To go grey?

[sandytoes84]

Mid 30s and I just feel too young to be this grey! Currently as soon as the roots appear and my mother starts looking back at me in the mirror I quickly dye it.

But it would be so liberating to ditch the dye and let it go natural...I see women with lovely long grey hair but am I too young/ not cool or brave enough to pull it off? Will I look much older than I am? (I have otherwise dark hair and dark brows, so the greys really show!)

Has anyone taken the plunge?!

It wasn't the content many objected to, but the tone and approach.
That and the assertion that it is a 'fact' that women don't suit grey hair as much as men...but that isn't misogynistic 😂

@newname, actually nobody threatened you. My post was removed when I agreed with you that you were the problem here and that you're rude. I expect you'll report this one now. You present an opinion as fact. Some women look great with grey hair, so do some men.

I've been going grey since I was 16, now early 30s and thinking of letting my hair grow out.
Its about 15% grey, already grey about a third of the way down my chin length bob. Feel as though I should just carry on and see how it looks, or try semi permanents as someone up thread suggested.
I don't look my age, people are often surprised when I tell them how old i am.
I think it's because I'm immature.

Fucking hell. Nothing like a good rant on mumsnet to make yourself feel better. Whatever newname is upset about I don't think grey hair is at the 'root' of it 😂

Hair dye is just make up for hair. Plenty of women wear make up to look like a better version of themselves. Women who dye are simply thinking along the same lines.

The "...women are in some way 'not allowed' or seen as somehow lesser or letting the side down if they present as they are..." argument only carries weight if espoused by someone who never wears a trace of make up, who never styles their hair, never plucks their eyebrows, never shaves or waxes their body hair, as well as never dyeing their hair of course.

I saw a woman in the supermarket the other day who had thick silver grey curly hair about shoulder length. It looked so lovely I wanted to tell her but I was too shy. She looked maybe about 40.

So glad you didn't tell her.
How intrustive and patronising.
Why did you think that may be appropriate?

It's entirely appropriate. It's really, really nice when a stranger pays you a compliment.

I do fail there Margot as I am wearing mascara. I don't remove any body hair though, or do any other bollox.

And the argument does stand up, because I've never said that women who don't wear mascara look shit and dreadful and men can get away with not wearing mascara, indeed, look great without mascara, but women look ten year's older without it and should wear it, and to do not is lazy and remiss.

So glad you didn't tell her.
How intrustive and patronising
Why did you think that may be appropriate?

Eh?! I've had a couple of people stop me and say they love my hair...I was surprised, but it made me very happy....I thought that was a normal response, maybe I should have looked affronted and said, 'how DARE you!'!!

(Hair is grey by the way.)

I’m having the same dilemma, I’m keen to go grey with a edgy haircut.
My husband isn’t keen but I can’t be bothered to faff about having my short hair coloured every 6 weeks.

Argh wrong thread, I’m so sorry! 😱

I’m having the same dilemma, I’m keen to go grey with a edgy haircut.
My husband isn’t keen but I can’t be bothered to faff about having my short hair coloured every 6 weeks.

It ages you so much. Don’t do it

He might change his mind when he sees it @Wowserme, mine loves my silver blonde as he calls it. Mind you, I was happily grey when I first me him when I was 43.

What a shame this thread has gone all ranty. I have dyed my hair since I was 30 due to grey. Now I’m in my 50s I got sick of having to dye the roots every 3 weeks. Now that really is ageing, a badger stripe. I have embraced the grey and really like it! Some friends were horrified at the idea but I didn’t want to go beige or have blonde highlights. That’s just not me. Now I have white hair at the front and grey/brown hair at the back. It looks lovely and like I’ve had some sort of expensive colour job, ironically!

@MargotLovedTom1 , I was referencing newname's post in which she directly criticised another poster's appearance in the picture she had just linked to. I don't have any issue with newname or anyone else giving their opinion about grey hair in general - as you say, that's exactly what this thread is for.I do think that @OneStepSideways has a good point too - purely from an aesthetic perspective, it can be a difficult colour to work with and it does have negative connotations quite beyond its association with age.

As to your second post, no-one has argued that women are letting the side down if they dye their hair. Personally I think women should do whatever they want with their hair. Half of mine is shaved off at the moment and the other half is backcombed into some sort of ludicrous pompadour/mohawk affair. I wouldn't rule out dying it again in the future, especially as I'm so fickle. I like pastel pinks and lilacs very much, for example.

Gorgeous, @EllenJanesthickerknickers - there are all sorts of tones in there and your hair looks so healthy.

This thread has been quite an interesting study in how mysoginy is deeply entrenched into our culture, and how women can't escape it, even in old age. From birth to death, our appearance is scrutinised and judged.

I saw a woman in the supermarket the other day who had thick silver grey curly hair about shoulder length. It looked so lovely I wanted to tell her but I was too shy. She looked maybe about 40.

She was probably only 29

I've spent the last 25 years dying my hair and NO more!! This year I am going to be 49 and I want to have my own hair colour, not one from a tube.

I accept it's going to look shit for 18 months or so, but I've had around 6 inches taken off the length and my hair has doubled in volume.... and is in amazing condition. I can't wait to be my natural self. All you naturally grey ladies look amazing I don't get why the hell we're so hung up about embracing our age.

Embrace it, life's too short to spend worrying about your roots. It's not like anyone is going to recoil in horror because god forbid you actually wear your natural hair with pride... oh wait some people on this thread might

Isn't it weird that people say 'greys age you' instead of 'dying your hair to the colour it was in your teens makes you look younger'... just a thought

God I wouldn't be seen dead totally grey. I'm really sorry but just being honest. My gran died at 81 and dyed her hair right until the end! Plan to do the same!

Isn't it weird that people say 'greys age you' instead of 'dying your hair to the colour it was in your teens makes you look younger...just a thought

Yes but grey does age most people imo.

For example, if you take 3 people...say they're aged 30. Two still have their natural hair colour without grey and one has gone grey, the grey haired person will nearly always look older than the other two.

And yet not a bottle of hair dye in sight.

Load of nonsense. No woman will let their grey hair grow through in their 20's or 30's. Not a chance. I have never seen a woman under 45 letting their grey hair grow through. Not one.

I have had a grey streak at the front of my hair since I was late 20s.

I have dyed it once. it was a disaster - went yellowy brown and weird.

The rest of my hair is gradually turning grey to match it.
I'm definitely not the only one I have met like me....