To grow out my grey in early 30s?

[AaronPurrSir]

I’m in my early 30s and have been getting the odd grey since my teens. Now, I’m probably around 40-60% grey.

It’s very noticeable as the rest of my hair is naturally very dark, almost black. I alternately get roots done at the salon or do them at home of time/money is tight.

I’m sick of it. So, so fucking sick of it. I get my roots done and within 10 days the flecks of grey are coming through. It’s currently been 4 weeks and I have a good 1-2cm (pic attached).

I genuinely cannot face this upkeep for the next 40+ years. I’m very lazy and fairly low-key with beauty, and this is too much hassle.

I’ve floated the idea to a few people who have reacted in sheer horror, saying “no! You’re FAR too young, it’ll age you terribly, you’ll look like an old hag” etc. But I think as long as your skin and face are in good nick, a hair colour won’t age you?

Opinions please!

Again older than you, but I stopped dying a couple of years ago. I have it short (it was very short and bleach blonde before). I love it and am really happy with it in all it's streaky, badgery glory! A few people have been negative about it....men and women, but I couldn't give a badgers arse. Oh and one person commented how lucky ds was to have such a lovely nan, but I do look ancient and knackered to be fair!

I started growing mine out at 36. I was about 60 percent grey and with shoulder length hair and it took about a year to get all the dyed hair grown out. I couldn't really do much with it in the meantime, colour wise - I'd been dyeing it dark brown, and the dye had taken so hard that the normal peroxide bleach didn't touch it. I found a salon who would have done colour stripping with a hydrosulphite stripper and then highlight it back but that was going to cost over 100 quid and need frequent retreat mental while the grey grew out, and the whole idea of growing out the grey for me was to reduce the amount of faffing and cost and harmful chemicals on my head so I ended up doing it cold turkey, just letting it grow out. I thought seriously about shaving my head I was on may leave so didn't get too many comments, other than someone at the local Sure Start centre commenting sympathetically on how it must be hard with twins and did I feel sometimes like there was no time left for me

Nowadays I use one of those purple shampoos to make it look more silver, less yellow, and when I can be bothered I straighten it, and it looks kind of funky in a middle aged geek lady kind of way.

retreat mental = retreatment. Not that a mental health retreat would have been unwelcome when the kids were little!

I'm very grey at 37, and give no fucks whatsoever. Will find a pic

I'm almost 33 and my roots are completely grey and have been since my teens. I'm also getting increasingly fed up dying it.

My 35 year old friend has totally grown her natural grey hair out and it looks fine. Except no one believes it's her natural colour...

I'm 32 naturally a dark blonde but I dye it a lighter blonde but the greys are coming in thick and fast, have been for the last year,

Like this, more obvious in real life

I'm 36 and probably 60% grey with otherwise very dark hair, but quite patchy - I think it would look odd if I grew it out as they're would be big grey bits at the sides/behind ears and the back would be mainly dark brown.

I have an added complication that I've become sensitive to hair dye. It's a potentially very serious allergy so I'm now being careful and only having my hair 'highlighted' with dark brown, leaving some get but getting rid of the badger stripe roots. However, even that is getting itchy, and tbh it looks badgery again after three weeks - hardly worth it.

I love how salt and pepper hair looks and am considering asking for grey highlights along with the brown, but am worried about damaging my hair and it looking too light. I've always had very dark hair - never bleached except to dye it bright red on the ends - and a lot of my identity is held in being a brunette. It's tricky!

Who is the Instagrammer posted previously, please? Her hair looks wonderful.

I say do it! I’m 35 and totally grey now.
As long as you have a good cut, it’ll look tidy. I actually think that dyeing can have an aging effect sometimes- I was dyeing mine quite dark for a couple of years and it looked quite harsh.
My mum still dyes hers but is clearly sensitive about it since I grew mine out. She keeps asking if it looks ok, not really sure what to say

I am in the same boat - been dying hair since early twenties, wry similar natural colour to you (almost black). I made the decision about a month ago to grow out the dye and see what my natural colour will be. I am mostly grey around the temples and hair line. I think just go for it - you can always dye it again if you don't like it!

