Grey hairs - accept them or run for the hair dye?

[KitKat1985]

So I'm starting to get a few quite obvious grey hairs. I was aware of them already obviously but my brother made a (jokey) comment about them at the weekend and although it was only light-hearted, now I feel very self-conscious about them. I'm only 34.

When did you start to get grey hairs, and did you just accept them or get your hair dyed? And if you went for hair dye, what colour did you go for? Aside from the grey hairs, my hair has quite a few different tones in (some pretty blonde, and some light brown, and some a sort of mousey colour), so I'm not sure what colour would work. I would want something quite natural looking.

I pull mine out currently- I'm 32. Planned to go grey gracefully but changed my mind the moment I found the first grey hair (on Christmas day of all days!!!). I'll be hitting the dye soon I reckon. Your hair sounds very pretty - maybe a dark blonde colour would suit you? I'm brunette so will probably try to stay that way.

Greys at 34 is very normal (I'm 34 ) - I guess the main question is what will make you feel better?

Your hair sounds lovely, and like you can carry off greys really well with the various different colours you have - a box dye with more uniform colour might not actually suit you as much. I reckon try and live with it, unless it really starts getting you down. Ignore your brother is any case, he's being an annoying little shit like brothers can be (even if he's older!)

I got my first grey around 15. I'm 30 now and there's definitely more than a sprinkling. My natural hair is a very dark brown so I decided about 10 years ago to just let it do it's thing. If I dyed it, regrowth would be quickly obvious and the thought of having to dye my hair every 6-8 weeks for 30 odd years didn't fill me with joy.

I got my first grey hair at 20 and none (that I’ve noticed) since. I don’t see the big deal really, everyone goes grey. I don’t think I’ve ever met a man your age that does have at least a few here and there (somehow most men seem to grey quicker on their chest from what I’ve seen). I would imagine that women are the same but cover it up for some bizarre reason.

I'm pushing 40 & have quite a few greys, it sounds like the OP & I have similar natural colour as well, with varied natural highlights. I found my first grey at 23... I used henna for years. Now it's short (very short pixie cut) but growing out, it's much more obvious than when it was neatly neatly cut. I'm considering dye too but can't find a colour that would look close to my natural colour.

I went for a few foils when I had my first splashing of grey in the areas where the grey was and in my natural colour. Worked well for the first few years. Sounds like that would suit you more than an all over dye (which I've now had to progress to 😫)

Had brown hair when younger found first grey at 22. Starter dyeing my hair more of a warm chestnut wash in wash out colour at home. Then moved onto to semi permanent dyes at the hairdressers went more and more auburny then almost red.
Last year mid fifties got some highlights and went much lighter (this hides the greys so regrowth less noticeable) then moved to getting toners on every so often.

I found my first at 17 but didn't get a colour until I was 27 in preparation for my wedding.
Personally I think almost everyone looks older when they go grey but whenever I see this dilemma on social media the answer is overwhelmingly in favour of going grey. I'm not sure why.
My natural colour is very dark so I get the hairdresser to match it. During lockdown I've used box dye and it isn't as good. A good colourist should be able to advise you about highlights and stuff.

I've got white hairs rather than grey, they blended in with my fair hair not too badly until recently and I'm wondering whether to dye or not now, it's admitting you are getting old that's my problem!

Your hair sounds quite light? I would have foils to blend in the grey without completely covering it. Then regrowth is less of a problem and it looks more natural. I ditched the tint and now have a mix of high and low lights. I have a lot of grey now but still don’t look grey iyswim.

I started going grey in my late 20s. My hair is dark brown so they really stand out - it sounds like they will be less noticeable in your hair and just naturally blend in.

I don’t feel ready for a big dye job but I’m also not ready to embrace them, there’s not enough yet for it to be a ‘look’ like the people I see going grey on Instagram etc. I use Aveda colour deposit conditioner which doesn’t cover them totally but blends them in a bit so they’re less noticeable.

