'Deliberately' grey hair - yay or nay?

[PickledLily]

What's the verdict from the MN jury on this matter? Is it possible to look chic/stylish/un-bag-lady-like in your 40s with (some) grey hair? Does it need to be short, long, mixed with other colours, or just avoided at all costs?

I think it looks nice if it's one colour and in good nick, salt and pepper with original hair colour mixed in can look unkempt. it also needs a great, sharp haircut to avoid the scruffy, old lady look. It can look very nice long, in a chignon if the hair is white and in good condition.

Nay from me. I just dont like it.

Do you mean actually deliberately dyeing your hair grey? If so that's horrible.

But if you mean leaving it grey when it does it by itself, I've never understood why there is pressure for people to cover this up.

I think it's really sad.

Yep - I mix it ever so slightly with a few blonde tints to break it up a bit.

Edo Eh? why is is horrible? So you don't understand why people cover it up but deliberately dying it grey is horrible? I'm sure that makes sense in your world

No. Massively ageing imo.

I mean leaving the grey on purpose, rather than because you've not made it to the hair dressers in time to cover it up . Agree deliberately dying it grey would be odd.

I started dying it in my 20s when the grey appeared and it looked odd. But am now wondering if I've reached an age where I can carry it off without looking like I've just not got my act together to the hairdressers.

I know some people who have very good short mixed grey and colour hair, I think the key is to make it look as though it is cut and styled well. It doesn't work so well if the hair is dull or just washed and left to dry and harder to pull off with long hair unless you are prepared to put a lot of effort in. Same as any other hair really.

Pics please of acceptable grey hair dos...

Jax, why don't you like it? Too aging?

I'm just 40, and am white at front, 50-75% grey elsewhere, and I get loads of compliments on how it looks, and I love it

yay..i love grey hair and thin it looks great

Not a good idea it really is ageing

have a look here

or here

Valium

I see what you mean

It's just I prefer natural coloured hair I think - and I don't understand why someone would want to dye their hair to look like an old person, any more than they'd want to dye it to look like a young person...but I can sort of see why covering up grey hair makes people feel better, as getting older can be a bit depressing.

or here blog

getting older does not depress me

No! Be grateful for getting older - it's better than the alternative!

My mum has gorgeous silver white hair (arctic silver she calls it) and has never dyed it - she started going grey at 16. She has very regular and very adventurous, sharp haircuts.

Hmmm, my hair is dyed every four weeks at the hairdressers, its silver/white underneath.

Its short, in a sort of pixie type cut. Every once in a while I think about letting it be. I hate when my neck hair starts growning again, and the back of my head looks two tone!

My hairdresser looks horrified when I suggest it, I was thinking that I could let it all go white, and I believe the idea is to tone it then, to make it look softer. I am 44 and have been dying my hair since I was mid twenties. I see lovely pictures of people who have gone for it, and I don't think it has to look old.

Of to look at pictures and dream....

Yay! I love properly natural steel/silver/white/whatever hair.

I think it looks nice with the right cut and condition. Some people get away with it better than others. I would try it and see.

If you have primary age children, no. If your children are older or you don't have any, then do as you like.

I don't think it looks horrible, I just think it looks ageing.

I think the problem time (especially for dark haired people) is when you've just got random greys scattered about, more than you can pluck out and too few to really have any impact. Once you get past about 10% grey I imagine it gets easier again. I'm still at the pull out the odd one stage but in my mid 40s so it is going to be something I will need to address fairly soon I imagine.

I'm intrigued LittleFrieda - why do people with primary age children have to worry about ageing more than anyone else?

It just seems very specific - you can have primary age children at 25 or 50!

primary school children faint at the sight of grey hair