to like having grey / white hair : its proves I have lived a good life

[Ta1kinPeace]

I'm not fat, I'm very fit, I'm not a slob
I just do not see why people think that lying about their hair colour makes them look "better"

my hair is salt and pepper but glossy and thick and fits my skin tone

why do so many people (mainly women) feel scared to admit that grey is natural and can / does look fab?

how can women moan about ageism while dyeing their hair every month?
(men too, Obama excepted)

[Whatthefoxgoingon]

Well good for you for being fit, but it hardly has anything to with grey hair! I know plenty of overweight people who look fine with grey hair. It's got nothing to do with having lived a good life, I've not a single grey hair and have had a good life so far.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

dyeing my house Doh! My hair! Weird autocorrect.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I think one reason I didn't want to keep dyeing my house was my late MIL. She dyed her hair right up til when she died, in her 60s. She must have spent a bomb on it as you never saw her roots, and she always hid any evidence in the bathroom ;o) But she looked awful; a dark brunette 60 year old with this little wizened face under all the vibrant hair - she looked exactly like a monkey. Not a good look.

Also my mum died in her 40s and a dear friend of mine died this year in her 50s. I decided I didn't mind going white because my mum (and friend) would have loved the chance to... If that makes sense. Society does treat you differently - I am still fairly fit and busy at 53, with a 13 year old and I cycle for miles in the summer. But I have had the odd dr's appointment with my younger kids, or parents' evening where the dr/teacher has opened with: "And you are...?" presumably hedging their bets in case I'm grandma. That is hurtful.

I visited my late friend in the hospice and another visitor, also a woman about our age, was there and we got onto the subject of whether or not to dye your hair. The other visitor did and she looked lovely. I told them what I just said here, and the visitor said: "If I was you and had pure white hair I wouldn't bother to dye it, but mine is a dirty grey" My friend said something that I keep thinking about though. She said "Your hair is really striking." So I think on balance, I will stay white a bit longer. Whenever I feel ugly or insecure about it now I just think of her saying that. My hair is long so I can look a bit like Gandalf if I don't put it up or do something but thanks to the vitiligo it is snow white.

[Enjolrass]

Shame OP didn't come back

[Patapouf]

Patapouf - how very dare you ? Grey hair does not have to look " unkempt

Where did I say that it does? I know that it will look terrible on me, stop looking for offence when none is meant.

[springydaffs]

I LOVE my grey, now white really, hair! And I've had a shit life. But I love my hair.

Or I did and I hope very very much i'm going to get it back as was before chemo goblin. If it's darker I'll be devastated disappointed. It's starting to come through and it's looking snowy. Yay.

Grey early 20s, dyed it (bright), fed up with slogging with the dye so let it go, haven't looked back. I was regularly stopped in the street and asked where I get it done (if that's not too big-headed). My sister tried letting hers go/stopped dyeing, and it really aged her. It doesn't suit everyone but I'm very glad it suits me!

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

Patapouf - how very dare you ? Grey hair does not have to look " unkempt " .
When I have blow-dried my greying hair it looks ok. Sometimes it looks less good, when it needs a wash and styling. Much like any other hair, coloured or grey. The greys are coarser in texture but I use serum to help with that ( White Hot Hair )

[CherryPits]

I started going white (hair) aged 13. I'm now mid-40s and my hair looks like Santas.

Doesn't mean I've lived a good life though...

[BatsUpMyNightie]

OP - something for you to try in the New Year -

Try judging people on who they are, what they do and what they say rather on such superficial nonsense as the colour of their hair or the size of their trousers. I'm afraid such comments make you sound like the worst sort of dick.

[MrsJayy]

Even grey haired permed old ladies get a rinse through their hair my nan used silver shampoo inbetween tints most grey hair isnt luxurious and needs maintained. i see the op hasnt returnted just dropped their im better than everybody comment and left

[Patapouf]

I came on to say what bollocks but it seems I've been beaten to it by nearly 100pps.

Your hair probably doesn't look as good as you think it does, but that's okay. No one is forcing you to dye it and it's got fuck all to do with you what other people do.
I haven't started to go grey yet but when I do I will likely dye it as to not look unkempt

[rosebiggs]

Hair colouring can be for many reasons. When I was younger it was about discovery and experimentation.
Now I find that my hair suits me better with highlights in...and I like it.

