Grey/dull hair - do you dye?

[Druzhok]

I have just re-coloured my hair, having lived with what I believe L'Oreal call 'unsightly greys' for a few weeks.

I also saw this link on yahoo daily mail article reader beware - some brave soul (or lazy mare) who no longer bothers.

It occurred to me that ALL of my 30+ friends colour their hair. I can't think of a single one who doesn't. Are we all grey underneath??

What do you do?

I usually dye mine (am 35 with mid brown hair) but due to laziness haven't bothered in a while and the amount of grey I have is scary! so the dye is coming back out this week (I can still get away with a semi permanent at the mo)

Hmmpph - I've been going grey since I was about 25 (I'm now 31) and have dark hair, so those damn wirey, unsightly grey really stand out.

I dye my hair at home every six weeks or so otherwise I really start to look washed out. I don't seem to have a cool looking grey streak, just patches of salt & pepper at my parting and hair line!

I'm not ready to accept my greys jut yet.
DH has often said to me, "embrace them" - "it'll give you character" Yeah Right!
When I asked him what he'd do if he started going bald,he said he'ds have it all off - EXACTLEY - why not embrace the bald patch and have a comb over

NickOfTime I've had exactly the same problems as you!

I'm 41 and have been dyeing my hair for about the last 5 years now, after highlights stopped covering the grey. I refuse to go down without a fight - I'll be blonde for a good few years yet.

On an even more depressing note, I've noticed that the greys are now spreading southwards

FellatioNelson you could be describing me right down to the ca't go a month without a die kit!

I am brown with some redish highlights due to the brown die on the grey. I would say its abou 40% grey now but I don't let it get more than half an inch maximum. I have started to use the 10 minute dies at home so its not such an onerous task.

I had the shock of my life while plucking my eyebrows this morning - two pure white ones growing at the middle ends.

Do we dye our eyebrows too when it comes to it (which may not be that long away for me!!!).

Grey is all the rage in the world of high fashion, presided over by Daphne Guiness and the re-launch of Kristen Mcmenamy as a catwalk goddess aged 44 and completely grey.

Me too Maisie though so far my eyebrows are still a vision in dark brown, and I find just the odd (very long) white fanjo hair, which I pull out. I'm wondering what to do when I can't hold back the inevitable any more.

Frogety - there is a beauty salon near you just waiting to relieve you of £100 or so for sorting out all your various greying parts.

I have just discovered the higher end L'Oreal kit: the colour and highlights one. IT was pretty bloody good, actually. I look like less of a state.

Do you get fanjo hair dye? Knowing my luck it would end up Fantaesque orange - which would amuse DH greatly, I'm sure...

Ill probably go naturally bald there anyway - no point dyeing it then!!!!

I'm nearly 48, used to have brown(ish) hair, it's slowly gone blond/greyish. I have to say I have avoided dyeing so far as in summer the blond bleaches to give me a fairly natural "highlight" effect. The winter look is not so good and am on the verge of low-lights. Having said that I've had 3 or 4 hairdressers in the last 3 years ask me if my hair was highlighted as they couldn't tell!

There is a SATC episode in which that very thing happens ...

I don't know what I would do. If you trim too much, you'd end up looking ... well, military. Buzz cut-ish. Like Jack Nicholson in A FEw Good Men.

Oh frogety - you have just reminded me of a very bizarre conversation I had with my grandmother (in the Alcoholic/Dementia years).

She was (drunkenly) bemoaning her lack of a man, but then sadly murmured that no one would want to do it with her anyway, as her fanny was going bald and looked like Charlie Chan.

I was ... 15? I suspect I did this ---> My mother became very brisk at that point and declared it time for Nanna to go lie down

at Druzhok looking 'less of a state.' If that's the best we can aim for we are all doomed!

I'm 41 and use the herbashine 10 min dye. Find it pretty good, the grey comes out a slightly different colour and I've been asked if I've had highlights done! Usually do it on a Friday night as it seems to be really bright (red) until I've washed it a couple of times when it settles down. Got a bit embarrassed with my (male)boss asking if I'd dyed me hair!

Only downside is I always seem to spill a bit on the carpet/walls etc. It doesn't show up straight away as it takes a while for the colour to develop, by which time it's too late to wipe it.

43 with very dark brown hair... and noticable grey.

I have found I am too lazy to dye it, frankly. There always seems to be something better to do with my time and money.

I work with someone a few years older than me who has gone for the dye. She has a great figure and looks fantastic, except for her eyebrows which are really very grey. Now that just looks daft.

I'm 41 with formerly very dark brown hair that is now probably about 60% grey, there's a lot of grey at the front but there are large brown patches at the back so it looks quite badgery.

I used to dye it dark but it started to look quite Liz Jones and I have a Cruella stripe at the front which would show at the roots, so I went for a few blonde highlights round the front (about 9 years ago). At first I just had a few, then they worked more into it, but after the dye had grown out it was easier to have more.

Now it's kind of mid-brown stripy.
I remember the horror I felt when I realised it's darker when I've been to the hairdresser, for ages it used to be lighter....The more grey there is, the less time the colour lasts, it's heartbreaking.

I will have to go blondish one day but I really miss my dark hair. I used to curse it when I was young, I wanted to put Shaders & Toners on it but nothing made a difference to the colour. What was that stuff in a triangular box, where the black dye was blue?

I saw Kristen McMenemy, I didn't like the poker-straight hairstyle but I would be tempted to go silver one day....once I'm through the badger stage.

Druzhok - youve just made me spit out my tea!!! Cheered me up no end.

triangular box = Harmony?

Oh yes, Harmony! I had a red phase.

Yes, Harmony! Tried them all in my youth, even the black/blue one - made no difference. I'd have hair like Jane Goldman if I tried them now...

I've got about 50-60% grey (am 38). I've never been happy with salon colouring so do it myself but started getting a reaction to the dyes I was using and now have a very uneven colour due to having to change brand.
Am currently using root touch up, having decided to leave the rest alone. I've got longish curly hair and it grows fast (roots through after 2 weeks) so hopefully it won't take too long to grow out. Thinking about going to the Daniel Field salon (or Aveda)for advice.

MerryMarigold it's curly and in a bob somewhere between jaw length and shoulder length. I think it's a matter of perception, not actuality. Someone else might have exactly my hair and choose to dye it. I am interested in what makes people dye their hair/think their undyed hair looks horrible.

I started dying my hair on a regular basis when I was about 24 because I had enough white that it was noticeable (in my nearly black hair). 3 reasons I don't like my white hair. 1. The white hairs are a different texture, more wiry and 2. I just feel like it makes me look a lot older though I have never tried it but even that model in the pic, I think she looked older thanshe would have if her hair was dyed, it's not really a 'flattering' colour to many skin tones 3. If I live to 96 like both my grandmothers I'm gong to have a very long time of living with white hair!

TMI alert - I even have white pubic hairs (I don't dye them!!!).