Grey Hair

[Coffecake99]

My hair is quite grey which I currently highlight. I'm tempted to let it grow out and see what my natural colour is. I'm interested to see what others hair is like if you have been brave and stopped dying your hair. Do you think it ages you ?? Thanks in advance

Yeah, I'd love to but I'm barely 30 and I'm not ready to be grey haired quite yet.
If it was a solid steel grey or a white, hell yes. But not salt and pepper.
And yes, I think if I stopped it would age me, or just look really bizarre, like a 50 year olds hair in a young face. Curse my hair genes.

Maybe intentional steely grey streaks??

Ooh, thank you JesusTap, I'd been toying with the idea of doing a semi violet dye, but was worried about if it stained my hair or went weird (someone I know did a semi purple on the ends of their hair and it faded to green in 2 days and has then stayed green!)

I have a theory that grey hair looks better on people with blue or green eyes but not as good with brown eyes.

It's definitely the case JaneJeffer. People with pinky toned skin and blue eyes can carry it off. Yellow toned skin and brown or hazel eyes look all wrong with grey hair IMO.

I could post a photo of me with grey hair and my face blanked out and people would probably say it was a lovely colour; only when you see the full picture could you tell that it actually didn't suit me at all.

When I dyed it brown again I got so many comments saying Thank fuck; didn't want to be rude but it looked crap before it suits me so much better.

Lipstick! Specifically coral lipstick. Looks fab on every skin tone pretty much. That and glowy foundation/ skin and I reckon that is a much better look than over dyed hair.

I was wondering about home bleaching and the new grey tints that are on sale these days. Tempted!

And for those worrying about wiry hair, the condition of non-dyed hair is so much better. If you've been dying it from age 20 to age 40 every month or so, you have hair that has been dyed many many times.
I use ghd everyday to keep my bob looking smooth and tidy, and it looks miles better than dyed and roots in a ponytail.

It's funny how it is seen to be 'brave' being your natural colour. But the chemicals in hair dye are pretty awful, I think you've got to be more brave putting them on your head each month. I wish my hair would react better to bleach highlights, as peroxide is much safer than the dark hair dye.

I do find it most odd seeing young women with beautifully dyed grey hair! It's as if there is nothing we as women can do that's 'right'. And I don't like that at all.

Yellow toned skin and brown or hazel eyes look all wrong with grey hair IMO.

In all fairness, I don't think you can say this about all people with these ^^ attributes.

E.g. many people with brown eyes also have olive skin, and they are 'cool' and look amazing with silver/grey hair.

I agree with The Dowager on this - I would do really as I have gone grey and love it and have light olive skin and dark brown eyes. What I have found is "my" grey is a reflection of my original hair colour - so as an ex mouse my hair is now a very soft "cloud" grey - not steel like darker haired people or white like blondes tend to go. Plus using purple shampoo / conditoner lightens everything up anyway

@janejeffer
What would you recommend for someone who has hazel eyes - sometimes looking very green and other times more brown...
Fairly light skin in my face but had a tendency to a ruddy complexion.

Your theory might explain why nothing ever seems to suit me.

X

I have highlights every 8 weeks and really it’s not enough now as there’s so much grey

Is my next option dyed all over?

Ooh I love this thread, so sick of my red permanent dyed hair colour I've had for 20 odd years, the ends are always orange, was considering balayage for a change so hadn't booked in my next 3 weekly root dye. Think I might just leave it for a bit, sort myself some kind of wide hairband to get through the worst bit. Also growing out my fringe so hair bit of a disaster zone, might as well embrace it...

Dowager and Puppy I did say 'in my opinion' . Also in my experience, as I have warm toned skin and hazel eyes and grey hair was not flattering on me. I looked drab and washed out and about fifteen years older. And yes, you can brighten it with toners, and you can wear extra make up and carefully chosen clothes to mitigate it a bit, but having to go to all that extra effort to look halfway decent tells you something surely.

As soon as I went back to brown the transformation was instant. I don't even have to wear make up to make my skin look fresher and more glowy. My eyebrows and my hair match again, and the shiny brown brings out the green in my hazel eyes.

For me, it's a much better choice, and having lived with the alternative and how crap it looked on me I don't begrudge the faff and upkeep because I know it's worth it.

Should add the 'you' in my first paragraph was a general 'you' and not directed to anyone in particular!

Whether you dye your hair or not is very personal. The dye no longer looked as good, or held so well for me. You also don't know what it will look like under the dye until you grow it out. My original hair colour was very dark brown, so it turned a very cool-toned silver grey. It looks fine with my pale skin and blue eyes. My eyebrows and eyelashes now look quite dark in comparison. I do wear make up, but then I always have done.

Annika Von Holdt, Yazmeenah Rossi and Sarah Harris (Google them) have brown eyes and olive skin and are completely stunning with shades of grey, silver, white hair.

I think this disproves the theory about grey hair not suiting those with brown eyes:
here

You won't know till you try.

I've got a short silvery grey pixie. It looks amazing. I'm 43.

Joan Baez is 76 years old so yes, she suits having silver hair. If she'd had that look in her 30s or 40s, then it would have been ageing and not as striking as her original dark hair. I think the lovely short crop makes a difference as well (see also Carol from The Walking Dead).

OP asked if going grey is ageing. For me it was; I am mid 40s and looked whey faced and washed out.

Delilah I've been using the Olia semi-permanent bronze shades. They don't go too dark and attach to the grey strands making them a nice colour. I don't like permanent dye as I hate having roots showing through plus I can't use ammonia as it makes me feel like I'm going to pass out!

@janejeffer
Thanks - is the dye definitely olia? Looking online that's the Garnier one, but they're all permanent.
Please let me know!
Thanks
X

Sarah Harris has grey hair and is in her 30s, I believe.

Joan Baez also looked pretty good with salt & pepper hair when she was 46...

I think it's her cut which makes it stylish though, and there's a lot of dark hair in it at that point. In my posts I didn't mention olive toned skin. Obviously Latina or Asian people can carry grey off better as they have more colour in their olive skin so they don't look washed out. For me, as a Caucasian woman with autumn type colouring and hazel eyes with tones of green and amber, it made me look crap.

I've looked at the people quirkychick mentioned. They're models and fashion people and they'd probably look good bald so not really your typical woman on the street.

I don't like Sarah Harris's hair. Too long and too straggly (and yes, I know it's her natural colour).

I love that women are leaving the dye behind. I see lots of women who've allowed ghdn grey through and generally think it looks ace. I'm sure it means you need to rethink the colours that suit znd with a different texture. But yes looks good. But mine remains stubbornly in grey in my 40s

I've grown my colour out a few times. I was naturally very dark and dyed it brown.
Because I wear my hair short I think it looked a bit patchy. Im very white at the front and sides but it gets darker towards the back.
Atm I bleach it and put a white blonde through it .
I'm going to grow my top layers down and then start growing my dye out (again).

It's understandable to want a change. Some people go grey for a change and because they can't be bothered with the maintenance of colouring.

Do most women look better with grey hair? Mostly no.
Do most women look younger with dyed hair? Yes.

There will be exceptions. A good colour though is crucial. I'm naturally fair/blonde. It will be easier for me to maintain that colour without it looking harsh against my skin tone. I appreciate it's more difficult if you're naturally dark.

But do what you're happy with.