Are tattoos also a sign of insecurity op?

[finetonive]

What OP doesn't realize is that most of women you see in magazines or on tv with 'fantastic' lookinggrey hair have usually had something done to it.
For it to look that good, they usually have some sort of lowlights or silver tones put through.
It still costs them to maintain it.

Hair that has been left to grey 'naturally' doesn't always look that good. It can look dull, flat and washed out.
Yes there are a lucky few who have hair that goes grey in a stunning way.
But they are few and far between.

For it to look great, most of us will still have to spend some £'s at the hairdressers so they can enhance the grey in some way - so that it can look brighter.

There's going grey and there's going grey.

[expatinscotland]

My grey hair is not thick and glossy and looks shit with my yellow undertones. So I dye it. I've also been having Brazilians/doing them on myself since about 1985 because I like it, I like how it feels and looks, no other reason.

Why do people give such a fuck about what other people do with their hair and bodies?

[finetonive]

hair dyeing in men and women is insecurity

^LOLOL. I'll tell you what is insecurity: feeling the need to start a thread claiming how wonderful your life is because you have grey hair.
Your hair is grey for the same reason mine is an unnatural red: Because that's what you chose, just like I chose mine from a box.^

Agree with the above. Also Love the way my comments were called 'offensive' all because I don't want my hair to go grey.

[SheGotAllDaMoves]

I've been dying my hair since I was 12.

It has nothing to do with insecurity . I just like it. And my hairdresser (who I see every six weeks) tells me she has ever seen one grey hair on my head!

My Mum is 75 and has been dying her hair all my life. She does not have an insecure bone in her body and completely rocks.

OP, have grey hair if you want. I'm glad you like it. Don't extrapolate from that that you are somehow cooler/more secure than others.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I started going grey at 16 and later developed vitiligo; so in my early 50s but my hair is white, not grey. I dyed it red, then blonde, then finally let all the dye grow out as I'd been dyeing it constantly since my 30s and was worried I was damaging my hair.

The only person who ever gave e grief for dyeing my hair was a family member, who therefore knew about the vitiligo and the genetic predisposition and also had white hair (but male so felt less able to dye, I guess). Interestingly they stopped going on about my 'fake' hair colour when their wife dyed her hair - a rather unnatural bright ginger (she had been mousy, at least my natural hair colour had been dramatic). Now well in her fifties and it is still dyed whilst mine is pure white. I pretend I'm an anime character...

[Enjolrass]

hair dyeing in men and women is insecurity
nowt else

total bollocks. I have been dying my hair since I was 16. Why? Because I like to look different from time to time.

I have no idea how grey I am really. Nor do I care. My hair is currently bright red. No one is under any illusion that it's my natural hair colour. I don't do it to fool anyone. I am sure no one thought I had natural purple hair in the summer, either.

Liking your natural hair doesn't make you a more secure person nor does it mean you have lived a better life.

[GeminiRising]

I started going white at 16 and have been dying my hair ever since. Having grey/white hair proves bugger all except that it's lost the melanin that gives it the colour.

Nothing wrong with dying your hair, nothing wrong with leaving it natural. Totally up to the individual.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Is anyone else trying to place Worra's posters 2 and 3? I may have pegged 3 but I can't place 2.

[GreatFuckability]

I dye my hair because I like too. I dye all colours, currently bright red. Its been silver, blue, green, dark, blonde... I'm not insecure, just easily bored.

[FurryDogMother]

You're (OP) just projecting your feelings on to other people. I colour my hair because I have fun with it, in much the same way as I change my nail polish. I had blue streaks in it a couple of years ago. I'm far from insecure about my age (which is 56, btw), and have absolutely no desire to appear younger. I find your way of thinking very strange, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, go for it, I suppose!

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

hair dyeing in men and women is insecurity

LOLOL. I'll tell you what is insecurity: feeling the need to start a thread claiming how wonderful your life is because you have grey hair.

Your hair is grey for the same reason mine is an unnatural red: Because that's what you chose, just like I chose mine from a box.

[Narp]

If I were pretending, or aiming to look as I did when I were younger, I'd dye my hair the colour it was when I was younger (black). I like dying it a colour that suits my eye colour and skin tone.