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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to grow out hair colour

29 replies

Nishky · 08/03/2014 10:08

The title is a bit crap-will try and explain. For years had highlights put in my hair, then became too grey for highlights alone. So had red colour and blonde highlights- got it looking fab.

Then the stylist who did it moved away-can't get it like that with other stylists.

It is very high maintenance and expensive, also I have now had my hair cut short, which I love, but the blonde highlights don't look as good and don't last.

So I am contemplating just letting it all grow out and then decide. Is that mad though? Will it look so crap for months that I will cave.

I am 49 this month and worry that the red dye is a bit harsh ifyswim?

Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
Silverfoxballs · 08/03/2014 10:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Prettykitty111 · 08/03/2014 10:16

How about putting this in style and beauty? It's hardly an am I being unreasonable situation. It's your hair, it's not going to upset anyone else is it. You can even post pictures in s&b if you want to. Plus I've asked myself and they are fab with hair over there.

Original poster
Nishky · 08/03/2014 10:30

Thanks Silver- is you hair fairly long? I was thinking of having very short crops to try and get the dye out quickly

OP posts:
ButterflySwan · 08/03/2014 10:46

Hi, I had mine cropped very short to get rid of colour & it's grown back with a silver streak at the front which I love, natural highlights!

I also like not having the hassle & expense of dye, after a week the grey showed anyway so it seemed a bit of a waste of time.

I'd suggest you go for it, it will grow back & you can always dye again if you hate it.

Silverfoxballs · 08/03/2014 10:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Loopylouu · 08/03/2014 10:46

I've kind of done the same.

Years of hair dye, either by myself or at salons left my hair uneaven and darker on the ends. I'm 34 but have quite a lot of grey.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and last dyed my hair just before I conceived (felt too sick to bother again!) and now a the colour has almost totally faded out.

I'm glad that I have had 9 months to do this, hopefully I can sort it once and for all once he baby is here.

Original poster
Nishky · 08/03/2014 15:59

Thank you for the replies, very short crop it is. I have grown hair in past but am rubbish at putting it up so it just hangs

OP posts:
wobblyweebles · 08/03/2014 16:08

Yes I'm doing the same. I had it cut into a much shorter style but it's still taking months for all the colour to go. I've got a slightly grey streak at the front and the rest is brown. It's saving me a fortune.

SometimesLonely · 08/03/2014 16:18

I'm so pleased to see this thread. I'm rather older than the OP and my natural hair colour is - erm - white all over. I thought it looked lovely and, until I coloured it, had it cut to chin level. (It was very dark brown when I was younger)

I saw a photograph of a crowd of similarly aged women (with me in it) and I looked twice their age a good bit older than they did because they all had highlighted or otherwise coloured hair. So I had mine coloured light brown a couple of years ago, it's now below my shoulders and I wear it Tom Jones bow (not singer) style unless I go out somewhere. I'm now in two minds about whether I should keep it this colour or go back to the original colour.

It was the jaw clip link that made me think of this. As others have said, grow it out for as long s you can, crop it short to show just your natural colour and then start again. I did that 15 years ago and it was well worth it then

Original poster
Nishky · 08/03/2014 16:25

I did wonder about stripping the colour out, I will try growing it first but will bear it in mind.

Thanks sometimes, am going to give it a go!

OP posts:
lifelorn · 08/03/2014 17:32

I have naturally dark hair but it is going very much greyer, after 3 weeks it needs redoing. This is too expensive and time consuming so I am going to accept the grey. In order to not have a line to grow out I will be having low lights every few months. I started this 3 months ago and although the longer parts of my hair are all dark it looks OK and very much like I have not coloured it. I intend to have interesting highlights when the grey is more established.

southwest1 · 08/03/2014 18:53

I stopped dyeing mine over three years ago and have had more compliments since then than ever before. The grey looks lovely and my hairdresser tells me people spend a fortune to get their hair to look like mine (very grey at the front).

