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.

[ginorwine]

What is the Lego look ?!
I'm joining too ! Have had fake grey streaks put in - to which I will need to have toner - just to get me started and used to it ..!

[elQuintoConyo]

Lego hair: looks like a solid helmet of colour has been plonked on

I shudder at past photos of me.

[doctorboo]

This is me right now. I've not used hair dye since Dec '15 and have an odd mix of colours (blonde, grey, brown.) I'm due another trim, but am a bit wary because the women who cut it last month did a horrible job and it wasn't a patch on my December cut.

Sorry I look so haggard, the 8 month old doesn't sttn any more cries over the loss of 10 hours stretches

[doctorboo]

elQuinto I pretty much had Lego hair from the age of 13 maybe earlier my parents were very relaxed and put up with seeing me with ridiculous cuts and colours. I thought I looked amazing, although my school photos show the truth!

[WitchWay]

It's taken the best part of two years to grow the dye out but I'm now very grey at the front & salt n pepper elsewhere. Would have been quicker if I'd chopped it all off, but I prefer shoulder length. So much more flattering, I find, than dark dark brown/black.

Growing it now

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

I would like to join please. I am 47 and last dyed my hair May 2015. Prior to which I had been dyeing it with permanent colour either myself or at the salon for 20 years. I also had a stint of highlights. No more. I am not going short ( huge respect to ChopOrNot doing that, have read your threads ) because I feel it would not suit my face and also because it may be too much change all at once. I have the two-toned look going on right now but life is getting easier now that the silver is down a longer way around my face. My hair grows slowly so I am in for the long haul.

[WitchWay]

Keep going Steph - sounds like you've nearly cracked it

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

Will do (witchy) WitchWay; like you I think it will take me almost 2 years to grow out every bit of old dye.

Over the next 2 months I will be rocking my two tone hair at a family party and a University reunion. No backing out now !

[Gettingitwhite]

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier before I dyed my hair again
I have had a white streak for a long time and my roots are now bright white. I have been dying my hair dark brown for years but am tempted to let it go bright white all over now. My hair is fairly short and thick and grows quite quickly.
What would be the best thing to do? Just never dye it again and crop it short? I am worried about having the 2 tone look beforehand.

[MamaLazarou]

The 2tone look while you're growing it out is the hardest bit: this is where I am now, which is why I am going to put a toner on it to take the brassiness out. If it's the same tone, it will hopefully go some way towards camouflaging the different colours! I will post before and after pics when I do it (have the toner, am just waiting for the developer to arrive).

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

Gettingitwhite- your hairdresser can lighten your base colour to a light brown and put highlights through which will break up the two tone effect and allow the white roots to blend in easier.

I was too tight to do that as it would be expensive at the salon and can't do it myself. Have had highlights in the past but they didn't suit me. I went cold turkey, didn't put any dye on again. I do use purple shampoo and conditioner for one of the two washes per week, to keep it bright.

Also, don't know how short yours is but I have taken to tieing back just the top layers away from my face which exposes the roots at the front . It helps to hide the ' blorange ' mid-lengths and ends and distracts from the two tone look, plus make the white/silver look more deliberate and not that you are just overdue for a root colour !

Go for it. You are lucky your hair grows quickly so you could be transitioned quite soon. Of course it will be quicker if you go for a short crop; you could ask your hairdresser whether that will suit you.

[Gettingitwhite]

I'll probably go cold turkey like you I think breakfast. Have had highlights in the past but didn't like them really. Hair is too short to tie up. Might just keep cutting it shorter whilst waiting for the dye to grow out then I should be silver in no time

[WitchWay]

I went cold turkey too once I stopped dyeing- glad I didn't wait any longer till I was more grey as the cut-off line would have been more obvious. I thought about going lighter all over first but I really thing I'd've looked ridiculous with blonde hair. I had kept an undyed grey streak in my fringe for a couple of years which helped me disguise the roots, as it was already there, IYSWIM.

[WitchWay]

*think not thing

[cirrusblue]

Mary Beard is presenting a Radio 4 programme at 11am this Friday called Glad to be Grey where she 'investigates a growing reluctance to embrace grey hair. Starting in the Mayfair salon of "hair colourist to the stars", Jo Hansford, she's informed that her hair is "dreadful" and given a personal consultation by Jo herself about how and why she should colour it. In favour of choice and the fun of colouring hair, (she has always hankered after pink streaks), Mary is particularly disturbed by the pressures in society for women to conceal their age.' (from Radio 4 website).

As someone who is gladly embracing my greys (too poor, too lazy and it suits me anyway I reckon) I have already set up to record this. Should be a good listen!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071x87c

[marriednotdead]

I love this thread!
My hair is/was almost black so the contrast is quite stark. I did semi permanent colour for a bit after being nagged by DD- I refused to get it done at a salon so she used to do it. Eventually seeing the greys coming through annoyed me almost as much as the effort of dyeing, and then she left home so that was that
The Rosa Di Marco streak has extended massively across the front but I quite like it now and wouldn't colour it again. A lady serving me in a shop recently kept staring and eventually asked me if it was highlights/ what dye I'd used. I laughed and told her this is what you get without dye
I'll be 50 next month

[babyboomersrock]

married, your hair is absolutely beautiful!

I'm seeing more and more women with natural hair and it's fascinating to see the range of colours.

I stopped using dye a year ago and feel liberated.

[WitchWay]

Yes lovely hair married - mine used to be almost as dark but is wavy rather than curly. Makes the grey very obvious! I'm 50 too

[suzannecaravaggio]

you look fantastic Married
thanks for the link Cirrus I will def' listen to that, as per babyboom I'm seeing more and more women with natural hair of all ages so I'm a bit puzzled that Mary Beard see's more pressure to dye grey hair!

I am still on the wagon:o

[suzannecaravaggio]

probably just a reaction from those who make a profit out of hair colouring, they're never going to be in favour of natural hair and will bus in all sorts of experts to tell women that it isnt flattering

[WitchWay]

Here's my hair

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

Looking good there WitchWay. Your hair has lots of different interesting tones running through it which you just don't get with artificially coloured hair. Looks nice and shiny too.

[WitchWay]

Thanks

It is in much better condition without the dye!

[SilveryFoxyLady]

Ooh hello lovely silver ladies, I've found you again!

I posted on this thread way back last summer when I was just starting with the grey transformation. Well I'm fully committed to it now, i'm about half way through growing out my short bob.

It's a lovely silvery grey throughout, no streaks (which I'm a bit disappointed with, I'd love some cool streaks!), and I've had SO many compliments on the colour.

I should add I'm 37, so it was a big step for me to 'come out' as a grey haired person, but now it's out there, I totally love it.

I'll post some pics if I can figure out how to blur out my face....

[suzannecaravaggio]

re the Mary Beard program...her hair looks great, how anyone could think she ought to dye it is beyond me

Jo Hansford is talking out of her arse
78% of women dye their hair
really??