I’m leaving mine in. I don’t pluck them because hair can thin at menopause so the last thing I need is damaged follicles or even worse dead follicles.

I won’t dye it either.

I started pulling them out until it all got out of hand.

I have grey and white and my natural colour all mixed in so I dye my roots every two or three weeks.

I enjoy it as I change the colour from season to season and until it stops looking natural I will carry on regardless.

I use Herbatint because it is not tested on animals. It has no amonia so is kinder to my hair than some other dyes I have used in the past.

I had to stop using Loreal Excellence because it started to give me an orange hue in Sunlight, and it had a drying effect.

I condition my hair like mad because I dye it but I also enjoy doing this.

I look upon my hair as a challenge. It's one of the things that defines a woman simply because it's so 'there', and I look after my locks and defy the greys.

It's not admitting you are old, it called looking after yourself :)

Mine started going grey at 30, I used to have highlights to blend it but they became pointless when there were too many and it was serious ££££ to upkeep. Then I started getting it coloured but developed an allergy to hair dye and haven't been able to find one that I don't react to. It's a revelation not having it done never mind saving me a fortune. My hair is in so much better condition. I'm about 40%grey now and have very dark hair but they way it's come through I've been quite lucky, it looks like silver highlights. I get a lot of compliments on it.

I started going grey in my 20's. My children are the same. I gave in to having white hair a few years ago although I still colour it to get it the shade of white I want. It's quite high maintenance in that I need special shampoo that has to be left on for about 10 mins.

Your hair sounds a similar colour to mine, except I have some red tones too. I have had high/low lights put in three times a year since I was in my 30s; they blend with the greys and make them look like part of the colour. Since lockdown though, I’ve used a Josh Wood gloss in champagne blonde. It covers my grey/white and then fades out naturally after a few weeks. I use the everything mask once a week to keep it shiny and lock in the colour. I don’t think I’ll go back to the foils because I really like the condition my hair is in now.

I’m in my 40s and I’m ignoring the grey, admittedly I don’t have loads but I’m not particularly inclined to get into a cycle of time-consuming/expensive dying, which will dry my hair out anyway. It’s all personal preference so there’s no right answer. I don’t like the idea that dying your hair is ‘looking after yourself’ though, I think this applies to things like exercise and healthy eating, decent hygiene not hair dye.

Thank you for all of the advice. I might try and see if I can live with them for a bit. If it really starts to bother me I might get a 'balayage' (sp?) type hair dye done at a proper salon as it's looks more natural I think than a block colour, especially in my hair. It's the thought of maintaining the look that puts me off. I usually only go for a hair cut a couple of times a year, so having to go every 6-8 weeks sounds such a faff.

Balayage is a VERY expensive and time consuming look to maintain! I went through a phase of spending £90 and 3hrs at the hairdressers every 8 weeks to try and keep it looking decent (I have naturally very dark hair and it looked brassy a few weeks after having it done).

It might not be as bad for you as you are naturally lighter haired but be prepared to spend some serious time and money on it.

Honestly OP dye it. Grey hair is ageing and you're only 34.

Just get foils. An all over colour will take away all the lovely natural variation

I started to go grey after I'd started dying but I actually welcome it as it makes the colour better.. my natural hair is jet black so if I put say a red or burgundy on it's very hard for the colour to get through, with a few grey hairs they take the colour on a lot more. I understand this may only benefit those with very dark hair to begin with thouh.

How does it work with foils exactly? Do they just blend in the grey bits?

Thank you.

I'd go grey gracefully if it was all or mainly grey. But when you have a sprinkling of grey in otherwise dark hair I think it looks ageing and also like you don't care (which is also ageing). I've gone for the dye until the grey gets heavy enough to let it come through and add highlights.

You'll need to get advice from a hairdresser. I did mine myself for a while which is cheaper but more of a block colour.

Yes to foils blending it in