Going grey - anyone tried this?

[ginghamstarfish]

I'm determined to let my grey hair grow out but wondering about using Colour B4 (or Color Oops) to remove the existing hair dye - has anyone done this? I've looked at reviews for these products but it seems most using them have done so in order to put another colour on. Has anyone done it when going back to grey?

The problem is that it doesn't take you back to your natural colour, because of the ingredients in hair dyes, I think most of them have peroxide in, even if they're not blonde colours. So when you remove the colour you're likely to be left with an orangey tinge rather than your natural colour

Thanks, but if it makes it lighter then using silver shampoos may tone that in better with the grey roots? My hair is naturally dark blonde, have been using ash blonde dyes to blend in the grey/white, but as my hair has a lot of red pigment it always goes brassy/coppery which I hate. Around my face I have white streaks which I like, but most of the hair is still dark blonde with about 30% grey. I wonder if I can stand the long period of growing out with this weird combination ...

My experience with color strippers is that they leave the hair brassy and damaged. However I haven't used one in about twenty years.

I'm planning on growing out my grey, but I'm going to get grey highlights and keep it up with silver shampoo and toner re-touches and regular trims till all the old color is gone. It's going to take awhile, but I can't think of an easier, less obvious, way of doing it.

I used one about 3 or 4 years ago. It was brassy but not damaged. Definitely brassy though😬

So not a good idea then? I was hoping it might remove the old dye and reveal the old grey that's under there ...

I don't think it would work - you won't get your natural colour back, just a stripped-out, dull version of what's already there. The hair colour you've put on has not formed a coating which can then be removed: all permanent and semi-permanent colours permanently alter the hair.

I had my colour stripped out professionally a couple of years ago and have just finished growing out the damage. It was awful: dull, brittle and weak.

Ok, thanks all, I won't use it then! Seems a bit scary and won't get helpful results. I just don't want to go to the hairdresser really, hate it and always come away disappointed, so looking to see how I can best manage the transition on my own.

Pixie cut?

How about getting some platinum highlights through it which will then allow the grey to come through unnoticed?

Don't have the face for a pixie cut . Platinum highlights would mean bleaching the dark natural colour which is about 70% of my hair, and not something I would want to try myself.

The colour stripper won't reveal natural grey hair or white hair as it is. The colour stripper will strip out all the old colour to a brassy blonde. I did this to my naturally dark brown hair. I stripped it twice more and put a very light natural blonde nice and easy colour on all over. Now most of it's grown out to reveal my natural grey/ white hair.

Hi, not sure from your second post if you are doing so already, but silver shampoo is working wonders for me. I'm similar to you, bleached highlights, light brown hair with 30%grey. The silver shampoo is brightening the grey, while also stopping my now very old highlights from going brassy.

I have about 6 inches of regrowth now and it's just looking like balayage.

There are really only a few options when growing out grey hair. Bleach the whole thing lighter but if you have a lot of dark hair still, then this won't look perfect when growing out. Cut it as short as you can bear. Or do highlights to replicate the grey streaks as closely as you can, which is by far the easiest transition imo. Otherwise you're stuck with growing it out on its own really.

I do use silver shampoo, best seems to be Loreal Serie Professional Silver, but the bulk of my hair is so darkish brassy-coppery that it makes no impression on that part. I wonder whether to use a colour to make the white streaks round the front darker, (shouldn't go brassy as it's white), which will then make that blend in more with the rest of the hair.

How long does your hair take to grow? I had about 6 months of awkward hair as the colour grew out. I cut it shorter and wore lots of buns and pony tails and just gritted my teeth. I'd coloured my hair for over 20 years so I had no idea what to expect. I LOVE my hair now and equally LOVE no longer colouring it and angsting over the roots. Start now and by New year you might be ready to rock a great new hair cut!