Covering first greys in dark hair

[knowler]

Hello - at the grand age of 36 I've got my first proper grey hairs mostly in my fringe. There aren't many but as I have v dark brown hair, they are v noticeable and don't look great.

What's the best, most natural and low maintenance (not much, I know!) way of covering them? I've had lighter highlights in the past but I would prefer to stay dark. If I go for a all over dark colour I'm worried about regrowth.

Any ideas? Thanks :)

Don't do it!!!! You'll find yourself on an endless treadmill of never-ending roots and dyeing. It is a nightmare with dark hair, I never found a happy solution.

I gave up dyeing and went grey a few years ago at the age of 30 and don't regret it

henna. will last you a good few weeks before you need to reapply.

I've started to get a few greys in the last year or so. Not many - but as they are along where my hair splits they are noticeable. I've started using a semi permanent hair dye that lasts 6 weeks / 28 washes. It works fine for me. Covers them for ages - and as I use a colour v close to my natural colour people rarely notice. There is no noticeable regret hot anything and it easily disguises the greys for 3-4 months.
I don't know what I'll do when they inevitably multiply I hate the thought of long dark hair and grey roots.

regret hot ?! Oh predictatext you shame me. regrowth!

I started to get grey hairs when I was about 40. I started having my hair highlighted to cover them.

If you want to save money - Loreal Preferance is a good, semi-permanent, easy to apply & you can buy it in Boots. Get a lighter shade than you think you need.

Make sure you test the dye thoroughly first for allergies.

I have very very dark brown hair, almost black. I was about your age when I started to get my first greys. I am quite lucky in that my grey hairs are mostly underneath and don't show that much on the top. My hairdresser colours the roots only every 6 weeks (but I don't actually have grey roots at all, just the odd grey hair needing covering) and the whole head to include the underneath 6 weeks later. Whatever you do - do not pluck out the grey hairs from the top, I got into a very bad habit of doing this and am now growing them out so it does look a bit odd. I am desperate for my colour. It's so much harder to disguise with hair this colour, obviously.

I'm considering just a few fine highlights on the crown where the grey doth sprout.
I still want to retain the overall rich brown effect too.

I am a dark blonde/light brown and have had some success with Aveda colour conditioners.

If it is just a few hairs, honestly don't start going for a block colour or anything. It is a treadmill!

Don't go for permanent dye until you really have to.

I got my first grey hairs at 16 and am now 41. For my 20s and early 30s I used to have lowlights put through my hair with semi permanent colour between. Since my mid 30s I have been dying all over with a colour close to my natural dark brown.

Over the last couple of years the colour has been building up and getting darker and darker so the greys are more and more obvious. My roots are almost entirely grey in my parting area now. The roots were so obvious that I was struggling to wait 3 weeks before dying them again.

So, after a few goes at a hairdresser stripping the colour from my hair, I now ended up going a lighter brown and having a few highlights through to break up the colour. I'd prefer to stay darker brown but this way I can last 4 weeks between roots being done so it's a massive difference as I was itching to do it again after 2.5weeks before.

That was a bit long but the moral of the story is Don't do it until you really really have to! Use semi-permanent if you really need to cover them.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking of trying the semi permanent idea - I'm going to heed the advice about not getting on the permanent block colour treadmill!

One last question: I last coloured my own hair c.1992 and it was a horrible messy job that stained everything within a 2 mile radius. Please tell me that dye technology has moved on and it is (nearly) as easy as the ads look?

I've been pulling the same few out repeatedly for about 10 years, but my hair is wavy and layered so they just sort of blend in till they are long enough to get hold of again. Wouldn't work if your hair was straight I guess.

M and S do a great product (probably similar elsewhere) which is like a big brush with semi-permanent hair dye in it. You just click a few times to squeeze a bit of dye out and brush through your dry hair, then style. It's fab, really easy and lasts a while. Here www.marksandspencer.com/josh-wood-dark-brown-blending-wand-28ml/p/p22270709. It's £12.50.

Meant to say it comes in a few colours but I linked to the dark brown.

I am so getting some of that Hmm !

My hairdresser uses semi-permanend L'Oreal Diacolour on me. And yes, I do have straight hair, hence my advice not to pluck. Totally agree about not going for permanent colour.

Agree with ShinySilver! I wish I'd never dyed mine. Started with semi colours in early 30s, soon onto the hard stuff & now aged 49 trying to grow out the increasingly gingery nasty dye

It's really difficult with very dark hair as going blonder or redder often looks silly & clashes with your face. Roll on next summer when I'll have lovely greying hair

Ah Witchway, it is hard isn't it? You don't think about the growing out process when you start dyeing your hair.

Like you say in a year you'll look so much better and you'll have a little bit of extra money every month (or a lot if you've been going to a hairdresser )

Try the Surya liquid henna, it is fantastic stuff and no nasty chemicals. It comes in lots of shades and is v easy to use, leaves your hair feeling amazing.

Just ordered the Surya henna cream, hadn't heard of this before and have been put off using henna due to it being messy.

Where do you get it from, please?

I've ordered it from Amazon.