HOW to go grey...long hair, curly, bored of the dyed look

[nonsense0name]

Hi,

So I've read the threads about whether to go grey, the chat about the issues with how we perceive grey and I am still a bit confused about how to actually go grey.....without looking like I have two hairstyles on my head, which of course is what I will have.

I want to ditch the bottle, every time I dye it I hate the process, the chemicals, the smell, the bother.

I have shoulder length mid brown curly hair, prone to frizz, the weight helps tame the curls so I don't want to cut it. I currently dye the roots, use a permanent dye, but it's going brassy. I have tried highlights before but my hair hates bleach, too drying. The top section of my hair is growing through 80% grey, underneath random greys.

Please help with any ideas, other than just braving it :)
x

w11.zetaboards.com/Cafe_Gray/index
Have a look on here for some inspiration and great transitions
Think the only way really is patience and a good attitude ! :)

I think that cutting your hair as short as you can possibly bear it is a better option than having two tone hair with grey roots. It looks a bit unkempt to me.

I, not being one for half measures, shaved my head. It's now 20 months later and I have almost shoulder length gorgeous salt and pepper hair.

The transition bit is the hardest part I've found. I waited for 10 weeks then ended up dying mine purple with a dye that'll wash out easily; I got fed up of the two tone look.

I'm going for a proper crop soon though, and I'll grow it longer with full grey.

Pam that sounds inspiring and is probably the way I'll do it

There is a brilliant FB page as well called Going Gorgeously Grey that I am on.

Click here

I am a year into the journey and the first 6 months were interesting. I had an interesting range of scarfs, bandana's, wide head bands and hats.

Sewing it really wasn't that difficult. OK, yeah, I got some funny looks at the school gates the following Monday but it was fun. And very liberating (cliché but true in my experience).

Do it!

Ooooo i would love to shave my head to just to see what it looked like ! Very brave pam :) ..... Must hide clippers when the vodkas out ;) but think I'm in for the long haul method in reality

Here's mine recently. Scuse the crude editing job!

A non instagrammed one.

I love your hair Pam

The two tone stage is a pain and attracts endless comments. Headbands are the way to go to cover the front. I kept hacking bits off the front myself and went for a good cut when half way there. It took about another two cuts before I got the salt and pepper finish. I have shoulder length layers as well. Saves a bloody fortune.

Cheers Gups

Pam you look amazing

Thank you Sewing .

It's the best thing I've done in a long time. It's great to be off the never ending dyeing wagon!

Agree you look amazing, pam.

Maybe being younger helps? I'm 54 and would love to go grey but I know it will make me look 64

I see that Rhonda. I think I have a fairly youthful face and I'm a makeup artist too so spend a lot of time and effort on my face which makes me feel more confident having grey hair

I'm currently sat stripping colour out of my hair using crushed vitamin tablets (in my nutribullet), washing up liquid and head&shoulders mixed. I'm 15 minutes in and I can see the crazy colour I had in going bck to my prelightened colour in some place already. Maybe that could work for you OP?

wow shaved head, I am not that brave, but love the look on others

very interested in the colour stripping, how did it go Duk?

Its got about 50% of it out, i'm now sat with LOTS of conditioner on and will repeat in the morning.

I'm actually dying my hair grey tomorrow hopefully. (No natural greys yet but was reading thread out of interest)

am also looking though the galleries and gonna check out the Facebook page, thanks so much
x

what grey dye are you using please, my one thought was to put the grey back through my hair and then live with the re growth ....

Couldn't find any grey in the shop so after I stripped the colour out it was mint green so I shoved a semi permanent vibrant pink all over like conditioner and washed straight out so bow its a silvery grey colour and I have ordered some grey online to go over it

wow pink over green gave you silver! And wow to the shaving! So i started to grow out my dye job and got so frustrated with how long it took that i asked the hairdresser to cut it down to the grey. Got a crew cut which i kept covered thru the winter and into spring. Now i am back with the dye- pink and purple streaks .

I was you back in Feb this year. This is my thread. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/2316020-To-chop-or-not-Honest-opinions-please

In some ways I wish I had been brave enough to buzz cut - would have felt quicker to grow it out - but I have not regretted the chop one bit. I have had the odd hairstyle/bad hair day where it has not been what I would have chosen iyswim - but to be dye free in amazing. It took me a year of mentally faffing around to pluck up the courage to do it. Wish I had done it years ago And I am finding hair clips/hairbands are also the way to de-frump me as I grown out the grey curls...

Hi ChopOrNot thanks for the thread, saw your photos and updates...I liked your hair long and short - its the inbetween growing out thing I can't bear -how is it for you or are you keeping it short, not sure how I'd cope with the growing stage as I've just managed to grow all my layers and curls to below my shoulders.

Had a crop once in my 20's and not sure I could pull it off again also DH would HATE it.

Have you gone back to the dye?

Your thread is totally me - shall I/shan't I - round and round - dye/not dye, highlight/colour, lighter/darker

Think I'll probably end up switching to semi perm and hoping that faded dye will look better than grey roots which are so obvious on my brown hair...but will probably change my mind by this eve...