White or gray streak in hair

[sighbynight]

I'm in my mid forties, with shoulder blade length mid brown hair (actually pretty gray under the dye job) and a side swept fringe. I wear heavy framed glasses.
I want a change and I was thinking a thick white or gray streak around my fringe. I know you have views on this. Tell me!

I have an almost white streak right down the middle of my hair - about 4 inches wide. It appeared very quickly about 5 years ago. I tried dyeing it to begin with, but I got fed up of doing it so often - and I don't have any gray anywhere else - so I now leave it. I have to say that it is often admired, but I have no idea whether those admiring it are being sincere or not! I'm not sure about it, myself, but I've learnt to live with it.

That's the thing, of course. If I hate it, I can dye it back. Or at least get my hairdresser to do it.

True. I think you should give it a go!

Like this (saw it on a thread a week or so back)?

Yes! Like that. Might have to start wearing more makeup though.

A friend of mine had natural grey streaks in her hair when she was in her teens, and I thought it was super cool!

I have a natural black streak in my mid brown hair, and depending on my haircut, often get complimented on it. Most people think I've dyed it in and are surprised when I say it's natural.

I know someone who has this done and she says the maintenance is crazy.

I can imagine, CurrentKing. I imagine no matter how gray I am underneath, it won't be gray enough. Still, I have to dye it every 5-6 weeks anyway to cover the gray. I think I'll see how it goes.

I've had a white streak for about 10 years. I could see it coming through at the roots and when it was concentrated enough I sectioned off the area and bleached it blonde so that I could grow it out seamlessly. I had a side parted fringe at the time so it only took about 3 months before the blonde was replaced by the natural white. The maintenance is fine as far as colour is concerned. I dye the rest of my hair dark brown, but section off the white bit and completely coat it with conditioner to stop any dye permeating the streak, then twist it into a little knot and pin it out of the way whilst I apply the other colour. The main problem I have with it now is that as I've got older the white hair seems to be very brittle so it snaps more easily (which would still be the case if it was dyed to match the rest of my hair), so there are some short bits that mean the streak is not as wide as I'd like.

Seeing that picture above of Caryn Franklin reminded me that I saw her at an industry do I was at and she pointed at my streak, and her own in a "Oh look, we match" gesture.

Do it, all the little girls will think you're Anna from Frozen

My mum and maternal grandmother have natural ones and I'm hoping to follow suit! They call it a Mallen streak but I think it's referred to as poliosis or something.

I love them and will be happy to get one.

Just back from the hairdresser - it's way too discreet. Looks more like a big blonde highlight. Next time - chunky.

Photo? Pretty please?

Go back and get them to do it properly. A mallen streak should be a chunky buggar and not blonde so they probably need to tone it if it is blonde.

Mine is quite skinny, purely because that's the width of my natural white streak. That may be why they haven't made yours as chunky as you'd want it. I have grey hair in the rest of my hair but only the really concentrated area of white hair could be made into a streak for it to look dramatic enough. I'd love it to be chunkier, but it's just not possible unless it was just a dyed white streak. I got the impression from your original post that you wanted something that would evolve into your natural white streak.

Also, mine started off as a blonde streak until it grew out. They can't really artificially recreate a natural white effect with bleach, and if they bleach it too much to try and make it look as white as the hair underneath then it might just end up snapping off because of the fact that hair with no pigment is often more brittle. Trust me, I know from experience, that will be much more frustrating to grow out into a mallen streak than a blonde streak will be!

Obviously, if you have mostly white hair underneath and are just trying to cultivate a white streak to your desired width, whilst continuing to dye the rest, ignore everything I've just said.

I'd love a streak too. So so stylish. I haven't dared yet because of the maintenance. Instead I've had highlights and low lights with more highlights around my face. It'll do for now until I get ambitious.

I'm the latter, havingkittens. I think the hair underneath is predominantly white. I'll know more in a couple of weeks when there is regrowth. The hairdresser did say it would progressively lighten over the next few weeks (I have my doubts on this. I think it was hairdresser bad science)

My husband noticed it was lighter. No one else has commented. So I don't think it would show up in a photo sadly. It will in a few weeks though , when I get it redone!

I have a grey streak in my hair, my husband likes it and thinks it looks boho.