Age 41 & all my hair regrowth is grey. What can I do to reverse this?

[Janesygal]

I can't afford a root touch up every 6 weeks. It's seriously depressing, all my regrowth is grey, I have dark brown hair... Can this be reversed naturally?

Yeah, this. I use garnier nutrisse and it's fantastic. I also find I can push it a little longer than it says, as people don't notice your roots as much as you do. Although I'm blonde and not completely grey so I do accept that wouldn't be as noticeable anyway.

There's no way I'd use a salon now. I even cut my own hair! The dye is so easy to put on. You just leave it for half an hour (I shave my legs, pluck my eyebrows and do other bits while I'm waiting, so everything gets done at once) and then wash it out. Oh, and I really love the conditioner it comes with!

It really depends on your skin tone and overall colouring tbh. This discussion always degenerates into "grey good vs grey bad", with each side judging the other - I wish it didn't. Some people look amazing with grey or silver hair, others don't and look amazing with dye. There's no right or wrong!

Yes I was the same and grew it out in lockdown in my 50s. I'm sure having g 3 dc close together also exacerbated it.

DS my youngest is getting some grey so I think it is genetic

100% it really depends on the person. Some people really suit grey and others it washes them out. It’s not about grey vs not grey. Go for what suits you. Your skin changes as you get older. So you often find it’s best to lighten the shade as you age. Or grey suits you better then it used to.

Every just do with what makes you feel good.

I'm 36 and stopped dyeing my hair 12 months ago (to the day!). I have naturally black hair and got my first grey/white at 16. I was sick of the cycle of dying it and it looking harsh for a week, then the roots coming through after 10 days. And the mess, time and expense of dyeing (I'd done it both at home and at the hairdressers for nearly 20 years).

I've had a few wobbles but overall it's been an amazing experience, totally liberating. And weirdly I feel less grey now its grown out - I was convinced I was around 50% but its actually more like 20%, mainly aroumd my hairline. Never worrying about whether people are noticing my roots or trying to schedule in dyeing sessions. And I have had so many compliments, from all ages and both sexes, whereas before I would get zero comments on my hair. I'm fully aware that there will be people who don't like it but I couldn't care less what they think.

But - if there was a way to actually reverse the greys I would still definitely do that!! So sympathies OP. Once they invent that, they can get on with inventing a suncream tablet so we don't have to go through the rigmarole of applying it all summer...

I like the silver look i think with the right style anyone can pull it off.

I dream of this, I'd love to just have a buzz cut. And although I don't care what others think, I might do it slowly, getting shorter and shorter. Because it's a huge change, even starting from short hair. I've had a pixie cut but I was younger and had colour in my hair. And I was thinner.

I have done this im now 19 months in to my hair growth.

My MIL is 70 this year and her regrowth is white. She spends an absolute fortune on root touch-ups every fortnight! The relentless maintenance of dyed hair really puts me off. I used to dye my hair in my teens, 20s and early 30s, but at 40 I've embraced going grey. I honestly get loads of compliments on my hair. People often think I've had highlights. I've had to think more carefully about my styling (certain colours really wash me out) and skincare. If I'm dehydrated and sallow, I definitely look less great. A little tinted moisturiser and a touch of blush is enough to look great on an everyday basis. Honestly, I would take the plunge!

After 25 years of colouring my dark brown hair I took the plunge coming up 18 months ago and stopped.
After lockdown I had a big regrowth but wasn’t courageous enough to stick with it and really didn’t like how it looked either so back to getting it coloured.
Then a couple of years ago I was beginning to get regrowth after a couple of weeks and I was already resenting have to have it done every four weeks so I decided to stop. My hair has always been my favourite thing about me and I got lots of compliments over the years so this felt like a big decision. To be honest the first few months were awful as it looked terrible but now when you look at me face on or if I have it in a pony tail it looks like I am white haired and it’s fine. I honestly don’t know if it ages me I suspect it does but too bad because one I am almost 60 and two I agree with those saying a halo of grey at the roots is far far more aging and so unless I was going to be colouring if fortnightly that’s what I would have.
I agree with those saying the tide is turning and a lot more younger women are styling it out stopping the dye and to me they don’t look any older. Not to sound silly and overstate it but hair dye is yet another thing women are expected to use but no one would dream of saying that to a man he’s just “distinguished “ or a “silver fox”

Nope.
Learn to embrace it?
Learn how to care for your grey hair, get regular cut/style and adapt your make up and clothing colours (near your face at least).

