Transitioning to grey from brunette

[Girlintheframe]

Has anyone done this and if so how did you manage?

I've shoulder length brunette hair and have given up on the dye as was having to colour it so often.

It's come in white around my face and salt/pepper every where else.

I was coping really well but now with 5 inches of grey showing it's really starting to get me down. The contrast between the grey and brunette is really hard to live with.
Do I cut it all off (not convinced very short hair will suit me) or resign myself to wearing it up for the next year?

I've tried going lighter in the past but my hair is fine but very coarse and just doesn't respond to bleach well.

Any ideas?

You've got a lovely oval shaped face I think a short crop would look fabulous.

Also with your complexion I genuinely think a short silver crop will look stunning on you. Go for it!

We have the same toaster OP!

Such a good colour of grey! However you get there persevere, will look great.

Yes root spray was a lifesaver when i needed extra confidence.

You could try a colour stripper like Colour B4 to shift some of the brunette dye on the ends? It might smooth out the harsh demarcation line.

What a gorgeous shade of silver you have, OP. It looks fine as it is (no need to crop it IMO) and it's going to be really fabulous when it's grown out a bit more, especially with your skin tone.

Loads of women have ditched the dye because of lockdown, and I think grey roots have become quite normal this year. I'm ten months in myself and don't feel at all self-conscious (I think I might have done pre-pandemic). But obviously you have to be happy (sod everyone else!), so you could maybe try the Superdrug colour shampoo - I hear good things although I haven't used it myself.

@Coronilla

What a gorgeous shade of silver you have, OP. It looks fine as it is (no need to crop it IMO) and it's going to be really fabulous when it's grown out a bit more, especially with your skin tone.

Loads of women have ditched the dye because of lockdown, and I think grey roots have become quite normal this year. I'm ten months in myself and don't feel at all self-conscious (I think I might have done pre-pandemic). But obviously you have to be happy (sod everyone else!), so you could maybe try the Superdrug colour shampoo - I hear good things although I haven't used it myself.

Thank you.

Everyone has been very kind. It's given me a confidence boost.

Think I'm going to grow it out a bit more then once the grey is more at chin length go for the chop.

Have seen a gorgeous grey cut to give me inspiration! Everyone has been so positive it's helped massively.

I know it's incredibly vain as it's only hair, it's just a bit disconcerting seeing yourself change so much. But I'm going to embrace it!

Thanks so much!

If you’re on Facebook check out The Gray Book and Grombre for inspiration and support. I’m 8 months dye free and don’t want to cut my shoulder length hair so I’m just rocking the 2-tone look. Your silver will look great!

I cut mine as I couldn’t deal with the 2 tone look personally, I’m really impatient. Growing the dye out has been the best move I’ve ever made. You feel so free once you achieve it. I suggest looking at the Silver Revolution facebook page. Also Katie goes platinum and the How Bourgeois blogs and Facebook pages were both really helpful to me. Particularly reading how Lauren (How Bourgeois) coped with her transition. I love her hair.

I think your silver roots look amazing. On one of the grey pride social sites there's a whole section dedicated to grey ombre - women growing out grey into dark hair and they look amazing. As other PP have said in a few more weeks it will look intentional and the effect will be really dramatic - promise!

I cut mine like a lot of PP's did. I thought growing out a pixie would be the same as growing out the roots - but I couldn't give in and go back to the dye. Just knew I'd cave in at some point. I knew I'd hate it short (it actually was far better and more fun having it short than I thought). But I knew I couldn't hack growing the line out. . Also this was 5 years ago so the badger look was less...er...prevalent.

I think this is a fabulous time to do it. People will see it and know what you are doing IYSWIM rather than wondering if you hadn't noticed .

Your silver is a beautiful colour. And I also agree with a PP - you would look great with a pixie.

Just be warned, your current hairdresser might not be as enthusiastic - largely because colouring hair is guaranteed repeat income so some can be less than supportive.

I also think get yourself on some Insta/Facebook Going Grey Gracefully pages. Just give you some inspiration/strength whilst going thought it. And also, I would say 99% of women look better after transitioning. Their natural greys suit their skin tone etc way better than the dye.

I have had zero regrets since ditching the dye. Zero. The freedom from worrying about your roots is amazing.

I did it last year - very very dark to almost white! I joined a group on FB called Going Gorgeously Grey which is mostly US-based women. But if you’re feeling a bit rubbish, post a selfie on there and you’ll get loads of “you look amazing” comments. The enthusiasm on there made me laugh because I’m so reserved in real life. Still, it worked, and quite a few people at work have done the same now!

