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Original poster

Quitting hair dye and embracing the grey

115 replies

ittakestwo · 02/05/2018 11:59

I've decided to quit the hair dye. I'm sick of the whole routine and damage it's doing to my hair.

At the moment I've got about 1inch of grey roots and have noticed that I'm salt and pepper through most of my hair but I will have a clear white stripe at the front.

I've mentioned my intentions to some colleagues and friends as they have felt the need to comment on my roots!! They have responded with shock and horror (I'm 45 btw).
I'm not really bothered by what other people think but would love to hear about other peoples experiences who have chosen to dump the dye.

OP posts:
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14
Tinycitrus · 04/05/2018 08:57

Never never never

I hate grey - it just washes people out

Whitney168 · 04/05/2018 09:01

Like Dowser, if I could just wake up grey I'd be fine, but I just can't get my head round how I'm going to grow it out. I colour stripped mine a couple of months back to get the dark reddish brown out, which has taken it down many notches - but I still don't think I can bring myself to 'grow it out'.

I put an ash blonde on it, but it still just looked like an inch of grey on me and I can't quite live with that, so I now have an ash-toned light brown over all. I think I'm just going to go progressively lighter, make sure I use no red tones (which are the hardest to strip) and give it a few months. By the end of the year I'll try another colour strip, which should all be much lighter, and then see if I can do it.

Campfire · 04/05/2018 09:11

I used to have highlights to blend in the greys, but realised that because I didn't have time to get them done very often, the dark roots looked worse than the grey hair did. I stopped and have embraced the grey for about five years. I rather like it. I just have to make sure that I take the time to dry and style my hair properly, as I think it probably looks more neglected when unstyled than when it was coloured.

0ccamsRazor · 04/05/2018 09:28

I am 44 and have not used henna on my hair for two years, it is just natural now. I like my hair colour, silver grey at front and salt and pepper at back, mixed with a few gold bits that show up under the sun light (not in this photo though). It is very liberating to be free of dying every month, I had been using henna since I was 15!

0ccamsRazor · 04/05/2018 09:28

Oops here is photo

Quitting hair dye and embracing the grey
Eatsleepworkrepeat · 04/05/2018 09:28

I have never heard anyone say being grey ages Philip schofield, it's all focused on him being a silver fox.
Nothing you do to your hair will "age" you... You'll be exactly the same age whatever. Societies expectation that women should look 20 forever or be chucked on the scrapheap is awful.

neveradullmoment99 · 04/05/2018 09:46

I have never heard anyone say being grey ages Philip schofield, it's all focused on him being a silver fox
Now yes, but not at the beginning.

crumbsinthecutlerydrawer · 04/05/2018 10:56

Oh FGS, does it always have to be a sexist issue? I’ve always had dark brown hair. I love it. I love the colours that I can wear that go with it. Going grey or lighter in any shade, for me, means changing what I wear to compliment that change in hair colour. Yes it probably will age me but that is not so much the issue, I have never had blonde hair and never really felt the want to. It, for me, is a big change and not remotely to did with sexism. I’ve only just learned what colours work with me and I’ll have to start all over again.

neveradullmoment99 · 04/05/2018 13:03

Very true crumbs I love black too and atm it looks good on me.
I also have a warm skin tone and not sure I would look that great - an olive complexion with cool grey hair either.
At some point, I will embrace grey hair. Just not sure I am in that place yet. whether you choose/not choose to dye your hair is nothing to do with sexism. Its to do with personal preference. Social conditioning has a part to play in the sense of anyone with grey hair looks like a granny or granddad.

neveradullmoment99 · 04/05/2018 13:04

...and that's not my idea - its what society thinks to clarify.

Dozer · 04/05/2018 13:09

It “has to be” a sexist issue because it is. Only a tiny proportion of men with grey hair dye it relative to the proportion of women. There is social/cultural pressure on women to dye grey hair, which is costly and entails health risks.

