Who wants to go grey with me?

[Flangeofmingetown]

I have had enough with the faff of dyeing my hair. Bleach.dye.bleach.dye every two weeks.

Dye is not enough on it's own. It just washes straight off. I have tried every brand there is and I just am so bored with the whole malarky.

I have short hair so could be done by May. I have inherited the silver gene from both my parents who both went gray prematurely (in their twenties) and have had grey hairs since my teens. Now I have a pure white halo around 3/4's of my hairline and is is noticeable even days after double processing.

I really like salt and pepper hair -have no problem with it and think it looks better than a dye job any day but it's the growing out phase that is excruciating.

Anyone care to join/have a good old moan/support/offer some tips etc?

I am Determined not to dye my hair.

I have increasing numbers of grey hairs and my natural gingery tone is fading but I gave up with dyeing years ago. I just can't be arsed with all the faffing about these days so au naturel it is.

I expect my resolve will weaken as the grey becomes more noticeable but i am a fairly lazy person and regular hair dyeing is not high on my list of things I want to spend my time doing

Well this has got off to a flying start. I think the 'how bourgeois' woman looks fantastic as does the Highland Fashionista. That's what is needed though isn't it-more women in their thirties/forties just going with it. I love the look of grey hair and like I said only have an issue with the whole growing out bit which looks so grim on me. I have very dark hair and it is pure white in places so not easy to blend and very noticeable at the roots.

Oh and there is no shade of blonde that would ever suit me. I would then have to deal with dark roots every two weeks. yack

I am quite determined to do it. I fear it is time to resurrect the hat before the Spring and just grit my teeth.

Love the monochrome description. Can anyone point to some encouraging blogs and pictures of those who are working their grey?

I think it is going to look striking as the silver hair coming through is strong and sparkles unlike the fried processed mass atop it

No way! Not me. Not ever, whilst I can still afford to have it done professionally.

I'm 54 and work in a very young industry, where it's positively a crime to be old. And certainly will command the death penalty if I look old!

I look dreadful when my real colour comes through - not only do I look old, but I look washed out and tired.

I have my eyelashes dyed as well.

Bring it on, say I

I will when I go grey. I've never dyed my hair and I don't intend to start.

I have considered doing this for a while now and have a friend that refuses to dye hers and she has a lovely salt n pepper mix throughout! My Mum doesn't dye her hair and at nearly 73, she has had a light salt n pepper colour which is just getting lighter! it really doesn't look grey at all! I though, took after my Dads colouring (dark) and feel that my grey will be nothing like my Mums and more like Dads and will be very silver...I can't see how it will suit my skin tone at all!

I'm just not very brave! although, I suppose I could get the wigs out and see how it goes! just the thought of wigging it every time I leave the house...

no sorry!

Have highlights done once a year and the sun does the rest to keep my grey at bay. I am lucky that regrowth is not noticeable due to being quite dark blonde naturally.

I will never go grey even when I am an old lady.

Ironically the only women who suit grey or rather silver white hair are those who are young with great skin, lovely bone structure and who can wear gamine type pixie crop hair styles.

In my humble opinion.

Good luck with it, Nerfmother - I'm sure it'll look great .

Flange -

I like this lady's hair;

This lady's is beautiful, and IMO much more flattering to her than dye would be;

I anticipate this is how most of mine will be in a few years, fortunately this lady gives me hope;

Hers is cool;

Really lovely, IMO.

Here are a few:

this woman was brave, helps that she's stunningly beautiful

how quickly does this woman's hair grow!

this is what colour mine is/ would be like

I'll keep searching

they all look awful, cosy.

Old and frumpy- especially the first one with that curly mop of nothing.

Aha the HowBourgeois blog is one of the ones I was thinking about.

It's good to see younger women looking fab with grey hair.

Still don't know if I'm that brave though..

The Eco brand is called Naturtint. A while ago they had instructions online on how to make it semi/Demi permanent. Can't find them anymore, but basically, when you are measuring out the colour & developer- substitute some developer for the included shampoo.
(I use a small measurements tub so I get it exact. One pack of hair dye lasts 4 root touch ups this way. Muchos cheaperos than salon & I am waaaay more tidy around my ears & hairline)

This works! I only ever swapped 1/3 and I think it's why I have the shimmery bits in my hair now. But if you went 1 parts developer 1 parts shampoo 2 parts colour it would probably be semi permanent.

