Growing out colour/going grey

[Glowerglass]

Hi

Is anyone else growing out their dye and letting the grey come in? I'm about4/5 months in. I've cut it from long to a bob and it doesn't look too bad. ( I think)

Do you find the texture changes?

I just can't bring myself to have the striped head thing. My hair is very thick and I will look crackers I know it. The only way I could do it is by having a really short cut...and I dont' want grey hair anyway. I'd consider it to dye it blonde though/

I tried it after having blonde hair for years. It made me depressed so I had my roots done again.

My grey hairs are thicker and coarser than the hair that is still growing in brown. Since I stopped dying my hair, 10 months ago, the rest of my hair is less damaged so is smoother than the ends. The grey hairs were still more wiry when they were dyed, and they stuck out anyway I want to grow my hair long and so am trying to make the faded orangey-brown ends look passable so I don't have to chop them off too soon.

It's great that more of us are embracing our natural highlights and reclaiming grey from old ladies and twenty-something fashionistas.

There are Facebook groups about this, I am on gray and proud, if you want company and inspiration

I haven't dyed my hair for a year now. I am loving embracing the natural look. I planned and prepared for it for ages in advance - I went lighter so that when I started letting the grey through it was less noticeable. And for a few months near the start I had micro highlight added to break up the "line" of grey. Then last Feb I decided it was time to get serious and go cold turkey so no dye and just regular trims. I find that the texture of my natural hair is actually better than the old dyed hair and the grey is much healthier and in better condition. Having the old ends blunted off regularly makes a massive difference with mine. I probably have another 4 or 5 months to go until I am rid of the last of the old colour and I can't wait. I second the PP saying find the online communities - I followed Grombre on Instagram and it totally inspires and has kept me going when I've thought about giving in. For me, the whole thing was a bit like stopping smoking - somehow once I changed my mindset and was ready and in the right head space it was easy. For years I wouldn't have wanted to do it, but once my head was there it was fine. The feeling of not being a slave to covering roots and worrying about it coming though is amazing. It's great to turn it to a positive! I used to feel like it's hard to go grey naturally because you never see fabulous grey haired women owning it so I decided to be one :)

Thanks Minnie I think I might do that!

Hi glowerglass

I've also been doing this for about the same amount of time. I have a fairly short dark bob and I really hated the grey stripe I'd get between colours (even with a semi-permanent).

My hair isn't totally grey - I have a few thick stripes and then a smattering through the rest. While I think it'll look much better once the grey fully grown out I rather like it atm.

I haven't noticed a change in texture (maybe because it's not all of it) although I've heard that it does change. I have found that my hair feels much healthier after stopping the dye though.

Thanks for the Instagram suggestion, Bat! I'm now following and have spotted a couple of familiar faces from FB

I had mine stripped and bleached several months ago. Prior to that I had it dyed light brown with lowlights and hilights. It never looked "right" so I decided to chance going grey. Its turned out really nice, texture hasn't changed and strangely its not at all wiry. Maybe if I left it to dry naturally it would be. I do use lots of conditioner including deep conditioner regularly and I try to only wash it every 5-6 days, and get it cut every 6-7 weeks. I'm lucky too that the grey is very shiny. I haven't regretted it once, and get lots of compliments on my hair, from friends and random strangers!

I let the dye grow out and like you cut from long to a bob and kept chopping away at caramel/gingery ends. My hair isn't as white as I'd like but it has lots of different shades of grey in it and has a natural white "Mallen streak" at the front. I use a violet shampoo (currently L'oreal series expert) once a week and ordinary shampoo the other days and a decent conditioner.

The texture of my hair has really improved. Despite salon visits and using top end conditioners, masks and serums my hair used to look quite frizzy and untamed in photos. I thought I would have horrendous frizzy grey hair - but I don't. I think dye on top of grey makes it frizzy. My daughters have commented how much softer and smoother my hair looks now.

I feel really liberated not having to dye to my hair. I might look like a really old biddy - not sure. I liked having a bob but am growing my hair longer again. I saw a photo of a grey haired older woman with a side plait and she looked great. I used to wear my hair like that when my kids were small and loved it so I'm sort of aiming for that but will go shorter again if I feel too witchey. Good luck

I've stripped mine and am now growing out the ash blonde colour I put on it to get rid of the orange after I'd removed the dark colour.

This is the second time I've grown out the grey. This time I'm not going back to colouring. My hair just won't take colour anymore and it looks too false now.

Despite grumbles from my family I'm determined to be grey and love it!