There was a thread on here awhile ago I think called something like “to shave my head and go grey”. It was v. Good

I started going grey in my 30s, I blame my children! I gradually dyed my hair lighter until the day when the regrowth didn’t show.
Go for it, have a good cut and ask for an ash glaze, which tones down the contrast between any white and dark hair.
My hair is in better condition and people ask me what my hairdresser does to get the colour. I no longer have the glaze, it’s all me.

I am 51, and my hair is about 2/3 gray at this point. I have never gotten so my compliments on my hair in my life! I think gray hair is noticeable and quite attractive to the eye-so many women dye their hair that gray hair stands out, in a good way, I think.

I also agree with PP that if one can keep one's skin looking nice, the contrast with the gray hair can be stunning.

I have a friend in her 20s who has done it and it looks amazing. I think the trick is to keep the rest of your look young. You need a good strong cut, and to wear young clothes. Otherwise it will age you. This will become more important as you get further towards your 40s.

I was in exactly the same place as you. I'd dye my hair dark brown every 3-4 weeks as the greys coming through stressed me out so much. Then in September I decided to stop dying my hair. It feels like such a stress has been lifted from my shoulders! I'm 7 months in and probably have at least another year to go, as my hair is curly so I need a lot of extra length to get it to my shoulders. I definitely don't regret doing it and I can't wait to see the end result.
I'm currently tempted to dye my brown hair pink just to make it a bit more interesting while it grows out. I spoke to my hairdresser and I can't dye my dyed hair grey as it has years of colour on it and it won't go light enough, so be wary of anyone who says that they can, you don't want to melt your hair!
Good luck and go for it!

There’s no such thing as a grey hair: it’s the mix of white hair against the dark brown or black that give the illusion of grey.
You won’t look like those young girls in the photos as their hair is dyed grey.

I’m 35 and dying to go grey! I have the odd strand, but I think it looks so chic and not at all ageing. Definitely do it, OP!

Have you seen those root touch up sticks?

Sorry but I think grey hair ages you terribly

Who cares..?

All the dying ages you guff I'm in my 40s and have no grey at all. Everyone assumes it's dyed (and therefore I do my roots every day I guess )

Is just hair. That grey chic look atm is awesome, my stubbornly dark hair kind of annoys me

Definitely do it. Dyed hair just looks increasingly fake and odd the older you get. Nothing wrong with aging naturally.

I am 43 and have been going grey since my early 20's. I have a lot of grey now - or I would if I didn't dye it. I regularly think about growing it out but I'm just not ready yet. Also when the grey/white does start to come through it makes my hair look really thin and almost like I have bald patches. I'm worried that if I do grow it out it will look like my hair is thinning too.

Hmm...I know two people who have gone for the grey option and they look absolutely fabulous. However, to answer your specific question, yes, in both cases they both believe that they look older as a result. Their partners agree that they look older with grey hair, and I probably agree. But looking older doesn't mean not looking great.

Grey hair is something that we associate with growing older I guess, so many people inevitably see it through that filter.

Grey hair can look fantastic; healthy, fashionable and vibrant. I think in some cases, it can make someone look older than their years. Few people will actually tell anyone with grey hair that it's 'ageing. ' Thankfully, most people - as seen on this thread - have attracted nice comments.

However, I'm not sure why looking older is a negative to be honest. It doesn't bother me, I genuinely find it interesting to see how my face and everything else changes. Grey hair doesn't worry me, but I accept that if I choose to go completely grey, then inevitably, some people will think that I look older as a result.

Does it bother me? Nope.

I asked my hairdresser about this recently, I'm 51 and about 40% silver/grey.
She said in my situation it wouldn't look right as not enough, she said dying silver/grey would look odd when my natural colour came through and I'd still have to continuously dye my hair.
Do speak to a good hairdresser and get advice, it is worth it.

Hairdressers always say that. They can see the departure of a revenue stream.

Natural grey hair makes you look the way you're meant to look - the real you. It's actually not important what age you look. We are meant to age and we are all worthwhile people, grey hair, wrinkles and all.