Do you think darker hair actually is more aging?

[DisappointedHorse]

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?

[Horsemad]

I would go without food to pay for my hair being coloured! It is the only money I spend on myself, so although it's a big chunk of money every 4 wks, I don't begrudge it!

[orangeandemons]

Also, my hair dresser only dyes the grey it's, not an all over, which makes it look much more natural. She just combs it through after doing roots to mingle it a bit. And she matches it identically to my natural hair colour

[orangeandemons]

I thought the general advice was, lighter as you get older. Also if you have pinkish skin, caramel sounds wrong. You would need ash based lighter colours. This is why I love my hairdresser. She knows all about warm and cool hair and skintones

[Nagoo]

I look hideous blonde.

I am naturally mouse. Look much better with dark hair, but there's brown and there is brown.

[minniedriver]

Lighter hair on me made me look older and washed out hated it.

So I am back to a mid brown.

[AlvinHallsGroupie]

Its very ageing whether your hair is light or dark if you dont have any tones ie the colour you get from home hairdye .

I am blonde but my hair ranges from light brown underneath to blonde around my face . I would pay my hairdresser anything ,she is a genius with older hair

[Horsemad]

Was speaking to my mum & she only has a colour every 5/6 months! She's seventy bloody three fgs!!
How come my greys come through so quickly?
She is a mousey brown colour, whereas I was a brunette before going a bit lighter, so wonder if that has any bearing?

[cocolepew]

Oh and I'm 44.

[cocolepew]

I use the reusable one, need it for grey roots touch ups too!
I think after a while dark dye on top of dark dye can cause a build up that looks flat and too dark. I used to steak bleach through my hair when this happened and then dyed over it. I'm hoping with the reusable one this won't happen.

I use a chocolate brown, some dark browns are too black nearly. I am very pale but have dark brown eyes and black browns and lashes. I agree that you need your hair and brows to tone in.

[DisappointedHorse]

I'm going to re-dye mine tomorrow, I'm going to try the new L'Oreal natural medium brunette. It's the re-usable one so should be handy for touch ups.

They always come out a bit darker on me so I'm hoping it'll be about the right colour.

[HaveAGoodDay]

I'm unsure, you see I'm a natural redhead, well I was when I was little - I have only let my natural come through about 3 inches at the most since I was about 15 & I'm 40 now!

I've been colouring mine a dark chocolatey brown since beginning of this year. I've been told it suits me much better than the bright auburn I had last year, an attempt to copy my natural colour! I don't think it ages me. I went blonde a few years ago. Very nice highlights, full head. Had it like that for one week then went straight back to the hairdresser to return me to a reddish brown. I looked at least 10 years older with blonde hair, in fact I looked half dead! The very second I saw my brown hair again in the mirror, the colour came back to my face & I instantly lost 10 years off my face too.

Those pesky roots are a pain though, can't keep the auburn & maybe the odd greys at bay forever! Will relent one day and will have to just wave goodbye to the dark side!

[squoosh]

When women get to a certain age, 50-60, dark hair can be very ageing. Doesn't mean you need to go blonde but just go down a shade or two and keep it lighter around the face.

[Horsemad]

Can I just ask? When the greys start coming through (roots) - is that the amount the hair has grown or does the dye wear off the greys?
Mine needs doing every 4 wks or the grey roots are very obvious which is quite costly at the hairdressers.

[CorrieDale]

It was for me I think. I have recently started having caramel highlights having been chocolate brown all my life. But at 46 and 80% grey (only found that out this year. Didn't take the news well) I have had to lighten up. No, I don 't love it like I loved my natural chocolate but there's no denying I look younger with it like this.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I think dyed hair in general can be very ageing if you started off with dark hair, blondes seem to get away with adding highlights much better.

My hair is a dark chestnut/auburn, and I've started to go grey in the last year. I'm now wondering whether I'm going to start dyeing it, or just let it go grey. Instinct is saying to let it go grey, and laziness because I really don't know whether I can be arsed with the upkeep. My hair grows at the most amazing rate, so I would need to re-do every 4-5 weeks.

[SundaySimmons]

I'm nearer fifty than forty.

Dark hair is very unforgiving. From behind its glossy and I could be mistaken for much younger. From the from, yikes! I have to be careful I don't look too witchlike by wearing soft looking make up but as the hair is dark I have to emphasise my eyebrows and wear eyeliner and mascara or I would look awful.

I did manage to go a lighter brown using casting hair dye iced latte which whilst still a lot darker than the picture on the box, was a beautiful mid brown. I loved it until I accidently had a senile moment and bought iced mocha by mistake and my hair is back to almost black. It's lovely, so shiny but too dark for me and I look hideous with no make up, and my hair can look a bit like a wig!

I am now trying to go back to the iced latte.

I recommend casting colours because whatever shade you choose, your hair becomes super glossy.

[WowOoo]

I think it's important to have a good, honest hairdresser or a good friend who knows about colouring.

Even if your not getting your hair done there, ask their honest opinion. Mine is brutally honest and when I did a home dye job he told me I looked about 14 years older. (Not good for a forty yr old to hear)

Another tip from other posters is eyebrows. My look has changed since MN and a friend told to watch some YouTube vids about eyebrows. Since I've darkened my eyebrows -with a brush and make up daily) I look better.

I can't afford to get expensive highlights next time. But hairdresser has told me exactly what to get next time I do a block colour. I know it won't look as good as a salon job, but will cost me far less than £100.

[MarshaBrady]

Dark hair can look great with pale skin.

[OneLittleLady]

Naturally I'm mid brown with lots of red.

[MarshaBrady]

I think having the wrong hair for your natural colouring can be ageing.

So dyed dark when meant to be blonde and fair, but also bleached white when meant to be darker.

[ZolaBuddleia]

OneLittle, what colour are you naturally?

[ZolaBuddleia]

I'm considering red. Like this.

[MrsDoomsPatterson]

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

[OneLittleLady]

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