I've just nearly finished growing out - thought my last cut would get rid of all the remaining colour but a tiny bit remains. I love it - am so glad I did it and genuinely feel my natural colour suits me better than the colour I used to dye it. Texture doesn't feel very different (I've got quite thin hair).

But it has taken nearly 2 years I'm afraid (I have chin length hair). The first 6 months were the worst though as it seems very obvious but you can wear it up to minimise the transition. Last 6 months very easy. You can have highlights etc put through but I just wanted to stop dying it so went cold turkey. I even changed hairdresser as I got a constant 'let me just run a colour through it' every time I went and it made me feel like shit. I now see a lovely woman who just lets me get on with doing what I want.

There are some good threads on Mumsnet too, as well as ones on Facebook etc.

Go for it!

It's taken me about a year, and some days I think I'll put some highlights in and others I really like it.

My hair is in really good condition and looks healthy and I'm glad I don't have to fear the grey roots and spend a lot of money on upkeep.

Some people have a really strong reaction to grey hair, but I think it's because it's still relatively rare. I can't see how grey hair is any more ageing that a bad dye job, and most dye is quite obvious.

I think the more women who decide to go grey will obviously result in it becoming more 'acceptable'. My daughter has finally stopped complaining about it!

Ps as a pp has said, get it cut regularly - the times I left it a bit too long for a cut were the few times I felt I was looking a bit grotty.

I am doing this. I last had highlights on 2nd September. I have a very short bob and get it cut often. It hasn't been too bad as i am blonde anyway and my colour now is an ashy/grey/blonde. No-one has even noticed the change. I love the colour that it is growing in.

@papersmile
"My hair is in really good condition and looks healthy and I'm glad I don't have to fear the grey roots and spend a lot of money on upkeep"

⬆ This.

For over 15 years I had various styles of pixie cuts all dyed 'my natural dark brown hair colour'. My grey roots were always a battle to keep at bay because they appeared after 2 weeks of colouring. Yep I was in a rut.

Anyway, I grew my hair to a short bob and stripped the colour, bleached it and toned it ashy blonde. I hated it, my hair was in a disgusting mess, split, dry and snapping off. I cut out all the colour and embraced my natural hair colour and I love it. I realised that my natural hair colour, for the past 30 years, was actually grey and not the dark brown I was telling myself it was.

My hair is actually in great condition, its soft and so much easier to manage. Most people who go grey have that lovely white streak around the front which is really flattering, this is my favourite thing about my hair.

Been growing mine out for about 18 months - about an inch left to go. I’ve not got much grey yet, but it’s going a bit salt and pepper and I like it. Hadn’t seen my natural colour for 20 years - turns out it’s nice.

I have not used henna on my hair for two years now. When I decided to go grey I cut it into a pixi crop and let it go natural. I have very soft fine but thick curly hair, no wirey greys at all. Most of my grey is in a big mop at the front, mixed in with dark blond gold bits gracing to dark at the back. I was initially a bit at the back being darker, but now I love it.

Yes, grown mine out, about 18 months since I last used dye. Natural colour dark blonde, about 30% grey I guess. The worst was the first couple of months, but I love it now. No difference in texture for me, but it's fine and straight.

2 years dye free for me. Very salt and pepper...white at the parting but brown with scattered streaks throughout. I can't say I love it, but my hair is in SUCH good condition now... whatever the dyes say on the box, they don't improve the condition of your hair... mine is now soft and healthy. Currently growing out a 'bad decision' short hair cut and while I have days when I miss my colour, I remind myself that the colour was rarely just right, I hated the faff, roots show quickly....

I can't imagine going back now. The first 5 months were hard but after that it was fine.

There is a lovely supportive group on FB called 'Going Gorgeously Gray'..naff title but a lovely supportive group of women all at different stages of transitioning !

I've just had mine dyed again, have been wanting to grow it out for about 2 years now. I have really dark hair and am almost totally grey. I am so happy to look through my grey-free hair atm but know it will only last for a week or two at the most. I think it will look great once it's grown out, I just can't bear the thought of the two tone effect while it happens!

I'm about 3 months in, too. Hair cut into a bob with a faux undercut and I'm loving it. Don't care what anyone else thinks!

I have and now have silver white hair that I get loads of compliments about. It's not entirely natural because I use silver shampoos and conditioners that give it a bluey tinge and every 4 months I use a L'Oréal preference dye to even the colour out but I never have roots. The texture has changed a bit but I use lots of conditioning packs and serum to counteract this.

Did this recently. I have gone from a really bright red to grey. I had a very brutal cut and then a trim and it’s all gone in 4 months (my hair grows fast). So liberating.

Sorry - meant to add - no texture change, but more importantly, less chemicals, more time and more money.