When is it time to just embrace the grey?

[MeinKraft]

I know the proper sensible answer is ‘whenever you want to’ but I don’t know if i want to. I think grey hair looks really cool on other people but on me it just makes me look even more frumpy. I’m quite fed up that i’m not even 40 yet (but on the cusp of it) and i suddenly have a head full of greys and arthritis and haphazard periods 😅 I thought this was all about 15 years away!

Anyway. Should i grow out my greys? Keep dying them and risk looking daft? What did you do with yours? I’m not talking about few nice silver streaks, i’m talking a full head of grey and the non grey bits are mouse brown 🤔

In many cases it is the contrast between a warmer brown or blond (particularly if you've been dyeing) and the white hairs that doesn't look great. When I was transitioning, I used Bleach Fade to Grey which took that colour to more of a dark charcoal and toned the white in. To be honest, I feel that when you get over a certain age, colouring beyond some blending is obvious a mile away, no matter how expensive and ages you.

Yes this is what I am trying to avoid. All the women in their 50s and 60s with blonde hair just look like they have yellow dried out locks which looks less good than grey in good condition. I don't care about looking older (I am older) I just want nice soft hair. Probably not possible to be honest! Grey tends to be more coarse anyway.

I'll never embrace the grey. But my hair just loses colour. I don't get the Brillo pad texture so it's easy to highlight over.

75?

I’m not mad on grey, pure white can look great through when one is proper old - so maybe 80.

I am 60 and absolutely no way am I ready to go grey ! I just dye my hair every other month and look 10 years younger.

Never. When I see a woman with grey hair I just assume she’s too lazy to dye it.

Bless your heart.

I have the same problem and have had a degree of success with Garnier olia box dye. I also leave it on for less time than recommended, and plaster moisturiser on the skin, including ears, which will be near the dye, and wash it out twice.

I’m looking forward to better hair dye technology as chemicals get banned.

I did use a henna/indigo mixture for a while but the colour was too solid.

Well aren’t you a peach

I made the mistake of trying to stay dark but it just looks too dark on my face now and the grey literally comes in so fast.
A
Hairdresser about 6 years ago told me I was 100% grey now and to have it blonde.
I do think I used to look better dark but I'm naturally a dirty blonde colour so them days are gone and I'm booked in for highlights next week so I'll be back to ash blonde.
Unlike other people here I think grey can look lovely and wouldn't assume anyone was lazy.
For me it was upsetting when people pointed out my white / grey hair it's very personal , if you're ready to try it I think it's brilliant just the same if you're not ready to give in to it yet like I'm not. I'm 50 and started getting greats after I had my child at 21

Being a brunette, can’t see myself ever being a blond, so I guess I’ll go grey when it looks wrong to still be dying my hair.

Never, I will go a softer, lighter shade. I couldn’t believe that my elderly mum looked ten years younger with a new hair colour . That sold it for me 😀

What colour did she go for?

She’s in her 80s and went for a very light warm blonde . I really couldn’t believe the difference , I hate dyeing my once natural red hair but I do feel I look much better after.

The problem with going blonde if you’re naturally dark is then the root regrowth.

im late 40s and have some darkish (bit slightly lighter than my natural colour) to break the greys up but not completely cover them.

Yes, my mother aged 10 years overnight when she stopped getting her hair coloured ash blonde. It wasn't that anyone was going to look at her at 70 and think her hair was naturally that colour (especially as she was never blonde before she turned grey) but...the grey makes her look noticeably older.

Truthfully I always think grey or white hair on anyone over 30 is ageing. I know on Mumsnet people will say it looks "fresher" and "I get lots of compliments" and even that it looks "younger" than dyed hair. I totally understand colouring is tedious, it's expensive, some people are allergic, some hair doesn't take colour well, and many people just have better things to do than colour their hair. Also that grey hair can look elegant and attractive, especially if you have warm colouring and thick hair with curls or body. But for most people it 109% makes them look older (whether we should care about that is another matter!).

I think it depends how many grey hairs you have and what colour they are. I'm 41, and have a couple of grey (white) hairs, but not enough to grow them out. My mum turned grey very late on and she has a lovely natural colour. My dad turned grey at 17 and was bright white by his 20s. Looking at the few hairs I have mine look like they're gonna be white, so I'm not dreading it when the day comes 🙂

After the pandemic, my grey came through so beautifully that my hairdresser and I made the decision to ditch the dye at 50.

First time my friend saw it, she did not believe that it wasn't deliberately dyed. Now 4 years later, the dark is almost gone but I'm never going blonde again.

I really don't care if folk think it makes me look older. My aunt dyed her hair really dark brown until probably her 80s. Last time I saw her, she had beautiful white hair and looked so much better.

Im going grey around the front and sides, I have T-foils to blend them in!

I decided not to dye mine once the grey came in - late 40s and maybe a third silver grey. I'm happy with how it's going. I've always had fine hair strands, but a decent amount of hair, and managing that has always been interesting! A good cut/style and adapting make up (if you wear it) for changing skin/hair tone helps.

So many women I know tried to go blonde instead of grey - 75% of them just look washed out.

I've just turned 40 and am currently in the grow out stage, naturally dark drown so have a hideous demarcation line. I felt the box dye was looking harsh and patchy. Also it would only be 8 days after dyeing when you could see the grey roots.

I'm still deciding whether to go blonde (am also considering semi permanent purple whilst it's growing out) but I'll wait and see what it's like when fully grey. It's healthier and zero maintenance and it's making me embrace different styles so I feel like I'll want to keep it grey.

So instead of 90 she looked 80. That’s some vanity.

Who conditioned you to think ageing is somehow shameful?

Are you always so judgemental? I feel that you're actually the lazy one, judging random folk for no reason.