To embrace the grey at 37?

[CherryGarcia23]

So I'm going grey. I'd say looking at my parting only, I'm at 25%.

I haven't dyed my hair since February this year. I'm considering going to a professional hairdresser to start dying a silvery grey to blend everything in.

I do not like the mousey brown / blonde/ grey that seems to be to go to in your 40's / 50's when a haiirdresser does a professional cover up.

AIBU to do this at 37? Everyone I have spoken to says wait until 50's??

At 38 I only have the odd one or two grey hairs which you wouldn’t notice unless you really looked up close. It’s for the best as I’m very lazy about dying my hair, it just seems like a massive chore to do all the time, but I also do not feel anywhere near ready to embrace they grey.

I think the blanket view that grey hair makes you like old shows your own age frankly. I'm 45, stopped dying my previously very dark (I'm mixed race so it was almost black) hair in 2020 and it looked terrible while it was 2 tone (at least in the beginning when it sort of looked like I was just late for a hair appointment) but hey it was COVID times so my social life was pretty sparse anyway. NOW it looks great. It's salt & pepper and I really do think i don't look older at all. Even though I am actually 3 years older. My (younger and therefore not very grey yet) DH was very anti the idea at the beginning but he loves it now. I said I was a bit bored and fancied a change of colour (because for the 15 years before giving up, dying my hair was a chore to hide grey, not for fun to change the colour like it was in my teens) and he persuaded me not to. He thinks it looks fabulous.
And I have been stopped by strangers on the street 4 times to ask where I get my hair done. I know that sounds bollocks but it's true. I don't think that EVER happened when it was black.
I do have darkish skin tone and curly hair though so maybe that makes a difference? Also I absolutely do not dress frumpy. I guess if I did I'd probably look like a school art teacher or something? (Not that I have anything against school art teachers!)
My nana who died last year at 96 was so against the idea when I told her my plan. She still died hers orange until the month before she died. And (love you Nana) let's not pretend it made her look any younger than her 96 years. It didn't. But she loved it and it was a part of her identity, so good on her.

I think that it's helpful to understand that some people have the confidence/ disposition etc. to be trailblazers.

We all know what society expects or pushes at a specific moment in history. There will be some people, in this case women, who decide to go against this and choose their own path.
I admire this, but I also think it's important to recognise that we accept people as they are and don't undermine those who for whatever reason fit perfectly or partially with "society 's view" on a certain issue.

I have had an allergic reaction to dark hair dye so have been thinking about what to do with my grey hair. I've decided to try henna. I thought whether or not I'd just not bother, but I know that as much as I would like to be , I already don't wear makeup and don't spend much on clothes to look nice.

I don't have the confidence to go completely against society even though I admire those who want to and do so.
I feel pretty enough without makeup and high heels but not with grey hair. Someone else might choose a different combination.

I think that if the Op feels like she wants to stop dying and go grey she should go for it. She can always change her mind.

I guess anyone thinking about giving it a go but not quite brave enough could maybe try on a wig and see how it looks? Maybe you'll be surprised and it will look great? Or maybe it will look terrible and you'll save yourself the months of wondering. I didn't do this btw. But I'm not sure why I didn't think of it.

I vote YABU & should keep dyeing it. Personally, I can't bear grey hair and see very little that's attractive about it. I realise that some shades of grey look better than others (one of my friends has,a lovely shade & it really suits her) but it's so ageing, especially at 37! I'll still be dyeing mine at 97, but each to their own!

It's normal though

You are entirely reasonable to embrace your greys.

I tried to embrace mine at 50, but got tired of people thinking I was my children's grandmother, having had kids in my 40s.

I do think very white hair with a red lipstick can look fabulous, though.

Good luck with it!

I got so sick of the upkeep and the stress of keeping the roots at bay

It was time consuming, messy and expensive

Every 3 weeks'. Looked lovely initially and I think I did look younger in old photos

I actually think it's quite offensive all these people saying grey is aging and old. Honestly it's your face and your clothes and the hair style that make you look old. It might not suit you, sure, but how can a colour alone look old?

I guess anyone thinking about giving it a go but not quite brave enough could maybe try on a wig and see how it looks?

Good idea. My skin tone, cool with pinky undertones, does not go with blonde,so I’m a bit worried how it will go with grey or white when the time comes.

I wouldn't embrace it at 37. Grey hair is very very ageing. Fact

catotangent · Today 15:35

I wouldn't embrace it at 37. Grey hair is very very ageing. Fact

See this is what I mean by offensive.
What you've just done there is stated an opinion and then written the word "fact" at the end. That doesn't make it one though.

What a useful contribution @Jeffsmeffsmiff

Mines started to go grey (early 40’s) I’d say probably 5%-10% right now. I can’t be arsed to cover it, there is no way I would get around to doing my roots etc, it would be just one more thing I would have to do on my to do list. Can’t be arsed with that.

In your opinion.

Grey hair is pretty much associated with ageing. No bad thing, but I personally wouldn't embrace it in my 30s.

I use the Shrine Drop It temporary dyes once a week. You just mix a small amount with conditioner, and leave it on your hair for ten minutes. The copper one is pretty much a perfect match for my natural colour, so covers the grey without doing much to the rest of my hair, so it doesn't leave that flat, single toned look that you can get with box dyes. One bottle lasts a while, and it isn't particular messy (I don't even bother wearing gloves any more, as it doesn't seem to dye my skin - although that may vary with colour. The red one seems to stain more). It also has the advantage that if you decide to stop dying it, you don't have to wait for it to grow out, as it fades in a week or so.

As useful as yours.

The irony of your post

It is an opinion, not a fact.

Really 🙄

It totally does and its very naive of you to say otherwise as grey hair is associated with age, especially with women. Society dictates it. It could change, but it hasn't yet so there's no point trying to pretend otherwise. The more we call these things out, the better. It's true that other things can make people look younger, but grey hair isn't one of them (unless like the trendy grey styles, you're very obvious under 30 and it's dyed)

Go grey! I’ve been greying since I was 15, I’m now 44 and have never coloured it. I’m about 75% grey now, it was very dark brown originally.

A lady actually stopped me a few weeks back and asked what colour I used as I was obviously too young to be grey Naturally and she loved the colour.

It is useful: she has helpfully pointed out the distinction between fact and opinion.

There's also no reason that OP can't go grey and rock it