For those of us going grey

[SilveryFoxyMe]

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!

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

I saw a root spray in Boots today. Has anyone used it to cover their roots?

I really can't look like a striped badger at work!

Alternatively, a stretchy hair and may cover up part of my head!

I wear my hair twisted at the back and held up with a crocodile clip for work and have a fringe.

There was also a temporary mousse.

Hello, I've been lurking on this thread for a bit and finally plucked up courage to join in! I'm 39 and developing a lovely grey streak at the front with a good smattering of greys elsewhere. I've never died it and hav no intention of starting now. My hair is shoulder length and mid brown apart from the front - would there be any point using the purple shampoos to brighten the grey I have? I'm imagining a lovely Caryn Franklin-esque streak....

I've just cut my hair giving it more layers and lopping off four inches off the bottom so that it is now a long layered Bob shape.

Then I've used Scott Cornwall decolour to remove hair dyes. My last hair dye was a castings reddish one that looked absolutely awful on me!

My hair is drying naturally and looks yellowish but I won't know exactly until it is completely dry.

Tomorrow I will use nice and easy semi shade 75 which is light ash brown. I am hoping this will be a similar colour to my roots minus the white strands! Thus making it easier to grow down/out!

I also have Charles Worthington violet toning mousse to make my air more ashen.

Hair not air

Great hair colour Islets:o
Tate, sadly even ash shades tend to fade to orangish because the peroxide used to lighten the hair lifts it to orange and this will show through once the ash coloured dye starts to fade
violet toner may well do the trick though!

I turned 51 today and today's the day I'm embracing the grey!

I was quite grey a couple years ago with highlighty bits put through but succombed to a light brown packet dye a few months back. But was looking through pics other day and thought d'you know what, I looked ok!

I also don't like the 'orangeness' and don't see why I should be a slave to the dye . Can't afford salons and think bad dye jobs look just that.

There, convinced myself!

I too want to go grey .
However, at the moment it's such a dull mouse with bits of grey and it's draining and unflattering to my skin . Any ideas ?

ginor you may find your natural (grey) colour actually suits your skin tone rather than dyed hair. I chopped mine off (the dye) about a year ago and I feel way better now my hair colour suits my skin tone - rather than the blorange that just didn't sit well against my cooler colours.

I have had to change my wardrobe a bit though. No longer suit anything coral/orangy/beige/cream. Now in blues, greys, pinks.

I have had more compliments and positive comments about my appearance since taking the plunge - have not regretted it once.

Am not growing out the pixie that did the deed for me. Loving my Paola Marella streaks at the front (linky below for those who do not know who I am talking about.

[[https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Paola+Marella&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=579&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi19ajvpPDKAhWBrhQKHb8BBMgQ_AUIBigB

And excuse dodgy photo - going down with a cold and barely any makeup on.

Chop I think you look fab . !
However , whilst I like the grey it's the mouse which I hate hate - looks like a dead mouse on my head !!! Can I just dye those bits somehow ? That's what's stopping me !!!!

Mine is actually pretty mousy too - but I think the grey/white "highlights" take it to a different level and de-drab it. Oh and blusher helps (normally).

Chop ooh thinking it through now ! What percentage grey are you ?

Can't afford new wardrobe especially as just stocked up - but I'm
Somehow wearing Deep pink
, grey . Sky blue . Mid and navy blue a lot - with a bit of leaf green thrown in
.
No
Black

My hairdresser says I am
Cool clouring - freckles , blue eyes and wd need warmth to complement my cool ... How wd that then work with grey ?
Getting a bit confused but wanting to explore more !!!

Does anyone think that it wd work to dye my hair grey - I wd need to strip it , then have it toned , but it wd get rid of months and months if not years of waiting .slightly defeats object I kno but if it achieves my goal ? Any thoughts ?

Or just keep a few of my - current red highlights - alongside the salt n pepper to do it gradually ? But cool the red with ash so more cool toned ?