So if you don’t wear make up, you now have to start wearing it to avoid looking like the grey lady. You now have to start wearing funky emerald colours because the subdued ones don’t help. You have to have your hair cut regularly because if it’s not in a sharp edgy cut you can end up looking witch like. Let’s be honest, it’s a pain in the arse.

Nope.
I have rarely worn make up, but I mentioned it because if you do wear it you might well need to adapt it. You don't have to do anything, I just made suggestions which might help some folk feel attractive/get used to the new look.

Or maybe just look 41 at 41?

Agree.
I find it odd that people have a false idea of what any age actually might look like.
If you are 41 then you look like someone who is 41.

I'm totally grey at 55. I look 55 with grey hair, looking years older is nonsense.
I don't wear bright lipstick or colourful clothes. I actually was able to go back to wearing black which I hadn't done for a few years, when I was dying it darker, as it drained me.

Of course not. Save your money and let your grey grow. Naturally greying hair looks fresher than dyed hair.

@Janesygal, anecdotally, some people report that they have fewer grey hairs after a period of supplementing NMN. Some people say the same of NAD, some of NR. Perhaps if you were to take them for the next 30 years you'd see a change. They are worth looking into, if it is of great importance to you. They bring other benefits, too, and the potential reversal of your white hairs might just be a nice bonus.

But you do need to change your style/colour scheme of clothing. Regular hair cuts. So it’s not without its faff. And having done it myself, it’s a tiny bit boring. I’m not having a go at people, I’m just saying that ‘embracing it’ isn’t that simple either.

I'm in my 50's. Grew it out during lockdown and added a ashy toner to my then blonde hair . Looked amazing. Felt amazing. Sadly bowed down to pressure off people saying I was too young to be grey and went back to the salon and had it dyed again. It's now causing me grief. It went blonde, then too blonde (orangey) so last appointment toned it down and they painted some sort of brown on the root. I now literally look like I have orangey brown hair. So upset. Wish I'd left the damn thing alone. Don't even know how to fix this this time! Roots are coming through white. I can't even add toner this time as there's this bloody brown stuff on the roots.

Any hairdressers advise?!

If I could keep the grey away with zero effort I would, or conversely, be entirely grey. The problem is that it’s so much upkeep when you’re in between. I liked the idea of the tinting shampoo/conditioner, but I don’t wish to look like Cliff Richards as a PP mentioned 😩

Truthfully, no. When you’re grey (or white) that is it

what you need to really consider now is transitioning to either a lighter colour or to the grey that you are now naturally

what will eventually happen is that with constant colouring, you hair will get quite brittle and you’ll get that horrible state if hate that happens to those with quite dark hair that goes grey. A streak of overly coloured hair, so will be darker than the rest, a bit if faded colour towards the end (that will be quite dry) and a constant halo after about two weeks. Very noticeable around the forehead

it’s very sad when you see some ksfurs desperately trying to keep the dark hair when all grey and you see that band of overly dark hair between the linger faded, dry section and the halo

there are many hairdressers who specialise in helping people transition and better understand your options, Particularly for various budgets.

talking as someone who went through this.

Nobody has to do anything.
I found dyeing my hair he most faff of all though, even when younger and had little grey, and cannot be bothered hiding my true colour.

I may have some high/lowlights

It is fun without regrowth commitment

Not to sound silly and overstate it but hair dye is yet another thing women are expected to use but no one would dream of saying that to a man he’s just “distinguished “ or a “silver fox”

But then if we are honest, we are humouring them in using those terms. They don't have the option of dying their hair without social ridicule, so they just have to suck it up. At school reunions the men look older because the women are wearing makeup and colouring their hair - the men are like Dorian Gray's portrait, showing the true age of all present.