Not to mind my grey hairs?

[OinkBalloon]

Every time I go to the hairdressers I'm asked whether I want to cover my greys.

Today a colleague was taking a photo of me (for a notice board at work) and offered to take it "from the other side" so that my greys would show up less.

This made me look around more carefully, and I noticed that the only two colleagues showing any grey are much older than me. The only other greys showing were roots. Most of us have some grey.

I'm 47, have very dark brown hair with an uneven sprinkling of shiny white hairs. What's the big deal?

What's the big deal?

[pressone]

I spent years dyeing my hair and having highlights in all different colours. Now I have the opportunity to have platinum highlights for nothing I embrace it. I have had my longish hair cut as the long silver hairs in amongst the dark brown ones looked a bit witch like, but now it's short I love the colour (especially as we are supposed to have hair that is one colour for work and I don't - and there's nothing they can do about it)

[foreverondiet]

I dye my hair but am too mean to pay in the hairdresser. Just use pack from boots. Honestly it takes 20 mins once every 6 weeks.

Personal choice.

[bluelamp]

I don't mind mine but haven't had any negative comments yet. I have a fabulous hairdresser and great hair (modest) so don't think a few grey hairs is that big a deal. Couldn't be arsed with the work and cost of dying it and making sure the colour goes with my skintone (you know those people who have such lovely glossy hair you know it can't be natural because it doesn't go with their face, although that is better than the 1inch white roots gang MIL). My cousin has always dyed her hair (it was every colour of the rainbow in her 20s) but is now embracing her grey and looks fantastic and very sophisticated. Save the money on the dye and spend it on a great cut is my advice.

[CallMeExhausted]

My first greys sprouted when I was 15 - I have occasionally dyed my hair, but at 40 decided "enough of this".

I wear my hair short and proudly grey. I may look older than my (almost) 42, but I don't really care. Appearance isn't high on my priority list - I keep myself neat and clean, and dress smartly when the occasion requires, but makeup, fancy jewellery and faffing about with my hair are not on the daily list of "to-dos"

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

I'm currently going grey (I'm 47) and feel a bit mixed about it. I love my white stripe in the front but the scattered grey makes me look a bit washed out. However the alternative is the never ending, and ever more frequent date with the bottle.. always makes my head itch and sting so I suspect eventually I'll have a full blown allergy; so.. I am letting nature take its course.
Currently with a short bob I am going PINK style short next cut and getting rid of as much as the old dye as possible!

I asked dh if he minded.. and he pointed to his bald head and almost white beard and said 'go for it!' So I am...

[TheOldestCat]

I started going grey at 18 and have coloured my hair ever since (an now 39). I think many people look fantastic with silver/grey hair, but after experimenting with natural hair last year, I just looked dreadful. So back to the highlights! Am looking forward to having silver hair when I am older, but not for now.

[BarbarianMum]

I don't particularly like my grey hairs but would rather get used to them gradually, as they appear. For those of you who dye, can I ask what is your get out plan? Will you carry on until a certain aged then stop, or keep going until you drop, or is there another way? Wigs?

[however]

IVe stopped dying my hair. I'm 46 and going grey. I've dyed it all different shades since I was 16. I realised that the reason I was dying it now was to cover my grey. That didn't sit comfortably with me, so I stopped.

[CointreauVersial]

I'm leaving mine too (48 and getting a fair sprinkling of grey now). Dying is such a faff.

Most of mine is round the back, so I can't see it.

[iisme]

Barbarian, I have no idea! I've dyed my hair since my mid-thirties and now (39) and fairly grey (can tell when the roots come through). I often worry about how long I'm going to do this for and how they hell I'm going to go grey gracefully when I stop. Maybe I should never have started. I tell myself I will be happy to age gracefully when I'm old, but right now I'm too young to be grey [deluded ...]

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

I quite like my sparkly bits too.

I cannot be arsed with dyeing my hair. It's a total faff; the re growth, having to keep doing it. No thank you. I will embrace my maturity.