I let my hair go grey and didn't muck about with it just lived with its slightly odd stripiness for a few months. That was 2.5 years ago and I'm glad I did it but it was annoying at the time.

Theen
Wish I dare do that but my hair is red and shoulder length and I feel cowardly !!!

Have had a good look at my roots ! Back v little grey , top is grey with a soft warm redish brown running thro it and the sides are very pale grey !
I'm wondering if a hairdresser can mimic natural grey highlights down the hair from where my roots are so look like grey highlights running all thro the head , and mix in with a soft warm bronze which I can see in my hair - to cheat .
Before my dad went grey he went from brown to a mix of brown , grey and bronze a bit like a tabby cat and I'm wondering if a hairdresser could do this for me - mines line this at my roots but below the two inch roots is a dyed red ish aurburn which I'm hoping she can cover over to mimic my roots clours and then I wd be matching !
It was a surprise to see the sides so white - which I like - but my colouring suddenly looks colder apart from the bit where I have bronze ! Been warm hair all my life !!!

Ps sorry ramble on - in bed with flu !

Gin - I hope you're lovely and toasty warm with a flask of something alcoholic tea at hand and feel better soon.
I started going grey at 18 (was vv dark brown) and had a Mallon streak for years. Stopped dyeing my hair in the Dark Ages about 20 years ago. Marvellous. I'm probably about 80% grey/silver now with some darker areas around the back. Love it.
Have a chat with your hairdresser - I'm sure they could come up with a cunning plan. You have beautiful bone structure and suspect that you will be a stunning grey head.
Out in town today and I'm noticing more and more of us silver types -and the majority appear to make a point of rocking the look - funky glasses, bright lipstick, glowing cheeks.
FWIW - I got stopped in the street a few weeks ago and asked if my hair colour was natural or had I had it done? 2 young things wanting to go down the grey route.
Have fun with it.

Hi Whitehandled kitchen knife - thanks for the inspiration !!! 😄
Have I put something on a profile by accident by the way ? In yr post - if you where referring to me - you commented on my bone structure ? But I'm not aware that I have uploaded any ? I'm not sure that I wd know how ? Have I put a photo somewhere in error ?😔

Gin - oh dear - no you haven't! It's a photo on chop's post. Apologies.
But I bet you're equally lovely.

Thanks white !
Thought I was going more bonkers than usual !😄😄😄😄

Islet your colour looks great :) chop .. Yours has grown ! I grew out for. 7 month then chopped ! Looks much better with my skin tone , now to grow back long :)

I have an inverted bob at nearly 41. I stopped dyeing 20th May 2015. I still have rubbish at the front in the longest bits, but I'm getting there.

DH hates it three friends hate it one friend loves it, my hairdresser loves it but most importantly:

I
Love
It

It is naturally a shade I lovingly call Wet Mouse, I dyed it a slightly darker shade for 20 years. As other on this thread I got bored of the dyeing, the worrying about people noticing the 1 inch white strip, the cost, the bloody awful Lego look, the chemicals on me, the chemicals being washed down the sink.

Meh.

Months 4-8 were atrocious and I nearly wobbled, but soldiered through it.

I'm about 80% silver with a dark inverted badger stripe at the back I shall try and take some photos tomorrow for you all.

It has been a FASCINATING journey and I have found myself being quite vain looking at it in the mirror for ages, lifting it this way and that it's so SOFT! Anyway... Rambling!

I'm about a third of the way there now: my natural colour is a fairly dark, cool mousy brown and I'm about 30% grey (mainly at the front). I previously had highlights to help the grey blend in as it came through (to prevent a 'stripe' between dyed ends and undyed roots, if you see what I mean) but stopped having the highlights just over a year ago as they were really damaging my hair. The dyed ends of my hair are now brassy and orange.

Now I am thinking of using an ashy toner on all of my hair like this:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Llj-DwoUtg

Has anyone tried this?