Here are my transition pictures

Have seen a gorgeous grey cut to give me inspiration!

Can you post a pic of the cut you like OP? I'm just being nosy

I went light from dark dyed brunette but it trashed my hair & kept going yellow so I popped a dark caramel yucky colour on and let it grown out. Took 2years from lightening it, now I have silver curly bob & don’t miss the faff every 2weeks. Your silver hair is lovely and I think if you cut a bit of weight out of it and have a tousled bob tha t would really suit you. If I did it all again I would forget the full blonde stage and prob get highlights/lowlights? to soften the stripe

Pax - Yours is gorgeous.

I think a pixie cut or short bob would look great on you. Although I quite like 2 tone hair.
This transitioning photo from a page on Facebook shows to me how great each stage looks.
Embrace each stage. Take photos.
I'm currently half blonde half grey but had more ash and white highlights put in before lockdown and I'm ok with it

This is my hair - really thought I had a lot of white judging from my roots when I used to dye it but it's mostly a dark grey. I've had compliments from men and women, and some have been inspired to ditch the dye.

I think my skin tone looks so much better.

Yes I might look closer to my age (early 50s) but I'm ok with it.

Ageing is truly a privilege and I love the freedom from obsessing over my roots and planning dye jobs around my social calendar.

You silver colour is very nice and it will be worth it when you get through this tricky stage. I did this 3 years ago. I can't tell you how freeing it is not to have to cover roots constantly. Now it's thicker and in better condition. Dying makes hair dry, thin, brittle and fragile, but we don't realise until we stop.
If I were you, I'd book a cut and colour with your hair dresser. Take a lot off, so you are only left with 3-4 inches of dyed hair. 3-5 days before your salon appointment, use Superdrug 'colour out'. It will lift the old dark dye out and leave a 'blorange' colour. You may need to use the product twice, as your colour is very saturated. Once it is blorange, condition it well with coconut oil, perhaps try olaplex.
Then the hair stylist can colour the bottom 3-4 inches lighter, perhaps adding some silver highlights and you'll use silver toning shampoo to keep the orange tones away. You won't love it, but from there you can feel more together and over the next 18 months cut and shape until you are happy.

I'm in the same situation. My hair's quite silver at the front but less so at the back. I've not dyed it for probably 8 months so I suspect my hair grows pitifully slowly . It's a brassy orangey brown at the moment so I'm using a purple shampoo to tone it down but still looks crap. I'm seriously thinking about a pixie cut but you really need to get a hairdresser who's competent at cutting short hair styles as it's a very narrow line between trendy/gamine and a short back and sides (personal experience).
There's a good facebook group called grombre eu/uk where people take selfies of their transition to grey. Some look great but tbh some don't (personal opinion), very much depends on your colouring/ hair type and texture. Some look really washed out. One lady redyed her hair after 10 months and she looked better darker and I hate to say it but younger....

@Coronilla

Have seen a gorgeous grey cut to give me inspiration!

Can you post a pic of the cut you like OP? I'm just being nosy

Here's a pic of my inspiration! Though colours will be different as I'm quite white in parts.

So much inspiration and encouragement on this thread!

I too am struggling with the brassy orange tones (sorry have no idea how to highlight individual posters names).

I'm going to wear it tied back I think until there is more grey then go for a chop! I take biotin down hoping it helps speed things up

Going against the grain here OP- sorry. I think you look too young to be grey.

I know it's not always a popular thing to say on here but in general, grey is ageing. I see it amongst the school gate mums I knew who are now in their 60s and those who have gone grey or salt and pepper do look much older than those who've had a bit of colour woven in.

I don't know your age but I'd put you somewhere between 45- 55 and think your hair would look great with some lowlights and warmth.

Well I think that too dark colour, which is what a lot of women tend to have to cover grey, is far more ageing as it draws attention to it. It's your face that shows your age far more though.

Well I think that too dark colour, which is what a lot of women tend to have to cover grey, is far more ageing as it draws attention to it.

I agree.

It's not black and white though is it :)
There are a million shades in between.

Most good hairdressers will weave 2-3 different shades lightly through greying hair to get a really natural effect, not a solid block helmet colour, and regrowth isn't that noticeable.

Get your hairdresser to do 1/4 head highlights along your parting.

Mine suggested that when I was growing the grey out. It broke up that harsh line and made the grey coming through look much more intentional. Total game-changer in growng my colour out and embracing the grey.

Since I went totally grey, a number of peoplem have asked me whaere I got it done and what colour I use! It's so much better with my skintone and I love it. I have white, silver and gunmetal flashes - naturtally stripey hair!