Head shave to go grey

[Squashit]

Has anyone gone down the buzz cut route in order to transition to grey?

I am seriously considering it and just bunging a hat on rather than go through another disappointing processing episode and putting off the inevitable or dyeing over it when it turns a weird shade.

I am absolutely comfortable being grey.

So has anyone bitten the bullet and if so how was it?

Thanks for the new encouragement Hooser. It is already growing fast and feeling in so much better condition.

Ophelia One of the reasons I have posted some photos is to show that grey hair doesn’t make you look older in fact for most people it is a vast improvement on all sorts of levels. Having an unsupportive partner is the pits though when you have just had enough of the endless cycle of maintaining dark dyed hair. I once read a woman having a similar issue and she told her husband that when her hair was growing out of his head he could tell her what to do with it.

Wobbly your natural hair is an absolutely lovely colour. Bet you are counting down to total transition 🙂

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. Almost overnight my touched-up hairline greys went from just right to entirely too dark and harsh for my skin. I've buzzed the sides but now I'm not sure where to go next so am watching this thread with interest. I love the idea of an edgy crop but I have a round face and softened jaw (aka jowls) and don't know if I can carry it off.

I think a lot of people who think that colouring your hair means you're not letting yourself go or whatever don't really see what it looks like. There are of course people who really suit their coloured hair, but there are just as many whose hair is too dark, too harsh, broken, dried out, faded, brassy etc. The act of colouring your hair doesn't necessarily make you look better.

Does anyone remember this Mary Beard programme? www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5yQ77vGBLzTLFdrblvMqyr2/mary-beard-vs-hair-dye No offense to Jo Hansford, but her hair colour is doing her skin no favours. She looks almost magenta in those photos (which as a fellow ruddy-skinned lass would be my worry about going blonde).

Got flog it on and the lovely Anita is an example of having too dark hair

Unfortunately my passport photo is a glaring example of hair being dyed too dark (colour is so flat). I've got another 9 years of that awful photo. At least I can look back on it when I question my decision to go full of shaved head.

Week 6/7 #3 buzz cut. I now have bed head when I wake up and I also have those wee tuffs of hair that stick out above the ears. Hair is growing in all sorts of directions in the back. Hair is really soft though and it does feel thicker. Plus, I love the colour.

The Anita comment was met with a knowing chuckle. 😉

train if you are happy to pop a photo up I can visualise what you mean and hopefully offer some constructive advice.

Era mine is on the brink of being a touch dandelion clock too 😁

Just found this for an example of how fantastic salt and pepper hair can look. I know a lot of people are told they are not ‘grey enough’ to transition to their natural hair but salt and pepper is just as lovely as all white to my mind.

I love these too

Yes, I think salt and pepper looks fine if your natural hair colour was dark.

I am only about 5% grey but I stopped colouring it two years ago. There is no way I am going to get to the stage when I have to go through the awful growing out thing. So I guessed I better stop before that was an issue! I was also inspired by thinking how silly older (70s/80s) relatives look with dyed hair.

However, DH is utterly of the view that it's my hair and I do as I like with it and I am nearer to 50 than 40 now so that does make things easier.
So want a big fat grey streak, but no sign of anything!

Pumpkini I wish I had followed your lead. My daughter has inherited the white hair gene and is very happy to just let her hair be and says she can’t wait until it is all white.

How cool is that?

Like these style so thought I would pop them on.....

Has anyone else seen some great ones?

Hair update. Much peanut butter and other protein consumed..... This shows how grey it is 👍🏻🙂

Love this thread! So timely too - I'm three months into letting my grey grow in (I'm 46 next year and can no longer be arsed with the faff of dyeing it) but was having a major wobble this week thinking I was starting to look a bit witchy. So I trotted off to the hairdressers this morning to have a couple of inches lopped off (shoulder length bob) and the stylist (not my usual one) was full of encouragement to keep going. She said there's been a surge of women growing out their dye in the last year, so I feel quite trendy now!
I don't have the face shape to go really short (think totally round, like the moon) so she's suggested that in another three months I have non-permanent toner added to the ends to match my natural colour to even out the colour as it grows. Then I came home to find this hugely inspiring thread and now I'm determined to keep going! So far I haven't had any discouragement from friends or family - my DP is really supportive because of the hair dye/cancer risk -- but I imagine as I go more "grombre" that'll change!

I really can't see any virtue in being grey for me. It would just suck the life out of my features and look frumpy and depressing. I get a lot of pleasure from the way my hair is, still quite thick, very straight and my hairdresser runs 3 or 4 different subtle colours through to high and low light. I get a lot of compliments. DH would not like it grey either.

Loving the inspiration on this thread, great pics. Been growing my hair colour out for about 9 months - my hair is quite long so it's taking a while. I stupidly didn't stop the hair colour when I grew out a pixie about 3 years ago and I'm really kicking myself now as it would all be natural if I had.
I'm struggling with the texture of the greys though, my hair is naturally wavy and very fluffy / frizzy, now the greys are really wiry and look very scruffy (particularly at the nape of the neck). Any tips for shampoo or conditioner that may help with this?

ExC it is great you are happy with your hair.

I am looking forward to mine being thick and natural.

Glad others are enjoying the spirit of the thread and finding it helpful. 🙂

I have heard coconut oil is helpful for frizzy strands

Squashit love the colour of your hair, it's growing quite fast, isn't it?

Inspired by this thread, I had a good insoection of my own hair in the mirror. Because of the curls, I kinda ignore the regrowth, I brushed it out, and had a good poke at it 😂

As a result, I have a cut booked tomorrow. When I logged into the portal I saw my last colour was April. I might have done a wash in/wash out since then, but I don't think I have 🤔 God my memory is shocking! My last cut was August, quite short, and it is chin length now. I'd say 2 more cuts will get rid of the old colour. It's actually pretty dark with the odd white hair through the back, and more at front.

Anyway... am looking forward to seeing what it's like when finally colour free.

Hoosier yes really and to my great relief very quickly 😁👍🏻. I would love to see your hair if you are ok with popping a photo up. Hope the hairdresser appointment goes well.

Some more pics since some are finding it helpful... I have decided to grow mine out to a shorter version of the first one.

Actually more like the style of this blonde one - I couldn’t find a grey version.

I like these too.

I will take befores and afters tomorrow! It's a mess at mo 😂

It's hard to get pics that show up white/silvers... but you can see the nasty grown out roots (the STATE of my hair...Jesus)

Will be back this evening with afters...

My hair has a similar texture and colour pattern to picture one. I don't think I want long hair again but its hard to find shorter styles and women with naturally grey hair. I do love the first picture in your second series squashit.

Second picture, cut but with my grey obviously.

I like the third picture if it didn't mean I'd have to wear sunglasses all the time.

I am beyond jealous. I would love to just go grey. I just don't think I can, I have suggested it to hairdresser a few times but been brushed off curtly as insane. My kids woild be mortified too - not sure why!

I remember explaining to them a few weeks ago that under the brown, my hair was 50% grey, they were genuinely shocked and confused.

Unless your hairdresser is going to pin you down and dye your hair she can't stop you growing out the colour. Obviously she doesn't want to lose out on the money if you stop colouring.

For those who would like further inspiration, I've found some examples of before and after. First picture is a 13 month transition and second one is 11 months. Final picture is 1 year.