Thing is I don't feel as old as I apparently am so I can't believe that I'm going grey due to age. It's obviously premature.

[GrimDamnFanjo]

I'm white around my face and have just dyed my hair red, the colour I've always wanted. I'll keep it this colour I reckon until I can get away with pink...

[OOAOML]

I'm 42 and have a sprinkling of silvers. More concentrated at my temples but the grey is more 'under' the hair which is annoying as I fancied a streak.

I'm fairly sure I'm not going to start hiding them. I am frankly too lazy to keep up colour maintenance, so I'd end up with really obvious roots. And this is my hair - I keep it clean, relatively tidy (should get it cut more), why should I worry what people will think of a woman in her 40s with a bit of grey hair?

[Aridane]

OP, YANBU But AIBU for wanting to cover my grey hair?

[Mousefinkle]

Yanbu! Grey hair is beautiful, embrace it. I definitely will when I go grey .

My nan still dyes over hers in her seventies and I wish she wouldn't. I truly think it's striking.

[magimedi]

I started going grey at 26 & am now white. Never dyed it & it never bothered me.

I am a silver vixen (as the lovely HeartstrumpDiamonds called me the other day).

Why are men silver foxes & it's "frumpy" for women?

Go, silver vixen vipers1

[Tootsiepops]

I'm 35 and totally grey. Stopped using dye about 18 months ago as I started going grey when I was 14 and I finally got really bored having to touch up my roots every four weeks.

A lot of my friends and family have some very strong (negative) opinions about my hair, but I like it.

[OOAOML]

Aridane, no YANBU, it is your hair, do what you like with your greys. What I think is U is when people expect everyone to fall into line - whether this is expecting everyone to dye their hair, or expecting everyone to fully embrace their greys and parade down the streets celebrating their Grey Pride.

As long as you are not flicking your hair over me (and if you are a woman who travels on Edinurgh buses and likes to go in for vigorous hair brushing you might be - in which case please deal with your dandruff whatever you do about your greys, or at least don't flick your flakes at the people around you) I have no expectations about what you should do with your hair.

[mrssnodge]

YANBU its yr hair OP do what you want- Although Im 48 and have been dyeing my roots since 23, I was naturally really dark brown, but I wouldnt suit that colour now, so a golden light brown looks better, and it really does just take 15 min once a month.
MY DM thinks i should let it go grey and cut it about an inch short too, but I ignore her and its now below bra strap- shes the one who cut my hair so short I looked like a boy until I was about 13!!

[OOAOML]

Thinking again about the OP, if my hairdresser was always asking about covering up greys and I was having to tell them every time that I didn't want to, I'd be moving hairdresser.

[QueQuesto]

Every time I go to the hairdressers I'm asked whether I want to cover my greys

Yeah I've started getting this too, I can't afford to get it dyed at the hairdressers and can't be arsed with the faff and mess of doing it at home so the grey stays.

[SomewhereIBelong]

Hairdressers want to make money - of course they will ask.... I embrace my sparkles... though I do have 2 grey eyebrow hairs which bug me....

[OOAOML]

My hairdresser doesn't ask - but then I only go a few times a year (which reminds me I should go soon as I don't think I've been since late summer) so presumably he knows that I'm not likely to bother covering them.

I haven't noticed any grey eyebrow hairs, may have to check for those!

[Lemonylemon]

I have unleashed my inner silver vixen. I like my hair colour.

[Girlwithkaleidoscopehair]

I've had gets since mid twenties. I've been dying it but since it got to the point of having nasty roots a week after dyeing I went radical - after a LOT of persuasion I got the hairdresser to bleach the top, and I went dark blonde, then after a month i went for it and dyed it bright pink!

So much easier to do the roots and the dye doesn't burn scalp in a scary way like dark brown does.

Incredible reaction- lots of people saying how much they love it, and worldly a different attitude from strangers

And lots of Twitter followers. They mistakenly think I'm funky and cool now //hmm

I was 41 last week

Wish I'd done it ten years ago!