Talk to me about dyeing grey hair

[MinnieMountain]

After a lifetime of not really bothering with my hair, I've decided I need to have it dyed to cover the increasing grey hairs.

Is it best to go straight to a permanent dye? I'd go to the hairdressers.

Do I ask for the whole lot to be dyed one colour?

How easy is dyed hair to care for?

How often do I have to have it touched up?

My hair is light-medium brown, straight, fine and nearly shoulder length.

If you don’t already I would really recommend watching YouTube make up tutorials. Hannah Martin and Lisa Eldridge are both excellent for the more mature woman and they both do five minute looks, simple work looks etc that aren’t too complex. If you have the budget for it I would suggest treating yourself to some Bobbi Brown make up (my favourite!) or maybe a palette from Urban Decay (Look Fantastic are doing %off atm). Do you know what colours suit your skin undertone? Because dressing in the right colours will make a huge difference to how you look - some will make your skin sing.

excellent advice by a PP: I also found that any brown dye with a red hint led to orangey/red grey hairs, whereas I don't have that problem with a non-red based red dye. I use the Garnier one with Davina McCall on the box

non-red based hair dye, not red dye

I wish I had never dyed my hair- such a faff. The grow out is so difficult - I struggle with the contrast. I would love my natural hair colour instead of a dye job.

Leave it be. Give yourself a lift with a makeover re clothes/make up instead.

I think dyeing looks harsher & needs more makeup than going natural on me. However I have blue/green eyes and medium/dark brown hair, I read on here that brown eyed women can ‘get away’ with dyeing for longer, something to do with skin tones.

I started dying mine about a year ago, aged 50.
I have half head lowlights. So I still have grey (I was probably 30% grey) but the low lights blend it in and give my hair a richer colour.

I don't get any roots showing at all.
I get it done every three months so it's not too big a faff.

The grey my hair has gone will never be flattering and it won't take toners. Plus it's all very well saying "get a posh new cut" but my hair can only be in one style which it has been in my whole life. It is thin and fine and won't hold any style, curl or anything.

Grow old gracefully. A friend dyed her hair relentlessly. Spent loads of money on it and then for health reasons had to stop, So she went from auburn to almost completely white over a period of 6 months.

Just spend your time and money on something more worthwhile.

I'm going to go against the grain and say that home dying is very simple. I am about 25% grey and did start to try to go natural but really didn't like the way it looked on me. If you want to stick close to your natural colour, you can use a semi-permanent but I personally find it easiest to use an all over permanent about twice a year then top it up with root-cover dye (I use a Superdrug one) every 4-6 weeks. The root cover dye takes about a minute to mix, 5 minutes to apply to just the root regrowth and then you just leave it in for 10 minutes before rinsing out. I go a few shades lighter than my natural colour.

Just spend your time and money on something more worthwhile.

People can spend their time and money on whatever they want. I can't understand why you would would attempt to impose your preference on someone else. I find the money I spend on having my hair done an extremely good use of my money.

I expect you do things I don't do, like smoke, or drink, or eat meat, or drive a big new car, or buy branded goods, or have kids, or buy exoensive handbags or jewellery etc. There are zillions of things people spend money on that other people don't.

The op doesn't want to be grey. That's her choice.

Another voice to add to Don't Do It!!!! I grew mine out about 2 years ago and I LOVE my natural color. I actually get people asking me who colors my hair because they want that grey look that's in style. They're always very disappointed when I tell them it's natural.

I have such a dilemma though. I have gone "grey", but not grey, grey, like in all the links and photo's, I have just gone completely colourless. I had really blonde hair anyway, which had annual highlights in the winter, just to keep it fresh. In summer, under the sun, it just goes white blonde. So, what do I do? Try to highlight it with some yellow blonde "colour" now?? or just wait until summer when it will go white anyway??

VanGoghsDog it's weird how people are saying, on the one hand, that dying is a terrible faff and so high maintenance, but on the other hand suggesting that the OP spends more time every day doing her makeup. How is that less of an ongoing hassle than occasionally getting your hair coloured?

OP suggested the make up herself I think. But also, if you decide only to wear mascara, lipstick and blush you’ll always still look lovely (because people actually do look just as lovely without make up) so you can spend more or less time daily as you wish with make up, but for someone like me who doesn’t like things that are obviously not quite right, I wouldn’t like the pressure and maintenance to have to keep on top of dyeing. I also wouldn’t dye at home because I don’t think it would come out nice enough to justify the spend and effort (for my taste). Plus I think there are better ways to make oneself feel good. That’s subjective of course, but for me, I’d always rather have a new item of clothing/shoes/etc than spend money on maintaining a good hair dye job. It’s also a huge faff when you do want to stop dyeing, waiting for your hair to look halfway decent, so it seemed prudent to make OP aware of that if she hasn’t considered it.

Also, those who are suggesting make up are not necessarily saying to spend loads of time on it, just that changes in age/colouring/hair often means that one’s needs change subtly in terms of colour/texture and having some nice new products that properly suit can make a world of difference.

Ultimately, OP will decide what she wants to do, and if dyeing is important to her, then that’s fair enough.

Fair enough, but from what the OP has said, it didn't sound like she was particularly au fait with makeup and it would just be another thing she had to put time, effort and money into learning about. I don't like wearing it myself and at this stage in my life, having never bothered to do much more than stick some concealer on my spots, I couldn't face the idea of having to learn how mess around with eyeliner.

Fwiw, I dye my hair at home and I don't think it looks rubbish. If I decided at some point that I was tired of doing it and I wanted to stop, I just would. I've done it before and I don't really recognise the whole "if you start colouring your hair you'll be stuck doing it forever" narrative. If you use semi permanent colour you don't get that issue anyway, as it just gradually washes out if you don't keep topping it up.

It’s different for everyone isn’t it...I also hardly ever use my hair straighteners because I just don’t feel I do as good a job as a hairstylist does, can’t understand how one can do the back properly on oneself - so the dyeing at home thing isn’t because I think it looks rubbish on everyone - obviously a lot of people are perfectly capable of doing it well and making it look good. But I don’t feel it’s worth my time and effort, because I wouldn’t get enough back for it. I’m the same with self tan, I just can’t do it because the thought of missing a spot on my back fills me with dread - I would rather be pale than look badly self-tanned.

I’m sure OP will take what she wants from the replies she’s had. There have been comments from those who are comfortable and capable and those who feel it’s too much faff, plus those who feel there might be other ways to feel more positive about herself given the circumstances. All in all a pretty balanced range of advice from which to make her decisions.

Makeup was suggested by a PP near the start of my thread.

Well judged, I'm not especially au fait with makeup. Inwear eyeliner and mascara and I don't want to add much to that but it feels like a small change will make a difference.

This has been a useful discussion.