Anyone using lockdown as an excuse to grow out their grey?

[SelfIsolatingBeforeItWasCool]

I have shoulder length dyed dark brown hair which is naturally 100% silver underneath - I know this because every couple of years I start to grow it out, then chicken out after a couple of months. Last time was just before Christmas - I caved in partially because I wanted to look decent over Christmas but also because I had a few events this spring which I didn't want to look skunky for. Of course now I'm kicking myself because everything's been cancelled anyway!

I also seem to have suddenly become allergic to absolutely everything I put on my face. I think it might be the SPF in my moisturiser/foundation because plain Nivea doesn't hurt, everything else leaves my face burning and red for days after. I'm concerned that as it's come on so suddenly, hair dye might also cause a reaction and I know how serious they can be.

I haven't dyed for 2 months and honestly, I'm not sure I'll bother again. One reason I usually cave in is that there's always something coming up I want to look nice for - wedding, party, etc - not an issue for months, so no temptation. Only fly in the ointment is DH who really doesn't like the idea of me being grey. I'm 47 and he's 36 so I can sort of understand it on one hand, on the other I think he's being silly - after all, he's going grey and I have absolutely no desire to see him dye it, which he has no desire to do anyway!

Anyone else considering doing this?

I was very ill for a while 2 years ago and used it as a chance to grow out the grey. I was surprised to find I have light brown hair on top and white underneath - so looks like natural snowy white highlights. Does not look too bad - could do with a decent cut though!

Me! I’m going to leave mine until I get invited out somewhere, so probably months away. Then if I like it I’ll leave it. If not I’ll return to the bottle My hair sounds like yours (as does my husband), so it’s a big change. I’m about 3 centimetres out, and I quite like the grey colour, I’m a bit worried about how it will look once it’s framing my face. I’m experimenting with different makeup. We’ll see!

I last dyed mine early November. It's about 2 inches of root now. I'm really looking forward to being grey, it's more silvery highlights than grey which I didn't know before. My bleached blonde long hair looks awful now but I'm too fat to cut it all off. I'll just wear lots of headbands until it's much longer. I'm so sick of having to dye it. There are so many women who look much more beautiful grey.

You need to change your mindset. Dyed hair is not inherently 'decent' or 'nice'. I'd argue it's the reverse. Ignore your DH - if he objects to your natural hair colour then his opinion isn't worth much anyway, is it?
Hair due is ghastly stuff, and if you're sensitive to it it could be dangerous. Once you've quit it, you'll wish you did it years ago. Good luck!

I have been dyeing my hair blonde for thirty years and using this period to see what my natural colour is. It is quite dark with the odd wiry grey at the moment so we will see.

Not noticeably grey yet (I've got a little patch by my temple but you have to look closely!) but I am using this time to grow out a pixie cut which I can't be arsed to maintain anymore.

It's happening whether I like it or not but I'd already gone with blonde highlights to blend the grey roots so as long as I keep up with the silver shampoo it's not too bad at the moment.

I'll see how it goes as I'm also growing it longer so won't be getting rid of the blonde ends.

I grew out my grey pre lockdown and was chatting at work about how pleased I was I'd decided to do this or I'd be absolutely desperate now.

Turned out they all thought I had highlights! Er no, they are grey lights

So yes, do it. Chances are that everyone is so used to seeing dyed hair they won't clock that yours isn't dyed either.

Nope. I've always dyed my own hair and haven't made any changes to that since lockdown. Happy to keep up my normal routine - this situation isn't going to last forever and it's easy enough to buy hair dye as I need it.

No, not doing this at all! I specifically bought several box dyes that I usually use prior to lockdown, to stop this happening.

Surely if your hair is shoulder length, it would take years to grow all the grey to that length? Never done it, so maybe I'm missing something, but I cant stand 2cm of grey root, let alone cm's more with dark ends.

I have discovered in lockdown that my hair is almost completely grey at the front. I am trying out the “Cruella” look - but in this growing out stage it looks awful. If we go back to work before it is all grown out I will have to dye it.

Yes I am and probably going to get it all cut off into a pixie when the hairdresser's reopen.

Hold your nerve OP! Yes a couple of inches of root can look a bit odd and as you’ve already seen a lot of people are really prejudiced against grey hair but it’s worth it in the end.

I finished growing mine out last year. I now have silver/white which is shiny and (apart from right now) cut in a modern style. I get a lot of compliments but like a PP a lot of people think I’ve dyed it that colour and are surprised that it’s entirely natural (for the first time in 30 years!!)

Having your natural hair colour is not about ‘giving up’ or ‘skanky’ it’s who you are. However you need to be prepared by how much prejudice there is against grey hair - all of it from other women. But think about the chemicals, maintenance, costs etc you’ll save.

I was experimentally growing mine out before lockdown, although with every intention of dying it before the summer. I’m not actually as grey as I thought I was, mostly I’m greying from the temples which I actually quite like and at the moment I’m undecided about dying it again.

I am going backwards and forwards with it. Also 48. My dh used to say what your dh does, he seems less bothered now (probably not a good sign!) On the one hand I enjoy going to the hairdressers, having a decent cut and colour was the only thing I needed to look groomed I don't bother with make up any more. And I have quite a young looking face (thanks for the genes Mum) so I think realistically the grey will make people mentally view me in a different age bracket. Do I mind that? Probably not that much.

