Covering Greys

[TwentySeventeen]

Are there any colourists or hairdressers who can help with a hair colouring question?

I have dark brown hair naturally, it's cut into a shoulder length Bob currently. I have been having the roots dyed permanently (with a full head dye every three months or so) for the past five or six years, as a semi permanent colour was not touching the regrowth.

Now, I'm looking for a way to let the gray come through gradually and thought about dying a lighter colour to help with the transition.

My hairdresser has suggested taking my colour from 5 to 5.5, then 6, 6.5 and finally 7 over the coming months.

I don't think that will achieve anything, other than costing me more and more at the salon, when the only answer as far as I can see is to chop my hair into a short pixie and save my money.

I can't lighten my hair without ruining it with bleach, can I?

I’m trying to grow out my highlights, and I’m going grey. It’s not necessarily a better option in my experience! The bleached hair looks bad next to my new salt and pepper regrowth. Growing out grey takes ages so you may just be delaying the inevitable as you say! How grey are you %wise?

I did the pixie chop a few years back. Grew it out (kept sides and back short whilst the top grew down).

It was not as painful having a pixie as I thought it would be - and it meant I did not have to deal with a badger stripe. Am loving being grey/salt and pepper - though it is not as grey as I thought it would be. Being off the dye treadmill is amazing though. Truly fantastic.

I think the hairdressers idea to gradually go lighter will not ultimately help - as at some point you have to deal with the demarcation line between dyed/un-dyed. It will keep you paying her money though. I think highlights can work to help the transition - as they can be more "piecey" and break up the line...but still cost ££ and at some point you have to bite the bullet.

There are facebook pages (Going Grey Gracefully or something) and instagrammars to help.

I had MN behind me. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/2316020-To-chop-or-not-Honest-opinions-please#prettyPhoto There are a couple of other threads on here too with people going through similar.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3502320-To-go-grey

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/AMA/3324702-i-let-my-hair-go-grey-at-38-ama#prettyPhoto

Good luck with what you decide.

Thank you both.

I think I will have to bite the bullet sooner rather than later, otherwise I am just spending money unnecessarily.

My next appointment is in October, and I need to think about next steps, do I go for the chop before Christmas or leave it until the New Year. In either case, I need to stop the hair dying I think. I'm about 20% grey, not sure how bad that is tbh.

Join a group on Facebook called "Going Grey Gracefully" great place with lovely ladies and support.

Thank you Lady Godiva.

Can any hairdressers or colourists confirm the easiest way to transition? I think my own hairdresser is just trying to get me to keep going with treatments and salon visits regardless.

There is another fb group which is very supportive called going gorgeously grey. Give it a few months and see how you feel. I’m planning to hold off as long as I can before I get totally fed up then go for the chop. I’m 3 months dye free at the moment.

Hi op

Congratulations on forward planning and embracing your silver crown!

One of my colleague’s clients had gone from v dark hair to silver with a white mallen streak at the front. She was still having her roots done (every 4 weeks). How she transitioned was, first she had the dye over her white streak bleached as light as it would lift. Then she had a few months of growing that out and toning it while continuing root touch ups on the rest of her head. After that very gradually, my colleague started leaving more and more hair at the front undyed at each root appt. so the regrowth was somewhat disguised by the existing streak, if you see what i mean. Now everything has grown out pretty much. The whole process took about 18 months but her hair grows insanely fast (her roots appts were every 5 weeks). I won’t lie, not everyone could pull this off, and when she was mid way along she did a lot of putting her hair up, pinning the front up etc. She is a really striking woman with strong personal style and the rest of her is always immaculately turned out, fully made up etc.

But if you have one paler streak that could be an option to consider.

Another option, and idk if you’d be into this, could be vivid colour. Lifting to go blue or purple or pink is easier on the hair than lifting to leave hair blonde because you don’t need to go up as many levels depending on what you’re putting on the top. I have a few clients that have a balayage every few months then vivid over the top, a couple of these are grey naturally and it looks striking (blue ends, gunmetal roots anyone?). It’s not for everyone obviously, but vivid direct dyes are so much easier to top up at home so push time between salon appointments, and they fade off so no hard regrowth line and you can change colours when you get bored.

You know, you are allowed to cheat on your salon also? 🙊 it’s ok to go to a few other places and have a consultation. Get some ideas and prices. We all live in the real world, clients come and go. You’re allowed to spend the time and money you’ve allocated for important self care exactly as you like x

I'm also struggling with this. I'm 29 which I think is far too young to have as many greys as I do. Luckily my hair is light so you can't tell unless you know, but I can tell, and I hate it.

I am hoping that I can come to terms with it.

I use a home colour at the moment, just a really light blonde, which makes it a lot better, but it never seems to look as good as I hope - and I honestly don't know how so many women make home colours look so good!

Thank you all, some food for thought.

I think it's just the demarcation line that concerns me. I have a centre parting and a fringe. So perhaps at my next appointment, I might switch to a side parting, grow my fringe out for the moment and not have my roots done at all.

I'm resistant to bleaching etc as my natural colour is dark brunette and the change would be too drastic and just would not suit me.

If I could manage until the new year, I might be able to have a short pixie then.

Could you use one of those root sprays that cover greys? L'Oréal do them.

Hi, yes I have the root spray, but use in emergencies only!

I find I get it on my scalp, in the parting, which kind of ruins the effect.

And it gets on my pillowcases, which is annoying.

I've taken to spraying it onto an old toothbrush and combing it through, but that's a real faff as well.

Will report back later, when I've washed my hair, as I'm going to move my parting when I dry it. Now toying with the idea of cancelling my October appointment, I can always rebook if I need to.

Boring post alert ......

I've moved my parting one whole cm to the right, and it looks fine. Now awaiting the skunk line to grow back in a couple of weeks, so that I can reassess.

Cancelling my October appointment tomorrow.

Go for it. Though I will confess, one of the main reasons I did do it the chop/pixie way (rather than highlights/going lighter/growing out the badger stripe) was it meant it was done. I couldn't weaken and succumb to the dye again.

I’m very dark with lots of grey at the temples and sides. I am doing foils half dark and half blonde . It blends in the greys and the regrow they line is not too bad. Currently 6 weeks and colour still being complimented.

olympicsrock, I was wondering about doing something similar, but to be honest, the more I think about it, the more I resent the time, money and effort involved.

I hope by the time I need a cut, I'll be ready to go short, as I'm still wavering a bit.

Chop, I took a look at those links you shared upthread, your hair looks great.

I'm going to look for more inspiration on Pinterest to keep my resolve.

Thank you all.