No I won't be embracing my substantial grey any time soon.

I'm too young for a start.

And I would look a sight growing it out as my hair is dark brown and I'm only grey at the roots.

I will be growing old disgracefully a la Joan

I stopped dyeing my hair 10 years ago.
I have a white stripe that is getting wider. If I brush my hair the other way I can make it vanish but normally my hair is "up"
not dyeing it reduces the risk of odd colours as I swim most days.

I think the key to looking good grey is no frizz, a good cut & lovely skin.

The frizz & cut I can manage, but flawless skin is a lot more difficult!

Do you think Jaffa? I agree that the style isn't that great on the first one that I posted.

And HighlandFashionista is a teeeeny bit smug looking, but her hair looks good!

I have to say, if I was in my 50s I wouldn't bother... but I was in my late 20s when I started going grey.. I just wasn't ready for it then!

So for those of us that are considering it.. how the hell do you start? Go for the full on skunk stripe for 6 months?

Excellent-thank-you for all those links.

Do you know I don't think I have ever seen anyone who dyes their hair who's hair actually looks natural. You can always tell can't you?

I don't think it looks ageing at all-it looks softer on some and contrasting on others but it always suits their skin tone.

Helmet dyed hair though is ageing.

Harsh one colour dyed hair looks a bit obvious.

But properly dyed hair doesn't and imo looks much better than hair scattered with grey. It just looks scruffy and ageing to me.

I'm wondering if my at home semi/Demi permanent would be the route for those of us that don't want a huge grey stripe?

Keep using the semi mix until hair is long enough to get a snazzy short haircut then wash out all the dye.

Would this work? Has anyone done this?

True. And I do wonder whether my natural hair colour - i.e. grey/brown, would be nicer on me than my current dye job.

I'm pissed off with my colour, because I've tried to keep dying it my natural colour - mid brown, but it has started fading to an orangey light brown. So many people asked me in the summer whether i had highlighted it.. as if, I'm a brunette through and through.

And the deterioration in its condition has really started to shock me. Totally curled up frazzled ends, and loads of broken short bits. Not good at all.

How old are you Flange ? if you don't mind me asking.

I'm 35. Still not sure if I'm ready for it yet.

cosy
my stripe always took dye differently so I just let the dye fade and the stripe become clearer

I've always had my hair well below shoulders apart from when I had alopecia

I have tried the Demi/semi root but it washes off the next day or two so futile for me. I have read that it can stain grey hair permanently and so extend the growing out period. Hair can take on an unearthly glow doing it it this way.

Highlights oxidise and turn brassy so also extend the grow out hugely.

Roux is supposed to be good so I might try that but the mousse stains so it will have to be the pen jobbie.

I have been grey for about three yeard now - just before I turned 40, I had a very short crop to get out all of the dye. I have stayed short - I am surprised at how much I liek it - always had a jaw-length bob of some variety before.

I try to keep it conditioned and make sure that the cut is regular. I think it needs a sharp and stylish cut so that it doesn't look aging. Sadly when it grows too long I get a severe Clare Balding fringe which ages me loads (even though she is younger than I am by a whisker!).

I agree with PPs that I think my hair tone is now in harmony with my skin tone and the whole shebang looks better than it has done for a while.

I'm 38. I'm obviously not too young to be grey!

I love that taupe cast that brown hair often gets as it greys. It cannot be replicated with any bottle colour either. I know what you mean about the unnatural red hue as well cosy and it isn't flattering if you have cool-toned skin. I have struggled with this often dying my hair too dark to compensate aka a bit Pauline Prescott

I stopped highlighting mine about three years ago....it's a chin length bob affair at its longest

I went a good bit shorter once or twice, but colour wise I am naturally mouse, and was only highlighting up few shades

So really the grey is just taking place of the highlights and is I hope not that noticeable.

On the up side, last time i went for a trim I was complimented on the condition by all three people who dealt with me... washer-girl, junior stylist (too mean to pay full price) and the salon owner who checked the cut for me.

Does anyone else feel that smaller faced, slimmer ladies look better grey than we larger girls with longer faces? Jamie Lee Curtis looks fantastic and just has the perfect shaped everything face and petite body.

Or is it just me?