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

And again with the 'social pressure' comment Dowser. This is the sort of thing I swallowed. However not giving into social pressure made me look rubbish and, as another poster said, like I'd lost my mojo.

Wearing make up, shaving legs and armpits, choosing certain clothes for fashion rather than function are all social pressures too and I cave into them on a daily basis so I'm happy to attend to my hair in the same way - because it makes me feel better.

I know what is said about cancer risks etc, but that is a risk I (and hundreds of thousands of other women) have decided to take.

Should clarify I FELT like I'd lost my mojo.

Yes, women take risks with our health because of social pressure. We can comply with it, internalise it (“I looked rubbish”) and still acknowledge it.

I don't think you can talk about men carrying off grey hair better as if it's a fact. It's just an opinion and also a social convention. It's generally far more acceptable for men to look their age (although there are pressures in some industries) so likewise grey hair and wrinkles are more acceptable.

Feel free to plug away as much as you like, but you aren't going to succeed in telling me how I think .

That was to Dowser.
Floisme - well yes, it is just my opinion. Apologies if I've presented my thoughts as proven facts.

Can we pop some inspirational photos on here for those of use transitioning/thinking of going natural after the latest news re dye increasing the risk of cancer?

As someone who dyes their hair every couple of weeks because of a mighty badger making an appearance I have had to take stock given the recommendations. Natural dyes don’t work either.

I am feeling most unsure about what lies beneath and hate the transitioning stage even though my hair is short but it is not intelligent to continue. Anyone else?

If you Google model Yasmine Rossi you will see how fantastic white hair can look. Here she is.

I went from dyed dark brown (my original colour) to blonde as it was just too ageing on my mature (old) face, then could not be arsed with the upkeep. I grew it all out and this is what was underneath. I shared some earlier photos, it seems i get my photo taken when I'm quite windswept - I do brush it sometimes, honest.

I also wanted to point out that’s this talk of olive skin and brown eyes not working is not the case with my mum who for years dyed her hair beige.

She is stunning with her naturally platinum silver hair. So much better. She says she wishes she had done it years ago.

Tigh that is beautiful hair and just like my mum’s colour. You are so lucky. Mine is likely to be salt and pepper with white streaks but I am ok with that - just hate the growing out stage.

I've got long dark hair and I'm late forties, stopped dyeing about 3 years ago. From back view I think you can't see any grey, it's all around my temples/face. I probably would look younger on first glance if I carried on dyeing it, but to be honest I could not be bothered. My hair looks much better when its blow dried or straightened , but normally I don't even do that. I would like to be more white, tempting to put in some silver highlights but probably won't as worried it'll go orange.

These photos are beautiful. The main difference between these ladies and me is that they have amazing skin. And they are naturally beautiful.

I feel I have to work hard to look average. My skin is rubbish, I bleach the hell out of my hair to mitigate my ageing skin and if I went natural I would be worse than invisible. I’m only 35.

I hate that I care about how I look and how attractive people find me but I’m not sure how I go about changing my attitude. It needs an overhaul before I can ditch the bleach. Any ideas?

I care very much about how I look and I'm not in the least ashamed of that. I'd say it's a human trait that men share too. The problem is, that as Dowager says, we take it as gospel on S&B (and to be fair, in real life too) that looking good is the same as looking young.

I'm lucky in that I like the way my hair has greyed plus I had fair hair to start with so it was less of a shock. If I didn't like it, I'm sure I would consider dyeing but it would be a last resort because I'm a lazy bastard and the long term health issues would concern me plus I would really resent the expense.

And yes, the women in the pics are beautiful to start with but so are all the celebs they use to sell us hair dye.

I don't think looking good and looking young are the same at all but for me personally my grey hair makes me feel awful. The women in those photos are all really good looking and don't seem to have age spots, wrinkles or saggy skin so I can't take them as an example.

But they only ever use good looking women to sell hair dye too. It's never Norma in IT who uses a shade that's far too dark for her skin tone.

(Norma isn't real by the way!)

Well, Norma kind of is real, because you see that look all the time!

The fact is, it's obvious when someone dyes their hair (speaking as someone who does). Any woman with blonde hair, for example, at least highlights it since the number of adults with genuine blonde hair is scant.

I'm another one who cares very much how I look, and am happy to admit it. And it's why I will probably continue with my 2-3 week dye-jobs, even though I massively resent it and know it's damaging my hair (at best), at least for the foreseeable....

It is my opinion that the only hair colour that will suit someone is the one that naturally sprouts out of their head. It is the colour that blends with your eye colour and skin tone. As we age, our eye colour can soften and our skin can become paler so our grey hair really suits us. I dyed my hair for years and cannot believe how horrific it was when I look back. My skin looked sallow and flat next to dyed hair.

Looking at these photos of women with grey hair not one has made me think 'god she looks old'... all I can see is natural hair in a good condition.

I care about the way I look too. I still take care of my hair, regular trims, curly girl method to remoisturise etc. I'm interested in health and fashion, I hate that #grannyhairdon'tcare idea. I have not let myself go, I have stopped colouring my hair. Not the same thing.

I still greatly about how I look, even though I know, and now accept, that I no longer hold any interest for the opposite sex, as I have entered the 'invisible years'. I have come to terms with it. My hair is my last vanity, and my last beauty. Do I wish I still had my youthful dark, glossy hair? Yes, undoubtedly. Would I dye my hair again to replicate that? No. Is that hard? Yes, sometimes. But my husband (8 years younger) still finds me attractive, and that should be enough at my time of life. But oh, if I could have a time machine and go back to my 21-year-old self - I would give her a good shake and say 'you are NOT fat! You are beautiful!!!' (sorry, wine has been taken, and I've been watching Joaquim Cortes videos!)

Oh, tigh you look very chic and stylish, your hair is gorgeous! I still have a few inches of blonde at the ends of mine. I felt very "middle-aged blonde", I feel more me with it silver tbh.

So is it a solution to dye your hair grey all over so don't have to wait for anoying growing out phase?

Walkingdead11 - I did consider that route, can't remember the reason my hairdresser gave me for not doing it! Basically I grew out my roots and disguised them with headbands and scarves until I had enough to cut it all off into a short pixie cut. I needed about half an inch before going for the chop, and that was it. I know some who go for low and high lights to disguise the regrowth while they're waiting for it all to grow out, but that felt like too long a process for me.

Walkingdead11 it is really harsh on your hair, it would need to be bleached and then some kind of toner/colour to make it "grey". I went blonder first but ended up having a lot cut off the ends, it also damaged my scalp (much better now) as that was highlights, bleach and toner. Plus expensive and took hours. It has made the grow out easier, but is not for the faint hearted.

My hair is already bleached with highlights but looking closely at my hair today I think my grey is only 30-40% grey mixed with my natural mousy colour......so it's got to continue with bloody sodding highlights!