Hair dye or colour conditioner - what's best for covering grey?

[savedbycoffee]

My grey hairs have reached the point where they can no longer be ignored - I need to take action! But where to start? Am nervous about dying it in case I hate the colour/it looks obvious/etc. But not sure whether semi-permanents or colour conditioners will have any effect. Has anyone had any success with either semi-permanent dyes or with some of the colour conditioners (I think Aveda and Davines do them)? Really would welcome any advice - feel like I'm entering a whole new time-consuming and probably quite expensive world.

Hair is currently mid-brown, BTW (with grey strands multiplying as I type)

I use semi-permanent colour on my hair and it covers the grey fine. I currently have L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss on mine and that is a semi. I have also used permanent colours in the past.

Thanks ilovepowerhoop. Have seen Casting recommended on a few other threads so I reckon it might be worth a go. How long does it usually last? And have you tried a few different colours?

I second casting. I have shoulder length brown hair with greys coming through at the crown which are increasingly noticeable as the wirey fuckers always seem to stick straight up. I wash my hair every other day and find it lasts about 3 months or so but the more conditioned my hair is the less noticeable the greys seem so it can go longer if I keep on top of the conditioning.

It took a while for me to find the right colour for me and I tried quite a few - the iced ones aren't as good IMHO - I currently use 600 light brown and leave on for max time and it does the job.

I now use Casting Creme Gloss on my 5% grey hair which is naturally very dark brown and it works really well as the grey sort of fades back in giving a sort of streaked effect. I have used it twice since about Feb I think, with the last time being yesterday

I did try the Aveda coloured conditioner and shampoo first and bought a huge bottle of the shampoo only to discover that I am allergic to it So that was £40 down the drain!

Jcee, I'm with you on the sticking straight up! I swear they get wirier by the day. Thanks for the Casting advice, I'll avoid the iced ones. Funnys, that's a nightmare about the Aveda reaction, I would be gutted. It IS damn expensive; I think I just liked the idea of something that was less of a commitment than an actual dye.
To think I used to dye my hair for fun when I was in my teens. Now it's going to be yet another chore to add to my age-dodging to-do list.

that is what galls me the most saved. DH says but you have always dyed your hair, but I said yes for fun. Now I need to it's a chore! Plus I hate it and wonder where it will all end. 80 and still with a head of black hair

Oh DON'T! I'm kind of hoping that at 80 we can legitimately put away the leg wax and hair dye. Maybe this is the worst part, and once we go completely grey we can rock the silver sirens look and never look at a hair colour swatch again hopeful face.

Obviously that should have been .

Personally I use casting creme gloss as it covers greys and makes hair very shiny.

I would never ever use nice and easy semi permanent as every shade I have chosen even if it says ash has made my hair a horrible copper colour.

Instead of trying to get my grey to fade into the rest I have decide to go an unatural colour! Never done it in my teens I've decided in my 40's life is too short and just went for it. Hair is always in great condition and I've used a colour of different brands, colour doesn't fade too quickly - it sort of fades as I need to do the regrowth so grey coming through isn't that noticeable! I would recommend a complete change everyone comments on what a good colour it is.

a couple of different brands!!!

i use garnier nutrisse (the davina one) and it covers grey effectively.

Good tip about nice and easy - and sorry you found out the hard way Sunday! Olderkidsaremine, how different did you go? A few shades or a total change? I have to admit I'm tempted, but also, honestly, probably not brave enough yet. I haven't looked at garnier FauxFox but I will when I do my next recce in Boots. Interesting that no-one's going with the colour-depositing conditioners, there goes my hopes of low-maintenance, zero-commitment colour!

Sorry but I think it has to be dye! Following a recommendation on here I have used the superdrug colour shampoo when my hair desperately needs doing but I'm too lazy to do it which is ok but you dont get full coverage and you have to leave it on for an age and they have limited choice of colours.