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?

I think I will need to change my hairdresser to go grey. I said to him this week that I was thinking about it (I have said this before, and I knew he was against it, but I said I was becoming more at ease with it), and I got a load of ageist shite spouted at me. I actually think he realised I was quite upset, because he was very nice and conciliatory afterwards. I'm actually upset anyway about my head at the moment because I've lost a horrific amount of hair - the top of my head is terrible. I'm hoping it's weight loss related, but I fear it might be related to menopause - all medical reasons ruled out. Anyway, he insisted that if I went grey the baldness would be even more noticeable, and it would age me 15 years. The thing is colouring it isn't taking 15 years off - I'm not that deluded! Plus I'm not convinced it conceals the fact then if my hair moves outside, you see huge areas of scalp. At the moment though, it's starting to feel like I burn a 100 quid every six weeks, and still feel miserable about my hair.

I would like to grow out my grey, but what is holding me back is my colouring. I am an Autumn with brown hair, very pale yellow based skin (mac nc20).

All the photos of women looking stunning with their grey hair are much more Italian/mediterranean looking with olive skin or blue-eyed. My best clothes colours are sludgy and I'm not sure how that works with grey. I'm nervous that I will a)look crap with grey hair and b)what colours I would wear.
The lovely grey ladies all have a defined jaw and quite slim faces. Mine, I fear lacks that.

Thanks Squashit a great post. I will think it through.

Love the clothes!

ilovecherries if you have lost a lot of weight then hair loss is often part of that. I had that and it soon sorted itself out.. The hair dye from what I understand is unlikely to be helping.

Definitely change hairdressers. I would suggest going in and telling them what you want before hand and find one that will work with you to achieve what you want.

janeways I think the key for autumns and those with a warm undertone is to wear warm greys -they still look great in muted warm colours because their hair turns a warm grey in tone. They pull of ivories, cream and khaki still.

Warm greys etc....

Ilovecherries, I agree with Squashit that hair dye might be making your hair loss worse. My hair started thinning when I had a Vitamin D deficiency and hair dye made it even more brittle and prone to breaking. I also agree ditch your hairdresser - my usual one is totally supportive of me growing my grey in and yesterday his stand-in (he was off ill) was also full of encouragement. She even suggested I let it grow a bit more than have a wash-out toner put through the ends to even out the grombre and make me less inclined to give up! That's what you want from your hairdresser - help, not criticism. So go for it!

Thanks Squashy for the warm greys advice and picture. That makes sense. Still could probably do with losing a stone first!

I wear a lot of grey, navy and black but I try to inject jewel colours from my cool winter palette. My style is relaxed but I have a thing about faux fur coats at the moment, I have an emerald green one and a sapphire blue one. I'd love a true (blue based) red fur coat.

Please please please can we keep this thread going, (and allow me to stay if I crack in 6 months and hit the bottle) I am learning loads. I tend to wear strong colours, but do like soft grey. Have noticed that black is starting to wash me out, but like reds, cobalt blues, emerald green and purples

bluesky. - I think your current hair colour is lovely

I don’t want to look like Carol in The Walking Dead -I see her cut and colour being posted here as inspiration _ but I just think it ages her

Hoosier If you do embrace the grey then black will probably suit you again. Especially if you suit cobalt blues, emerald green and jewel purples. When I was dyeing my hair my complexion was becoming more ashy looking, it brightened right up when I shaved my head. Black was my friend again. I also look better in red lipstick than i did pre-buzz.

I didn't post Carol from Walking Dead as inspiration, it was posted as a way to explain how my hair looks now as I grow out my buzz cut.

Good to know Era

I have read this entire thread with interest! I am only 31 with thick long brunette hair (some blonde balayage through the mid length - ends) and I have decided to stop battling my greys (not too many through the parting though I still pick those out.. but lots through temples and second layer / underneath). The problem is that they are like lots of individual grey hairs but not next to each other so they give the effect of my overall colour being washed out mousey horribleness rather than salt and pepper IYSWIM. Any advice ?? Not sure how quickly it will progress now and don’t want to spend 10-15 years with an in between colour I hate!

I’ve been thinking about ash toning so the blonde looks cooler / greyer and then I don’t need to cut it off... I like the long grey look (I have Italian looks in terms of skin and eyes) or the sleek long bob that was posted up thread. Love red lipstick and black / grey / navy (entire wardrobe is basically)

My mum shaved hers off beginning of year after her first chemo! It had started thinning and she always died it and had a bob.

She decided when it grew back she would remain grey and now she has a very short grey style.

She looks great

I am 53 and my hair is white,not grey. Or it woyld be if I didnt dye it purple! No idea how I would grow out purple with white roots without looking really weird. So purple it stays. I have no ideas what season I am or what colors suit me. I have sallow skin and green eyes and just wear anything. Im a lost cause!!!

Ilovecherries have you ruled out Celiac? Hair loss is a symptom.

OP, thanks to this thread I just went out and got fifteen inches of hair cut off! I'd been dithering about doing it for months as I'm tired of working with color- and perm-damaged hair. There's still some of that left on the top and sides, but it should grow out pretty quickly. It's so strange walking around with no hair weighing my head down - not to mention the back of my neck is freezing! I really needed the inspiration to just do it though so thank you!

Um, please understand that this is seriously not the best lighting and I really need to do something about the spots.

More cool hair inspiration 👍🏻

(Also, that's not how I plan on styling it! She just got in there with the mousse and a hairdryer is all. I'm more the 'put gel on wet hair and make it sleek' kind.)

Historia I can see your natural colour and it is lovely. You are right it won’t be long until all the dye I is gone.

Well done you for taking the bull by the horns and all that.

By the way you have soooo got the features for a Jean Seberg pixie if you feel like it.

My head was freezing after I buzzed it and that was only after a couple of inches off!

Look at how well these colours compliment salt and pepper hair.

Squirrel toning the blonde to an ash would make for a pretty seamless transition given what you have said. Give it a try. I bet it will look lovely. The more muted all over colour will probably look amazing once the dye is all gone.

Feel free to pop a photo on if you need some opinions 🙂

Historia!! I had about 3 inches off, and I feel bare! You're cut is fab. And you have a great face shape... i'd kill for cheekbones like yours. My face is so flat/round apart from wee bumpy nose 😂

I just checked my calendar and I last had my hair highlighted 10 weeks ago. This is a pic of my hairline and to be honest I can’t see much difference between the colour growing in and the highlighted colour. What do you think? I am fairly light haired naturally.