I've bee growing out my blonde highlights since last July. Luckily my natural colour is only a few shades darker, but I have quiet a few greys coming through.

I quite like my natural colour, but not so sure about the wirey grey's. It's more the 'wirey' then the grey....

I have been colouring my hair for nearly 40 years as I started in my teens with red low lights, I am not sure what the natural colour is although if I look at my brothers or my eyebrows it is uninspiring brown with white highlights.
Currently I am a nice warm light brown with blond highlights plus 5 weeks of root growth as I had my last regular colour appointment just before lockdown. I am wfh and can style my hair and lighting so it looks ok on video calls so I am going to see what happens between now and when I have to rejoin public life.

As I am not intending to be rushing back to shopping or work as I am in the you should stay at home for 12 weeks group (not vulnerable/shield), I am going to see what happens and not try a home dye solution, although I expect that I will be visiting the hairdresser as one of my first trips out.

I work in an industry where there are lots of younger people and I don’t want to highlight my advanced age by dull grey hair. Another issue is that my hair is long so it would take a long while to grow out unless I go for a short cropped style and I don’t think I am ready for that.

My sister has already given in and home coloured.

Thank you for all your replies and views!

@BeyondMyWits your hair sounds gorgeous! I love hair with lots of different tones, so striking and beautiful. Glad you've made a full recovery too

@Nighting yes, hairdye is nasty, horrible, chemically crap and of course it doesn't wash off when you rinse it - it's with you for all the years your hair is. I wonder what nasties it causes and how many of us put sensitive skin/breakouts/eczema or whatever down to other factors when it might be all those chemicals next you our faces? Obviously I'm not a scientist but I've often wondered. And DH can like it or not - it's my hair after all. Tbh I think when it's a done deal and all grown out he'll be used to it anyway!

@stellabelle I actually have a few boxes of dye in the house - I was concerned it was about to be discontinued because it was getting hard to find so I stockpiled. I have the wherewithal to dye it, I'm just not sure I want to! Lockdown won't last forever but all the events/plans for summer and possibly beyond where I would ordinarily cave in and dye won't be happening, so it seems like a good opportunity.

@Elouera at the moment I'm using root sprays/powders to cover up the roots when I go out of the house though honestly, I think most people will have far more to concern themselves with right now than my badgerhead! My plan is to keep spraying/powdering until I have about 4 inches of growth then lop a few inches off the ends, so it'll look like a dip-dyed Bob. Could work!

@ParisInTheSpringtime oh are you going for silver streaks? I adore that look. Even if I don't go all over grey I'm going to do that.

@Mercedes519 your hair sounds stunning! The condition of my roots is absolutely gorgeous, like soft spun silver. It's one of the reasons growing it is so tempting. And yes, there's SO much prejudice against grey hair - and yes, from other women to other women. I've lost count of the times I've been told that if I did this is look scruffy, DH would leave me for someone younger, why would I sabotage myself etc. All from women my age or older. My younger friends think it's a wonderful idea and those in their 30s who are going grey are refusing to dye it. I think it's a generational thing - in a few years perhaps a headful of dye will look as dated as our own grandmothers' hairsprayed helmets of curls once did!

I'm 47 and grew all mine out; it's chin length now. So much better condition and I never have that awful sneaky grey margin appear.

It's funny - none of my friends have, and they all claim to have hardly any grey at all under their dyed hair. I don't believe them - hair dye is hiding the natural consequences of getting older, it's just cheaper than Botox for wrinkles etc so more people do it.

If you want to speed up the process can you use one of those "colour before" type dyes to remove all the brown? You can get it over with then

Got my hair cut to chin level at the beginning of last year when I decided to stop colouring my hair. Some of the ends still have colour on them. I was surprised by how long it took to grow it out. The first three of four months were the hardest, after that I didn't feel so self conscious. Now is definitely a good time to do it.

It’s strange isn’t it @Noeuf. I’m in my 40s and have been grey for a long time as it runs in the family. However friends my age all have coloured hair and claim not to have much . Not sure I can believe them though...

@ProtectAll why do you say dull grey hair? You might be surprised at how it looks, most people have a mix of grey, white and silver and there are loads of products these days to make it look even better.

This is my colour, entirely natural.

The fact it’s natural seems to surprise many people - back to the embedded thinking that grey can’t look good or be in good condition? That grey is ‘giving up’ and not taking care of yourself?

The reality is that I feel like myself more with my natural colour - this is who I am. I take care of myself and still managed to look groomed, together and someone who people take notice of.

Although the authenticity piece is one I don’t talk about so much - mostly I major on the time and money I don’t have to spend and the endless worrying about my roots!!

Mercedes Frankly I think it's bollocks. I just don't believe women nearing fifty all have heads or original colour and I'm a freak of nature. It's just an ingrained habit to deny ageing like it's shameful.
I stopped because I realised I was colouring to cover grey , not because I liked the colour anymore.

@Noeuf completely agree. It stops being ‘maintenance’ when you aren’t keeping a colour, you’re just covering up a different colour. Quite liberating to give up some of the bollecks that comes with being female.