Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

For those of us going grey

730 replies

SilveryFoxyMe · 12/07/2015 14:09

Forgive the name change, but I reckon this post makes me fairly recognisable.

Anyway, last year I posted my dilemma as to whether to continue dyeing my hair or let nature take over and see what was really lurking under there

I bit the bullet after yet another hair dye ending up brassier than I had hoped and not lasting at all, and decided to grow it out.

Eight months on (I do have short hair) it's all gone, and I am almost completely silver, with a few smattering of darker.

At just 47 I appreciate this is not the societal norm, and in some people's eyes has aged me. One friend pretty much commiserated with me and my hairdresser is horrified.

But in the past month I have been for two job interviews, been offered both jobs, and been invited out in a date (long story, I am happily married and he mistakenly thought I was single).

Several people have told me it looks fab, a neighbour came up to me to say I had inspired her to go for it.

My face still looks fairly youthful, I think, but at first glance people might think I am much older. Yet I still got the job offers and the date! More attention that I have had in years! Grin

So if you are swithering, I would heartily recommend it.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
119
SewingAndCakes · 13/08/2015 14:17

I think I just want all the dyed bits cut out. It will be short though, so I'm planning on wearing some nice bright headbands that I've made, to feel a bit more feminine while it grows. Here's one:

For those of us going grey
Pedestriana · 13/08/2015 18:03

Sewing let me know if you find a good purple dye. All the ones I've used are rubbish! Currently fading out my purply/red so I can go over it all with mid-brown (most of my hair is naturally mousy, although there is a grey streak at the front). The ends of my hair, for now, will remain blue-green. One day I'll grow up. Not yet though. :)

AmberFool · 13/08/2015 19:28

Are there any Asian/black women out there who have decided to go grey? Everyone around me dyes their grey.

I'm 47 and I have black hair with lots of grey in it. If I leave it to dry naturally it goes all frizzy (the grey is frizzier than the black) and I look a mess. If I style it with straighteners it looks pretty good. I wear make up rarely.

I have never dyed my hair, mostly because I saw (and still see) my mum doing the hair dye thing and it always looked like too much trouble. So I have grey hair but my mum doesn't. Grin

itsaldramarama · 13/08/2015 20:36

Looks cute sewing :) think I have about an inch and a half ! Think il hold on a bit before I decide ! At 5.10 tall I think il look a bit of a pin head with a short crop ! Just putting it up atm as usual !! Never wear it down but a bit scared of a total crop although I would to see how it looked :)

lowcrabdiet · 14/08/2015 00:40

10 is about standard in our family Sewing. My siblings and cousins are all the same and DM and DAunt were snow white and quit dying it by 40. So to be honest it's never upset me too such.

DM has also been extremely helpful and open to us dying our hair. She let us start around age 12, which coincided with her transitioning to silver. So I always knew it would be my turn eventually and didn't fear it.

I love your hair bands, they are fab. I have zero crafting skills, but I will be buying some similar Smile

doctorboo · 15/08/2015 14:10

I got sick of my hair being orange and yellow so this morning I put on a semi permanent (dark blonde) everywhere apart from the roots. Think I still got a bit of the roots too, due to rushingnot the blimming plan but am pleased it's not so orange and yellow any more.

For those of us going grey
For those of us going grey
SewingAndCakes · 16/08/2015 16:51

Right, I've put a temporary purple over the whole lot, I'm very pleased with the results. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it's evened out the whole lot, the roots are slightly brighter than the ends but only slightly. This dye washes out too, so I'm only using it as a temporary fix for 3-4 weeks until I get a short crop. I've got purple hands too Blush

For those of us going grey
hotCocolepew · 16/08/2015 17:06

Looks great sewing!

lowcrabdiet · 16/08/2015 20:27

Ooooh that purple looks great

MeganChips · 17/08/2015 13:18

I like the purple!

doctorboo, yours looks tons better with the dark blonde too.

Well, my hair has settled down a lot now, it's no longer ginger and looks more like my natural colour but with the grey showing better. I can see about an inch of grey - but - it's only on the top around my parting and at the front. There is hardly any at the back, a smattering through the temples.

I don't know what to do now. It's not going to look cool and evenly grey like some of yours, it's just going to be stripes at the front. I'm now thinking maybe some ash highlights might work? I was looking forward to being silver and now I'm confused.

