To chop or not? Honest opinions please.

[ChopOrNot]

Please give me your honest opinions on my hair. I simply cannot decide if it is a bit "meh" or OK. Or am I just not seeing it in it's true wondrous beauty - it is actually stunning and I cannot see it ? Is it aging? Naff? A bit dry looking? Please please give me you first thoughts.

I have an appointment booked for Friday and I am going to give the (new to be but v experienced and highly recommended) stylist free reign. I kind of suit short hair (OK face shape/cheekbones/skin) Happy to go cropped. I just want something a bit...edgier? Less mumsy? Funky? Wild? Exciting?

My main motivator at the moment is to stop the constant dying - the colour you see it fake - am about 70% grey/white at the front/parting and about 30% the rest. Roots not showing that much in the pic as I have painted them with a grey-cover-sticky-things - but there is about 3/4 of an inch there. I would love to say greyed prematurely..) - but am 42. So there is a strong temptation to just buzz cut it and then grow it out.

I was, at the end of last year, planning on growing longer - but I think I would be better off doing that once the dye has gone. Also the reason I was going to grow it longer was to be able to put it up...as it suits me better....er...so....maybe I should just cut it off.

Arggghhh.... I have spent hours on pinterest. I am bored of trying to decide.

What do I dooooooooo Help me. me? midlife crisis...not me

And I think that sometimes the not-quite-right coloured hair sometimes makes me look older than I am. And certainly grey roots are not youthful.

Oh buggery fuck. See. Round in bloody circles. Fuck.

I think the length really suits you but the front/fringe area needs to be different.

I'd go blonder and messier - have more layers cut in especially around the sides. A bit like meg ryans hair used to be many moons ago. You have great features but I think the colour needs funking up a bit

(I say that as someone who is now mostly grey because I can't be arsed colouring mine anymore so what do I know....!)

yy, do ditch the dye. Get a fab short cut and, indeed, grow it again if you fancy. Wouldn't be surprised if it when a long way to sorting out your 'problem' with the curls too, TBH.

I'm surprised so very many people are saying you should not only keep on dying when you don't want to, but go for an even faffier dye job too. Madness.

Chop, chop

I was going to suggest going darker - then I saw your younger photo and I DEFINITELY suggest going darker! I think dark curly hair will look much nicer than mousey curly hair.

I really recommend you try the Living Proof products. Only available at Space NK and eye-wateringly expensive but hands down the best things I have ever tried for curly hair/frizz.

I use the shampoo, conditioner and the nourishing styling cream.

Google Meg Ryan hairstyles. She's great hair inspiration for funky, choppy, curly styles.

don't crop, you'll regret it.

You could always get hold of that product that strips all the dye from your hair. I did it at the start of last summer when I had got to the point of having to re-dye my very dark hair every few weeks in order to hide the white! I bought it in Boots and it was fairly reasonably priced.

Of course, since then I've abandoned the natural look completely and now sport a dark blonde with lighter highlights, but that's because I tried the natural look and decided it wasn't for me after all.

I think- long term it could do with being about twice as long, just past your shoulders. And to help it along I would go for a t-bar of low/highlights that will help you grow it with minimal colour. I get my hair dyed about 2 times a year, and it always looks great. Think Sarah Jessica Parker for colour and style.

Or you could so pull of a Mia farrow crop. So if you're feeling brave. Chop it. You'll look lovely either way.

Sorry, not very helpful.
bunny please post a picture?!?!!!

Nancy My once-hairdresser (the amazing one) used Meg Ryan as inspiration for my best haircuts. I loved that hairdresser.

And yes, Mrs Lettuce I think - hope - ditching the dye may well reinvigorate the curl too.

Don't cut it just go blond (er) and look at some products to work with it. Its lovely and suits you, quirky and cute.

I like it, for me it could use a little more volume. I have curly hair but I straighten mine, I often think of just letting it go, it really suits you and you look younger than 42 ??

Yes, you do look younger than 42. Rather a lot younger. I wonder if that's why people aren't getting that your natural colour - '70% grey/white at the front/parting and about 30% the rest' - would probably look fab. They're mostly saying, effectively, go paler with more tonal variations though

Definitely blonder, beachy sunkissed highlights would be amazing, it would be really casually cool, looove your relaxed curls

I'm with whoever said darker- especially after seeing the old pic (stunning!). Try tons of coconut oil to try and recondition and get that curl back (though I used to have ringlets and now just have waves, maybe it's just age? Yours is a ton better than mine though!)

If you have gone grey around the face then maybe your skin colour has changed too and dark dye would not look good. I always think lighter hair on older women is youthful and throws so much light upon the face whereas dark hair throws dark shadows on the face and shows up lines etc.

Firstly you look ace and thought you were around 32 not 42. I agree it needs a more tonal colour. The colour is a wee bit flat. Though I'd say you could get away with any colour to be honest.
i'd kill for curly hair. It looks so effortless(i'm quite sure it's not.)

God, I wish I were still 32. Or 30 like the second picture.

I'm going to go against the grain here. Buzz it and go natural. At the moment it is over processed rat's tails and a meh colour.

You are very pretty and would look amazing with grey hair. I don't believe grey ages people at all- if anything it can highlight a youthful complexion.

Definitely go for it x

I'm with scarlet, in the NEVER EVER cut camp. It's ALWAYS ageing. In the first post, in the top 2 pics, you have a look of Julia Roberts. Grow it a bit, get some interesting colour put in (I'd go with be beachy blonde) and under no circumstances go grey. If your aim is to hang on to a bit of youth, longer and lighter is the way to go. Kelly hoppen for example.

Kissy is sooooo wrong about grey. It's hip n trendy if you're 20 something and always ageing if you're 40 something. Resist resist resist.

Don't crop it. Instantly mumsy and aging.

For what it's worth, I think your hair is lovely. Maybe talk to the Hairdresser about how to make the dye more low maintenance.

Ok, voice of dissent here - I think you are very beautiful but your hair is not accentuating your beauty, it's flat and mousy. I think you need it off your face a bit and think short would be lovely, so pretty - not a really short crop, but a wavy, gamin one (Audrey Tautou).

I have a friend with similar looks to yours and she is so beautiful with shortish, ruffled wavy hair. So pretty and effortless-looking.

I also agree with you that most dye jobs are more aging than grey hair; I think grey can look amazing, particularly on a youthful face with glowing skin like yours. Most middle aged women I know have dyed hair that looks too dark for their skin tone, or it's brassy / orangey - full on frump, much more so than a stylish, pretty grey cut. It just looks dyed and not very nice, I think. I think with your natural looks, you would look best with natural hair, so I say let it be itself!

Blond highlights to make it look more beachy and define curls with this. I have similar hair and find boots curl cream too lightweight. Don't cut - it will just become more unmanageable.

I like your hair the length it is too. I can't advise on colour, because I know nothing about it, but it do have wavy-curly hair that is kind of fine and easily weighed down. I find that the Boots curl creme does bad things to my hair - the alcohol in it is very drying. Have you tried something more moisturising? The Naked curl cream is good but my favourite is Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle (from Beauty by Zara online).

I've found that my grey hair curls differently to the bit that still has my original colour (v dark brown) but I haven't really worked out how to manage it yet!