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

ooh, have a look at Bunnys photos, think the thread was called something like "a year ago today", will see if I can find it.
She is bloody beautiful.

I'd be tempted to cut it at the sides leaving the length on top, Tilda Swinton stylee.

I think you should go for the crop, and speak to your hairdresser about colouring/going grey.

I spoke to mine, and she said that whilst my hair is a nice white colour at the front the back is actually quite dark and seems yo have gone darker, weirdly, so the overall effect would be quite unattractive, not the lovely silvery look I planned.

So I have gone platinum blonde, until it's all white. But my hair is very straight.

If you don't like the crop it will grow. I have had more hairstyles and colours, some good, some aargh!, over the past couple of years than ever before and do find it liberating.

I really dislike that Tilda Swindon look!

i want to see bunnys pics!

Something like this. Asymmetric. It'd be lovely. You have nice hair it just needs tweaked! Definitely a deeper side parting, heavy on one side, it'd really flatter your (pretty) face. 4 wks is quite short between colours, I'd expect 5 up to 8 weeks for your colour! Ask your hairdresser for a base closer to your natural colour and lighten up with a few scattered highlights underneath. Should be easier to maintain.

Sorry photo here

You look great and blonder would really suit you Agree you look about 30! I think short hair is very hard to do as you get older unless you have a face like yours so if you really wanted short I am sure you would look great. I am 49 (gulp) and have always had longish hair post 35 I recently cut from boob length to a shoulder length bob and would love even shorter but do think it would be ageing! I don't think you need to go grey yet!

Wow - a mixed bag. Though in general the consensus seems to be go lighter. Whether that is beach blonde highlights or grey/white (wow - bit of a contrast).

The base colour I am dyed is too "warm" for me. My skin tone has definitely changed - I used to suit corally kind of colours - was always my best colour if you like- but they just don't look right these days. I feel/look better now in blues (any shade) or grey.

I am not dyeing. Not. Nada. I am going gray. White. I am quite happy to phizz the grey up with some ?pure white? highlights/lowlights every few months - but I really am super-unhappy with the block colour. It has to go.

Cut wise - a lot saying stay the length I am. I am undecided. If I crop it will always grow - and am thinking it will make the grey transition easier.

I certainly need a good reshape/decent cut. To me I see the bits people have commented on. A bit flat on top. A bit rat-taily. Colour a bit meh. I think I am not keen as I know it can look better. Thinks wistfully on 15 years ago....attached. Shorter. Messy. I loved it. (excuse the odd photo - boyfriend who took it played around with the eye colour etc). Tis the only decent photo I have of this hairstyle.

Oh to be...well...young...

(oh an whoever asked about my skincare routine...soap/water/cheap moisturiser/stay out of the sun (burn) and good genes Thank Mum)

Oh and thank you for all the lovely comments btw. Not why I have this thread but fuck, feels wonderful!

Oh, some advice please though, if anyone knows - the reason my parting is only just a side one is due to a very annoying cowlick - if I go deeper parting it just goes all...faffy...sticky uppy...pissy on me. A real PITA so I end up going more central parting again.

Is there anyway to kill cowlicks. Without faffing around with drying it or straighteners etc (don't own either).

I want to embrace my grey too. I started a thread about it a few days ago but only got one reply! :( I want to stop dyeing because I think I'm becoming allergic to the dye and I hate the constant root redoing. Unfortunately a few years ago, my hairdresser talked me into having a block colour rather than low lights so now I have that line of regrowth. I think you look younger than 42 too :)

I think grey is like any other hair colour, some people are blessed with a gorgeous shade of grey, others aren't.

Grey is quite fashionable now though so definitely doesn't have the old lady image it once had.

Ah coo's licks are a pain, probably not much you can do without a dryer or straighteners. Maybe instead of having it deeper parted with the weight on one side you could get it chopped at the back, then a lot of the volume would be up top at the back. It's just thinking of ways to get a bit volume (I have very fine hair, I'm forever working at the volume in mine) I love curly hair, the only time I don't is when it looks like a triangle - flat on top, puffs out at the ends (yours isn't like that).

Because your hair has turned grey it will probably have changed texture so try different products to the ones you would have before.

Go for your grey! Use purple or silver shampoo to take out brassy tones.

I had about 7 women in my book group decide to go grey together NY 2013 only 3 lasted iirc. I have red hair and no real grey yet but I know it won't suit me and some of my friends who have gone grey look really drab so I dread it! I do see some people looking amazing though

noddy I think I need to give it a go. I may hate it - so I can start the dye again (but maybe without the block colour-regrowth shite I have now). Or it may look great. As above, I am not adverse to some colour/highlights - but need to get off my current treadmill.

And it is a bit of a trend at the moment so maybe I will look on-trend rather than old hopeful

Your hair suits you so I recommend you don't chop. Have you tried Superdrug's colour effects shampoo? It's wash in, wash out and may blend in your grey. I've been using it since I stopped highlighting my hair two years ago, and I'm very happy with it.

Everythingsgoingsouth - where are these Bunny photos you are talking about. Need to see them now

People I know who have stuck with it are glad as the faff of dyeing was getting to them One of them looks amazing with it I know what you mean about giving it a go!

The great thing about hair is that nothing you do has to be permanent.

I've had this overwhelming urge to go red for years. My hairdresser said not to as it wouldn't suit me. He was right, it looked shite.

I thought I would look all Nicole Kidman. I actually looked more like Mick Hucknall. I'm glad I tried it though.

I was desperate for a fringe, thought it would make me look like Alexa Chung. I actually looked like Moe from The Three Stooges.

Oh and Ginger like that photo. Have added to my Pinterest. And I know what you mean about the triangle head. Had many, many cuts like that. The latest cut was exactly that. I could not be arsed to go back so spent and evening you-tubing Curly Girl Deva cuts and layered it myself. Totally one reason why it is not a great cut at the moment (hacked with nail scissors is not covered at college as far as I know). But way better than the cut before!

Yes I get mad notions for a fringe every so often even though it looks dreadful!

Go blonder! Don't cut it it you have awesome hair xx

Love your shorter hair Noddy really suits you . I have a chin length warm blond layered bob with fringe and I have the front sections highlighted light blond to frame the face. I find that this colour illuminates my face and is the best anti ager.