Dammit.

itsaldramarama · 17/08/2015 15:12

Megan I think it will look better with stripes rather than all grey anyway ! Mines more silver through the middle so I'm hoping for natural silver streaks :)

suzannefollowmyvan · 17/08/2015 15:18

I've been studying grey hair and it seems pretty normal to have uneven distribution, typically white hair is concentrated at the front and sides.

Yesterday I saw a woman with a long bob that was lighter at the front and I thought it looked really good :)

SewingAndCakes · 17/08/2015 16:27

I agree, lighter streaks at the front/sides would look great. That's how mine will be I think.

itsaldramarama · 18/08/2015 08:22

Sewing ... I spotted a lady in tesco with a super short purple crop !!! You haven't taken the plunge have you and moved to the north east ;) it looked fabulous !

SewingAndCakes · 18/08/2015 16:21

itsaldramarama no, not me Smile I'm in the north west. Tempting to go for the short crop very soon though!

suzannefollowmyvan · 20/08/2015 17:11

just checking in!

I am now 7 weeks in, with a good strip of grey around my hair line I can get a sense of how I'll look with all grey.
I think I'm going to be happy with it :)

Still planning to keep it long rather than go for the chop so it's going to be 'ombre' for quite a while

I hope everyone is staying strong :o

Itsalldramarama · 20/08/2015 18:10

Still hanging in there Suzanne !! 10 weeks in so far ! Quite liking it I'm a strange way !! Mainly grey through the middle as you can see but looks ok when put up ... No comments from anyone yet though !!

For those of us going grey
suzannefollowmyvan · 20/08/2015 21:30

you're ahead of me in the silver stakes Dramarama, my natural hair is darker than I thought, I'm going to be mostly steely.

No comments here either, are they just being polite or is going grey via the cold turkey method now a recognised 'thing'?

SewingAndCakes · 21/08/2015 08:27

Looking good drama.

I've had only one comment, I think, from someone at work, disguised as an explanation of how their autistic niece would behave; "she would say 'your roots need doing' without thinking that might be rude"... I smiled and ignored.

My purple is looking good and still covering my roots, I think I might stick to this for a few weeks longer until I'm ready to chop it off.

suzannefollowmyvan · 21/08/2015 08:46

disguised as an explanation of how their autistic niece would behave; "she would say 'your roots need doing' without thinking that might be rude"... I smiled and ignored

Shockwhat an inept attempt at a passive aggressive insult!

Were you not tempted to make some personal comments in reply, eg 'yes I have an autistic nephew, if he saw you he'd probably say..... and not even know it was rude'

Childish I know, but well, see how she likes them apples?Wink

SewingAndCakes · 21/08/2015 15:22

I know, very passive aggressive! When I have fully grey hair, I'll need to be ready with some replies. I'm a bit of a doormat and need to work on being assertive.

Itsalldramarama · 21/08/2015 16:46

How about " yes I can change my hair though if I choose too however what a shame you can't change your ... Insert appropriate comment ... Attitude /face etc ;)

SewingAndCakes · 21/08/2015 17:06

Grin that'd stop her!

I have to see her at work so need to be careful not to cause a fuss, but I can see myself saying "I'm happy with my hair, I'm growing my grey in"

Deeznutz · 22/08/2015 23:54

Hello everyone. Well I have decided to join this glorious group in getting back to my authentic hair colour. Back story - started going grey in my teens and have been dyeing ever since. Last five years have proved really tricky getting good coverage from the dye as I have pure white hair around my temples and a patch on top at the front of my hairline. I have resorted to having to prelighten and then colour over as it is the only thing that takes.

My hair is trashed and I'm done with this nonsense. I think I am going to end up with a bit of a mallen streak and salt and pepper through the rest. I have short hair at the moment as unable to grow it long owing to two step process outlined above.

I have decided that I want long grey hair. Have scarves/hats for an autumn winter grow out and can't wait until the badger is no more. I figure one I can get it to a short bob/past the mullet stage I can just go with it.

Just a quick question -what colour clothes do you think look best with high contrast grey hair? My brunette hair seems much darker than I remember and very ash toned.

Cocolepew · 23/08/2015 09:12

On the fb page a lot of people have said they wear more white now. I wear a lot of grey myself, I used to wear black but thought it looked too harsh as I got older. I was wondering if would look good with the lighter hair now.
Also, on the fb page, people were wear red lipstick that they never had before.