I let my hair go grey at 38, AMA

[starsandstuff]

I stopped dying my hair at 38, I'm now 42 and it's been fully grown out for a couple of years and I love it! I sometimes see some people saying they might like to but they're unsure so AMA.

No questions from me, but just had to say 1) fabulous 2) inspirational. Much over-used words these days but feel appropriate here.

My greys coming though now. I stopped dying once I noticed any grey. I know it sounds awful but I rarely think it looks better when people dye their hair to cover grey. I think if you're fair and you get regular blonde highlights done that looks nice. But a block of deep chestnut on a 50 year old. Nah.

Your hair looks wonderful op. I have dark blonde hair with bits of white growing in at the temples. I haven't ever dyed my hair really and don't plan on starting; I hope it comes in as shiny and luxurious as yours! I'd love a head of white hair.

Your hair is lovely. I’ve grown out all my colour, so I am grey too. I love it - took it a bit of getting used to but the freedom of not constantly dyeing it was worth it!

By the way OP, are you a Psychedelic Furs fan?

Your hair looks AMAZING! Definitely inspiring me!

I'm 37 and have mousey brown hair that I have never dyed, similar hair length and style to yours. Starting to go grey now at the front and temples. I'd really love hair like yours eventually! Thanks for posting!

@whatashower aw thanks

I didn't change my makeup, but I did start wearing different colours clothes-wise. I have brown eyes and with the dark hair I tended to wear warmer colours, and didn't wear greys or silvers or blues, but they really suit me now, whereas rust for example now kind of washes me out. It did motivate me to lose weight because I've always struggled with my weight and I thought well if I'm going to be grey I'd at least like to be grey and fashionable (I always find it harder to get nice clothes when I'm bigger but also I'm crap at shopping so that might just be me). I lost 4st but I've put 2 back on so I need to get back on that! But overall not too much changed.

Congratulations on your baby by the way I'm actually TTC for the first time at 42 so that's more inspirational to me!

Thanks all

My hair is the same length and style - as in no real style at all!! - since I was about 19 and I never got compliments on it before I let the grey come in so I appreciate that a lot. I kind of feel sad for all the years I covered it up but tbh it never occurred to me not to - you just dye your grey hair I thought. So I really admire you guys who just let it happen naturally from the beginning. And anyone doing it now, hang in there! And anyone thinking of it I always think sure if you try it and it's not for you it can always be dyed again, and worst that happens is your hair gets a little rest in the meantime.

@MyfanwyMontez sorry I only know one Psychedelic Furs song!

Your hair is beautiful, OP, absolutely stunning!
I’m currently allowing my hair to go grey as I can’t bear the thought of having to keep touching up my roots if I dye it. Mine is short though.
Do people realise that yours is naturally that fabulous colour, or do they think it’s a dyed fashion-statement?

OP your hair is gorgeous.

I stopped dying mine in Feb. It's short, but longer through the top. (think Pink/Katy Perry)

I actually bleached it sliver to go grey as the silver roots coming through the brown dye looked terrible.

I LOVED it bleached/silver and it's looked good all the way through so far - much better than I thought it would growing out.

I've had nothing but compliments. Mostly from total strangers!

Ah, your username is from one their songs , so was wondering.

Yay! Great AMA,
I’m 44 with the first couple of white hairs showing up.
I haven’t dyed my (black) hair since I was a teenager and really don’t want to start now.

What bit of the transition did you find most unsettling?

Your hair is stunning! Lovely to see longer grey hair, often people have shorter which can rock as well but the longer length is so pretty on you.

Some people have asked me if it's dyed or not - some people assume it must be dyed because "you're not old enough to be grey" to which I reply "well I must be!" I actually got my first grey hairs at 17, it runs in my Mum's side of the family. Part of my job is client assessments and at the end of one I said to a man "Have you any questions?" And he says "Yes, is your hair real?" which made me laugh because we were talking about quite difficult stuff and that took me by surprise.

Oh and i'm 42 and seemingly 100% grey/white naturally! Who knew?!?

certainly not me

@DownAtFraggleRock I'm jealous - short white hair looks so cool but I do not suit short hair at all sadly!

Your hair is absolutely beautiful, well done.

I'm very dark with about 50% grey but in patches, and am forever tempted to grow it out - but at 36 I do feel like it will wash me out and age me. Unfortunately I've become sensitive to hair dye in the last couple of years, so now I have to get it dyed with foils - which is hideously expensive and never quite gets it all.

My partner doesn't want me to go grey, which I must admit is another reason I'm not yet - he likes dark hair and I can understand after 13 years together it would be a bit of a shock! I did try growing it out a couple of years ago and got it down to my ears, but the patchiness looked so odd... I'm hoping in a couple of years it might have evened out a bit and then I'll go for it.

@SleightOfMind I think the trickiest thing was the few months at the beginning when people did a lot of talking to the top of my head! I knew people were initially thinking "does she not realise how much she needs her roots done?" and then after a while it was obvious it was on purpose but it was still hard for people not to stare at it when the roots are 5 inches long... I had a job interview, I had events to go to, I was meeting some of DP's friends for the first time, and it's the first thing people notice. But actually I've always been quite shy and self-conscious, so being able to just hold my head up and not let it bother me really helped me in that regard. Like so what, my hair looks odd, I'm fine with it.

Your hair is amazing! It looks really trendy actually

Love your hair OP, it’s gorgeous.
I’ve just started growing mine out, I’m 47.
Initially started off because I wanted to have better conditioned hair and do the curly girl method ( ie more authentic hair in both style and colour).
I don’t have a lot of grey, mainly at the temples, but seeing the difference between my natural shiny hair and the tatty died stuff I am slowly growing out & cutting off, I will never dye my hair again.

I just wanted to do it now, to avoid that flat dyed colour, the hassle and I feel like I have earned grey hair. I really like it.

OP your hair is stunning. I'm 33 and seriously considering growing mine out, like you I'm utterly sick of roots showing after a week. I'm naturally dark haired but have been getting the odd grey since about 16, and I'm now very grey.

I really want to grow it out, but the transition looks arduous!

starsandstuff lots of people say that, and that they're not 'brave' enough lol

I have a long narrow face so long hair drags me down a bit. It's been long and short on and off for 25 yrs. DH prefers it short (was short when we met and married) and he was all for me going grey.

It's weird how people call it "brave". My sister's MIL told me she wasn't brave enough to do it and she's a cancer survivor It definitely says a lot about how our worth in society is defined by youth and beauty, and doing anything that might risk that in some way is akin to jumping off a bridge...

The transition was difficult at times but only at the start. It gets to a stage where it's just so interesting seeing how it's turning out. And for people who think they'd colour isn't "even" I think those can be some of the nicest results, when there are variations and natural highlights and lowlights.

Btw I get that some partners aren't that supportive (although I'd be tempted to say fine but only on condition that they break out the Just For Men religiously as soon as their own starts, and see how long they can be arsed keeping that up!) I was kind of sad at losing my sense of self as having long dark hair and I worried that my partner would miss it too. But he's been with me when strangers have come up to me and complimented me on it and it makes him happy too by association lol so your partner might be ok when it's done.

Too right. It's only hair, it grows back, and if you don't like it, just dye it again.

Omg @starsandstuff your hair is amazingly beautiful!