Dozer · 04/05/2018 13:10

If it was truly personal choice then more men would dye and more women wouldn’t. Choices are not made in a vacuum.

CowesTwo · 04/05/2018 13:22

I stopped colouring my hair dark brown as I was fed up with the maintenance and I also wanted to see what was underneath. Quite happy with the result and the freedom from roots regroth.

Quitting hair dye and embracing the grey
Paintbox · 04/05/2018 13:35

Agree dozer. Men on tv who do dye their hair (eg John Stapleton for an example) are often ridiculed for it. Makes them look vain and silly or something. Women who don’t colour their grey hair are often told it ages them and washes them out. The quest to look young (or not change our look as we get older) as women but not so much as men is behind all this and it IS sexist. Men are silver foxes when they go grey, women have let themselves go. How is that not a sexist issue?

strangelove13 · 04/05/2018 14:04

I'm 33 and for the last three years I've noticed more and more grey hairs in my dark brown hair.

I have moments where it bothers me but that usually coincides with the times that I'm not taking care of my hair at all (just washing it, no drying, shoving it up in a bun etc.)

When I take a bit more time with my hair I actually quite like the greys!

I'd love to have a natural white streak but mine are pretty dispersed!

EraArils · 04/05/2018 14:16

None of my group of friends or colleagues have embraced their greys. I am the only person in my circle that has stopped dyeing my hair. I am in my 40's and 100% grey and I love it. I do think it's a shame that I know of no-one that feels that grey is an ok colour to have.

Colour looks so much better on me and black is now stunning and chic. Makeup wise all I have to do is keep eyelashes tinted and eyebrows tidy, swipe a bold lipstick on and I'm good to go.
I do have colours that I absolutely have to avoid and that is now more apparent. Hearing aid beige, yellows and oranges look hideous as does cream and khaki.

I was on the Head shave to go grey thread and my hair is now a longish pixie/shortish bob.

FlorenceLyons · 04/05/2018 17:00

I'd love to see a photo of how yours looks now, Era?

Mine is going quite salt and pepper (I'm 45). I stopped dying it about a year ago. It's v short, though, so no angst involved!** I rather like it.

ElfrideSwancourt · 04/05/2018 17:10

I'm a bit tempted to grow out the dye but my hair is very curly and I'm worried it would look very messy and ageing- also my mum thinks I should stop dyeing it so that makes my inner child just want to keep colouring it.

Original poster
ittakestwo · 04/05/2018 18:47

I’m just sick of being a slave to hair dye! Like another poster said the box dyes end up just looking like a wig after a while with the build up of colour and I can’t justify the cost of a hair salon colour every two months. I have received some really negative comments from some coworkers and friends both male and female on the lines of “you’re way too young to let yourself go!” This in itself has made me more determined not to dye my hair. I am a clean well presented woman, I dress well (IMO) when did not colouring your hair equal letting yourself go.

OP posts:
Original poster
ittakestwo · 04/05/2018 18:48

Loving all the pictures you ladies all look amazing. Smile

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GreyHare · 04/05/2018 19:14

ITT I have left several hair dressers too because they couldn't fathom that I'm actually happy with my hair colour, but every visit they would push having high lights, so I voted with my feet, my current hairdresser has never questioned my choice to stay grey.

antwaki · 04/05/2018 19:22

Grew mine out from a shoulder length bob in Dec 2015

Quitting hair dye and embracing the grey
Thebluedog · 04/05/2018 19:26

@antwaki that looks fab!

My hair is about the same length as yours and I’m totally fed up with dying it ( I’m 45), might not bother with the next appointment and grow it out

goose1964 · 04/05/2018 19:34

I have long hair and my grey's have been coming in for the last couple of years, I'm 54. So far they are around my face, the rest of my hair is resisting the lure of the grey. I have decided that I no longer care what people think of it.

Canwejustrelaxnow · 04/05/2018 19:53

changerlenom in what way did you become allergic?