon as there was any growth at all, it was a grey line descending across my head. Not like a distinguished grey streak or anything. Every motherfucking hair. So it was like bad roots, but dishwater grey.

So, the choice was dye it every 2-3 weeks forever more, grow it out and be completely dirge grey colour in my early forties or go blonde.

So, I went blonde. Then added purple streaks. I love it. I was scared it wouldn't suit me but it does actually. It also lasts much much longer because the grey doesn't create such as colour contrast against the blonde when the roots grow through so I don't get that obvious root effect as soon as my hair grows a mm. Also, weirdly enough, against the blonde the grey roots look dark, which looks a million times better than grey roots against dark hair.

I can go a good 2 months instead of 2-3 weeks.

[BirdandSparrow]

I felt I was too young to go grey and not polished or fashionable enough to carry it off stylishly. I'd just have instantly looked a good 15 years older.

[Elephant10]

This is mine a few months - I’ve invested in some anti frizz products since so that has improved somewhat but you can’t eliminate the wiry-ness completely ime

[EvilEdna1]

I was in the same position as you so went cold turkey and had a pixie cut. It's now a mix of silver and my natural very dark brown. The cut looks good I think but I do wish it was more silver.