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Original poster

Do you think darker hair actually is more aging?

46 replies

DisappointedHorse · 17/05/2013 15:36

Because I don't but need to be told if I'm wrong.

I'm naturally a medium brown hair colour with a fair amount of grey that I'm not ready to embrace yet.

I have always dyed my hair a darkish chocolate colour which I love but as I'm knocking 40 and it was hard to keep up to, I had caramel highlights. It cost me a fortune compared to what I normally pay and I hate it. I feel like it just sucks all the life from me. I'm very pale and I just look washed out, older and generally a bit meh.

So I'm going to dye over it I think but is it really a bad idea when you're knocking 40 to have hair darker than your eyebrows?

OP posts:
chunkymonkeybaby · 17/05/2013 15:43

I think what is most important is whether your hair colour suits your skin tone. If it doesn't then I think that can be ageing. I know somebody who naturally has lovely dark hair but she bleached it blonde and it doesn't suit her at all and makes her skin look really rosy and pink. It definitely is ageing, she'd look far better with dark hair.

ZolaBuddleia · 17/05/2013 15:44

I had some highlights recently in an effort to better cover the grey and I hate it too. Stripey and Wrong.

Picoo · 17/05/2013 15:49

I'm still dying my hair darkish chocolate and am not too far from 40. Intend to do it as long as I can though my mum (same hair colour originally) was told by several hairdressers that women should colour their hair lighter as they get older. Something to do with your face getting paler and a lighter hair colour suiting it better.

Original poster
DisappointedHorse · 17/05/2013 15:50

I had very fine as I was so stripe phobic. It all seems concentrated around the fringe too which is equally wrong.

Are you going to dye over yours?

chunky, I have pink tones to my skin which might explain things.

OP posts:
Tigermax · 17/05/2013 15:57

Hi there! I just had my hair done today so this thread struck a chord with me! I turn 40 on Sun and have recently been thinking that long blonde hair can look a bit brassy and cheap as you get older and therefore ageing - I think you have to be v careful. SJP can be a bit guilty of this in some shades I think. Having said that a harsh colour that is darker than you can carry off can also be ageing... I think it's all down to finding a suitable colour for your skin tone! And probably not settling for one block colour, but breaking it up with different shades of highlights/lowlights! I had my long highlighted hair "ombred" today and I haven't felt this stylish in years!

ZolaBuddleia · 17/05/2013 16:14

Yes, I'm thinking I will, but I can't do it yet as the highlights were so expensive!

I too have rosy colouring, and anything golden is a disaster, but it would seem that creamy blonde just looks lemony.

I think block colour is better on me.

HarlotOTara · 17/05/2013 16:17

I think if your eyebrows are lighter than your hair it can make you look washed out. Darken your eyebrows and the hair colour will be better, pencil or eyebrow dye.

MrsDoomsPatterson · 17/05/2013 16:20

A dark block, toneless colour, or one that is very dark with red in it is, or can be, very ageing.

I have been both dark & blonde, have dishwater/mousey coloured hair so can take both, blonde every time for me. Makes me come 'alive'

MrsDoomsPatterson · 17/05/2013 16:21

But it must be a beige blonde (Aveda) not a yellow blonde.

ZolaBuddleia · 17/05/2013 16:22

I'm mousey too, and my highlights are Aveda!

Madamecastafiore · 17/05/2013 16:23

It's a skin tone issue with hair colour rather than hair colour issue IMO.

FunnysInLaJardin · 17/05/2013 16:25

I hope not! I am 42 and have naturally almost black hair with about 5% grey. I did the highlighted thing a year or so ago and it looked awful. I now use a semi permanant colour in my natural shade which fades over time, so I have natural streaks where the grey is!

Original poster
DisappointedHorse · 17/05/2013 16:26

Ha ha, Zola, I had mine done at the end of March! I've struggled through 7 weeks.

I think I prefer block colour on me too.

OP posts:
nipersvest · 17/05/2013 16:29

i am often in a quandary about this too. am dark ash blonde naturally (and pale skin), and usually dye my hair a shade close to this colour to cover the grey. but in the past, i went though a spell of dyeing it brown. i preferred it brown, i felt it made my green eyes stand out more, but everyone else prefers me blonde! i even did a post on here about it ages ago, put up 2 photo's of me, one with blonde hair, the other with brown hair and almost everyone voted blonde.

as an aside, my eyebrows have definitely gone paler (am 42), i tint them with brown dylash, just slightly, that helps.

Rooble · 17/05/2013 16:29

I think it is ageing. I had dark brown hair, which I coloured a chestnutty colour to hide the grey. Suddenly about 12 months ago decided to embrace the grey so have had highlights (sort of whiteish ones) while the grey grows out. Cannot tell you how many com

Rooble · 17/05/2013 16:29

Oops - fat fingers!
Yes, have received millions of com

Startail · 17/05/2013 16:30

I'm Envy of DSIS she has short slightly wavy fair hair, she just puts highlights through it and the grey vanishes.

Whatever, I do with my mousy mop it reappears 5 minutes later.

DSIS also has preachers and cream smooth skin and I still have teen spots, joined now by wrinkles.

She's 43 and I'm 45 and I bet there are plenty of people who wouldn't give DSIS 40

Fillyjonk75 · 17/05/2013 16:32

I think it's more ageing if the colour is too dark for your colouring. I dye mine dark blonde now, just a couple of shades lighter as when a few grey strands come through, it does hide it better and the roots aren't too obvious as it's not too far away from my natural colour.

Rooble · 17/05/2013 16:32

Derr. Must be location of letters on phone. Have received loads of compliments including from totally random people I barely know.
I'm sure it's because my skin has changed tone and I'd been pretending that hair hadn't.
There are loads of women my mothers age (late 60s), who still pretend to be dark and I find it looks ludicrous ..... Need for balance!

Original poster
DisappointedHorse · 17/05/2013 16:36

nipersvest, yes. Exactly that. I have dark blue (with green bits) eyes which are my best feature and dark hair makes them pop.

Startail, my Dsis has beautiful long blonde natural ringlets and dark green eyes. It's not fair.

OP posts:
MrsDoomsPatterson · 17/05/2013 16:36

It's all about the toner, Zola. I have to have toner left on for a while to bring it back to a nicer colour. My hairdresser knows I'm all about the toner!

OneLittleLady · 17/05/2013 16:39

I think it's all dependant on you finding the right shade for your skin tone. I'm very very pale but dark hair suits me. I also have mid to dark coloured eyebrows and lashes so darker hair works for me despite me being super pale. I look absolutely terrible as a blonde despite many attempts with various shades. If you're dying at home though, always go for the lighter shade as it will be darker on your hair than it looks on the box Smile

MrsDoomsPatterson · 17/05/2013 16:40

Oh I love dark hair with very pale skin, especially if pare with a short style. It's so stylish.

ZolaBuddleia · 17/05/2013 17:06

I'm considering red. Like this.

ZolaBuddleia · 17/05/2013 17:07

OneLittle, what colour are you naturally?