SometimesLonely · 08/03/2014 19:27

southwest1 Well perhaps I'll let my colour be washed out (it's semi permanent coloured every 6 weeks or so so can be washed out every few days) and let it go back to white. I'll let it keep growing though for the time being. Wink

Oh, and for those talking about the expense of colouring hair, try your local college, if it's not too far away, where they do hairdressing. You will have to pay but it's a lot cheaper than having it done at a high street salon. They are learning and need people to practise on. Grin

sonjadog · 08/03/2014 19:37

I'm growing mine out too. I just decided that I couldn't be bothered dying it any more. It is a bit scary though. I have dyed mine for years so I don't really know how grey it is. So far it has grown out about 2 inches. I haven't done anything about the dye, but it was dyed my natural colour so the contrast isn't huge. I've just accepted it's going to look a bit odd for a while. My hair is dry and I think the years of dying really haven't helped. I'm hoping that my hair will be less dry when it is grown out.

Feminine · 08/03/2014 19:53

If anyone has greys coming through and contemplating dying. I would suggest waiting.

I think when silver/grey comes through we panic and cover! the very worst thing really, as one day you will have to grow out a block.

I have lots of silver hairs, but they are still invisible. I'm going to see what nature gives me before I reach for the Henna.

As long as it is not styled like a cauliflower I think it looks lovely!

So op grow it out and buy some pretty slides! :)

Catsmamma · 08/03/2014 19:58

I have grown out all my highlights and schizzle over the past couple of years.

hair is shortish. ..currently a bob (ish) style and the young things at work say the grey streaks look fine, ...a couple of them are quite complimentary.

I do need a good cut though as it is getting a bit Mum Bob.

missymayhemsmum · 08/03/2014 20:01

Like you I had been colouring for years, either expensive highlights (occasional) or sun-in type (steadily worse) or home highlighting kit (ghastly but I had grey roots and couldn't afford hairdresser). My lovely haidresser suggested using semi-permanent home dyeing while waiting for the permanant colour to grow out, which worked fine, and now I'm back to my natural colour (light brown with grey 'highlights') which I certainly prefer to grey roots.

ShadowOfTheDay · 08/03/2014 20:27

mine is mousey brown with white highlights... I used to dye it, but let it grow out - took 18months - for a SEMI-permanent on shoulder length bob... but was not too bad as after the first 4 months it looked dip-dyed just as that craze started.... it is as soft as gossamer and shines beautifully now - I will never go back to dye...

crazykat · 08/03/2014 20:33

You can buy a colour stripper in boots which takes coloured hair dye out of your hair and you're left with your natural colour. Obviously it wouldn't do anything to the blonde streaks as that's had the pigment removed but it would take out the red.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 08/03/2014 20:44

My hair is dark brown with a silvery white streak at the front and a light scattering of grey.

I started using henna in my early twenties but grew out all the henna in my fortieth year, so my colour is now completely natural. I love it! It looks like silver highlights and I wish I'd done it years ago.

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 08/03/2014 20:50

Can't you just get it cut shorter and keep dyeing it with a semi permanent dye until the permanent dye has grown out, then let the semi permanent dye fade out?

JenJoWilson · 08/03/2014 21:02

I used to get regular highlights until I decided I wanted to go back natural. It took too long with how long my hair is. My hairdresser simply dyed my hair back to its natural colour (she definitely has a talent when it comes to dying hair), and got it spot on so I didn't have to deal with the horrible regrowth look. Worth a try?

JenJoWilson · 08/03/2014 21:04

I was also told by my hairdresser to NEVER strip my hair, said it completely ruins it. Good luck :)

WitchWay · 08/03/2014 22:40

My hair was very dark when I was young but has had an increasing sprinkling of grey for the last 20 years. Now 48yo. I have it dyed to an approximation of my original colour but over the last couple of years have allowed a grey streak to grow through my fringe which actually hides the roots coming through in the parting. I'd like to be all grey but hate the in between stage,

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