To be sad at going grey already

[AHungryCaterpillar]

I’m so depressed about going grey at 33! I’ve found loads of grey hairs, I’m only early 30s surely this is too early? I already feel really old and past it anyway so this has just made me feel worse, I’m not ready to embrace them and don’t now want to spend the rest of my life dying my hair at 33. Doesn’t help that I’m allergic to hair dye so now what am I suppose to do. Aibu to think 33 is too early for this?! 😳

I would say it's pretty common to have greys in your 30's or even earlier.
If you don't want to embrace them then you could look at natural dyes like henna or maybe some foil highlights (so it doesn't touch your scalp) to blend them.

I've just turned 30, but started getting grey hairs from 27. So I think by 33 I'm going to be pretty grey. Are you allergic to all hair dye? Have you tried henna for instance? Is your hair very dark like mine?

At 33 I was probably 50% grey. At 41 I’m about 60%
If you’re dark it shows up sooner

My hair is dark brown/black, I use to dye it occasionally when I was younger but my whole head swells and I’ve ended up in hospital because of it. Henna looks like a pain compared to regular dyes.

Embrace it

Absolutely not embracing it!

What about henna?

I found my first grey hairs at about 35/36 (or actually my DM pointed them out to me - thanks mum!) and thought I'd done pretty well to get to that age without any.

Most of my friends were getting some grays from their late 20s, and my poor cousin found her first grays at 14!

I'd say you were about average!

That's pretty standard. I'd take a look at henna shampoo and conditioner, you just use it as normal and it dyes the hair slightly to make the greys less noticeable.

That’s really normal.
Embracing it doesn’t mean going grey completely - you’re most likely years off properly being grey.
Just embrace that your hair is many different shades, and one (small amount) of odd shades is grey.

I was 16 when I found my first grey hair, my brother had loads at 21. I can’t see how you can do anything other than embrace it if you’re allergic to hair dye.

Dry shampoo now comes in colours could that help? I'm dark and the same age as you, luckily I'm not allergic but I'm not embracing it! I can't afford the upkeep of dying it so tying it up helps and the dry shampoo when down in-between dying it.

I’m a little older than you (38) and have decided to stop dyeing my grey hair. I get how you feel! I have been very up and down about it.

But more and more people in their 30s are choosing not to dye and normalising what is very normal. I started slowly going grey at about 31/32.

Vitamin b12 deficiencies can cause some grey, but mostly it’s genetic.

Sali Hughes looks great with her greys! In fact, she’s allergic to a particular type of hair dye like you, so she went all in with her greys and had the brown hair dyed grey so she’s be 100% (so she’s not allergic to whatever the grey dye is).

Could you get away with bleach highlights or extra grey highlights to blend in? In my very limited experience dark dyes seem to cause more allergic reactions than light. I’m going grey now and I call it silver highlights, I quite like it tbh.

I'm 33 and going grey, I'm not really that bothered if I'm honest.

It’s great that so many women in their 30s don’t mind it on here but I never see women in their 30s with grey hair anywhere and none of my friends or family are, good on you if you have the confidence but for me no way! I will have to find something I can use just didn’t expect it to be so soon...

I’m the same age as OP and 60% grey with previously dark brown hair. I tried the blonde highlights thing but it looked ridiculous so I’ve embraced it and now all the colour is out it’s fine! Can’t be doing with dying roots every 2-3 weeks! I still look my age!

When did your mum go grey? It tends to be genetic. My mum started greying in her teens. I started going grey at 17! I have dark hair too so now I dye it.

First grey hair at 17. Had very thick hair so couldn't really tell until it became more obvious in my early thirties. Dyed it for twenty odd years. Stopped dyeing four years ago. Now have waist-length silver and white hair.

If I was your age there would be no way I would embrace it but everyone is different. I'm embracing it now because I can't be bothered with the dyeing - very dark hair so the roots would show after four days. Having said that, won't rule out dyeing again.

I've seen posters on here talk about colour enhancing shampoos and conditioners so maybe this would be worth a go?

I started going grey at 25.

I am 42 now and honestly, I am shit at remembering dying my hair so I know I am totally grey now as I leave it far too long in between and what grows is all grey/white.

A few people I know have a stoped dying their hair and have gone totally grey but it’s not for me and it never will be. I’d feel like an old lady.

I would say you are very lucky to have got to 33.
Dd going grey since she was 16 .

@Kurtanforpm

I started going grey at 25.

I am 42 now and honestly, I am shit at remembering dying my hair so I know I am totally grey now as I leave it far too long in between and what grows is all grey/white.

A few people I know have a stoped dying their hair and have gone totally grey but it’s not for me and it never will be. I’d feel like an old lady.

Yes, there's a lot of nonsense spouted about this on SM. I stopped reading it when I was growing my own dyed hair out.

People were claiming that natural grey hair makes you look years younger than dyed and guilted people for colouring their hair and not embracing their 'authentic self' - please!

I'm mid 40s and nit going grey but friends with dark hair had greys from mid 30s. Its is no biggie. Dye it, or don't. Men lose hair in early 20s. Look at Prince William. My friend is mid 30s and he's gone full on buzz cut bald due to his bald patch being so big. Just get over it. You will look back at 33 being young.

I started greying in my early teens. You can't imagine how bad it is to have teenage acne and greying hair. I was very dark but I'm now a blonde.

Are you allergic to all dyes? What about semi permanents? Henna on white hair does tend to have a bright orange effect. The "dark hennas" have other stuff added to them - sometimes not entirely healthy stuff I understand.

I stopped dying in lockdown I am in my 50s

I'm not mad on it but my roots came through very quickly I probably look older but I'm past caring

I dyed for years' since late 20s