Going back to colouring after no dye for 4 years

[StillMedusa]

I feel bad (no idea why) for thinking about it, but after saying I'd never dye it again I am considering colouring my hair. Mine's salt and pepper..pretty white at the very front and dull grey and brown the rest. Shoulder length.
I gave up colouring 4 years ago but tbh while I love how healthy it is, I currently feel washed out, old and tired ..and look it. I recently avoided getting it cut short, but wonder should I try that first?

I need a boost. Not sure whether to 'go blonde' (or rather have some ice white highlights to blend with the white..ie go greyer) or go for light brown. Either way I'd be dealing with roots again.

Has anyone done this and did it make you feel better about yourself?

In your shoes, I'd get obsessive about finding the best hairdresser in a 40 mile radius, and book an appointment for a trim and blow dry, with the time for a discussion about the way ahead. That way, you're not committed to anything major, you have the opportunity to assess the standards, and you don't have to do anything on the day of your appointment. If you love it, and like the advice, book a second appointment three weeks later.

It would be such a shame to dye again given that you must have felt strongly about it to grow the dye out and go through all of that. I would worry about having to do that all over again in the future. Trying some ice blond highlights to brighten and cool the tones may help give you that boost?

Have you ever had a pixie?

Do a silver blonde root stretch, much easier to maintain and use fudge blonde rewind shampoo once a week and it will maintain its sliver colour.

In my late 30's I decided to go back to my natural colour until I started to go grey. Around 15 years later, having lived through my 40's with mousey brown hair (and no grey) I felt really frumpy and started having blond streaks/highlights again. I'm so glad I did, but I do have short, layered hair, and my roots are still brown so not a major problem.
I'd say 'Go for it' with advice from your hairdresser

Mine came through steely grey after chemo whereas previously I'd had some white streaks in blonde hair. I make my own hair dyeing tea from a tiny bit of turmeric, chamomile, redbush tea and coffee. Brew it in a teapot and pour it on clean dry hair when cool enough. Do this after each wash but doesn't fade completely after washing so would probably last longer than a single wash. Turns my steely grey hair blonde again which I like.

The benefit of my tea is it is cheap, no chemical or allergy worries and no roots!

@silverystream your recipe sounds inheriting. I'm 8 months out of chemo and had my hair bleached for the first time in my life last week! I love it but would totally try your rinse. Would you be happy to share the recipe?

I went grey, kept it for about six -miserable-- months then dyed it back to brown. The faff of upkeep is worth it for how much better I look and feel!

Yes, more than happy to.

Very small pinch of turmeric (size of half a finger nail. I scoop in up with the flat end of a tsp). Turmeric gives a golden colour but a little goes a long way. Too much would look yellow.

6 chamomile tea bags

2 redbush tea bags

Half a level tsp of instant coffee

All brewed up in a teapot and left to cool until cool enough to pour on hair with the bags in.

I would recommend a strand test first as the stain it gives might vary depending on how porous your hair is. I pour in on clean dry hair, comb through and leave it in then dry it.

No Pixies here PaulHollywoodsleftbollockhair When I have my hair short I turn into my own grandmother! Who was lovely but... nope!

Make up consultation to give you a lift? Do you use silver shampoo?
Colour wise personally I’d be wanting to avoid roots after all that hard work! Have you had a good haircut recently?

Hi OP - I’m the same as you. Grew out my hair about 5 years ago now, I’m 50, it’s long, salt and pepper but very dark still in back, white at temples. I can’t be bothered to dye again , but I do feel it is a tad ageing. I stopped dyeing because I was worried about allergic reactions - I have several allergies and very sensitive skin.

I understand.

I also stopped dyeing when I started reacting and I have what I thought was a chic short cut. It's mostly a lovely gold colour but having been offered concession tickets recently, I'm feeling the weight of my (only) 55 years!

I would love to start colouring it again but obviously would need to find a non-allergenic dye first and I'm not sure I could face the roots thing again in terms of time or cost. Maybe I'll start accepting the concessions

I was worried about allergic reactions

Me too. Especially after chemo and with sensitive skin. I've had enough chemicals going through my system. It's why I started exploring natural hair dyes which spurred me onto developing the hair dyeing tea I developed, detailed upthread.

I really like it better than proprietary semi permanent box dyes which I have used before. For me, it gives a better colour. The white hairs turn true blonde (I've a lot, my hair was steely grey after chemo) whereas, with even the lightest box dye, the dye just made my hair look brown. The coverage is better too. And it looks complete natural, shows natural highlights through, does not stain my scalp only my hair. It is also much less messy. Just pouring a couple of beakers of tea over your head and comb it through. Leave in and dry. It's no bother to do it each time I wash my hair but as I said you could probably leave it longer because it does not fade completely.

As far as getting the right colour I observed lots of people doing similar on YouTube. However many used (a lot of) turmeric to turn their hair cartoon yellow. So although I knew turmeric would really counteract grey tones, I use it very sparingly. The redbush gives a red tone which stops it looking yellow. The camomile, more golden tones and the instant coffee, brown tones. I did a strand test first.

I might try the tea recipe thing. My natural hair colour is dark brown so I might up the coffee amount. Blonde would look funny with my hair but a sort of reddish brown would be good.

Yes, I am sure you could develop a colour to suit you, Gara. Normal black tea can be used to stain the hair too. Essentially you are just putting tea stains in your hair.

Black tea gives brown tones too.

You could do something like 6 black tea bags, 2 chamomile, 2 redbush bags and half a tsp of coffee to start with.

Or maybe up the redbush for warm highlights. Just strand test first to see if you like it.

@silverystream - do you find your basin or shower gets stained with the tea - another reason why I stopped colouring was I’d just had a new bathroom fitted - white suite - and I wanted to avoid dye stains on it!!!!

I stopped dying my hair last year after an allergic reaction. Had to have it cut short too.. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much

Gara, never not terribly. If it looks a bit grubby bathroom cleaner which has bleach in it takes it off. As I say it is just like tea not as bad as hair dye. On holiday, being extra cautious, I poured it over my head over the kitchen sink.

I meant no, not terribly. Predictive text!

Or you could experiment with using a spray bottle to spray the tea into your hair. Or use a soft large paintbrush to paint it on. You leave it in so you wouldn't have to rinse afterwards. When I was my hair again I don't really notice the bath water or shower colouring up when my hair gets wet.

I think i will give it a go silverystream. I will do a small patch test first.