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Style and beauty

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Original poster

Has anyone died their hair grey?

20 replies

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 07:54

After years of dying, I’ve let my grey grow since lockdown. I waver in how I feel about it but I’m sick of the constant dying. But I’m now at the awkward stage of dark brown on the bottom 2/3 or even 3/4 and pretty grey on top and I don’t like it. I’m thinking about just dying it grey - but I think this would involve bleaching, which I’m wary about as I want to keep it in good condition - one of the reasons I want to stop dying it. My hair looks terrible short (gets very frizzy and wild - it needs the weight of longer hair) so cutting the colour off isn’t an option.

Has anyone done this - does anyone have any products they’d recommend? I’m also a bit nervous about going fully grey, though I think that’s a bit silly given how grey I already am ...

OP posts:

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LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 07/02/2021 08:18

I had grey hair when it was a trend a few years ago. It was already bleached. I think it would be difficult to achieve without dying it. Also it went a bit green coloured, but l think the colourist l used wasn't as good as she proclaimed.

Maybe you can lighten the brown if it's dyed. I think would try that first but don't use anything too harsh if you are concerned about condition. Head and shoulders or washing up liquid a couple of times a week. I wonder if a silver shampoo would help if you get some of it out.

Oblomov21 · 07/02/2021 08:27

Is it a bit like this? Could you at least tone the brown down, to be more grey, with a hone colour /bleach kit?

Original poster

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 08:35

Thanks, that’s helpful. My hair was dyed my natural colour so it’s hard to tell how much of the lengths is dye and how much the actual colour remains under it - though given how grey the top is, I suspect not much. My hairdresser spent ages stripping the colour off but I can’t say it made a lot of difference ...

OP posts:

Original poster

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 08:39

Maybe if I dyed it a dark grey I wouldn’t need to bleach it, and then the transition to a lighter, silvery grey would be more natural?

OP posts:

HelloDulling · 07/02/2021 08:43

You will need to bleach it. And your hairdresser may refuse to bleach over dye-mine certainly would. How long is your hair/how long it the grey?

Original poster

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 08:50

My hair is about half way between shoulder and bra strap. The grey on top is about 10cm. I’d normally go to the hairdresser but who knows when they will be open. Maybe I should be less impatient ...

OP posts:

RefuseTheLies · 07/02/2021 08:53

How is your hair tied back, op? I grew my grey in a few years ago after dying it for longer than I care to think about, and when it was at the awkward stage, I mostly wore it up and avoided mirrors It took 2 years to grow out entirely. It was a long slog, but absolutely worth it.

RacheyCat · 07/02/2021 08:54

You will have to bleach first, and you'll have to keep dying it grey, ime. On the plus side, there's lots of ammonia-free direct dyes available in grey, once you've lightened it.

Original poster

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 08:57

I often wear it up in a loose bun but I don’t like that - the contrast of the dark ends against the grey scalp is really stark. It also suits me better down. @RacheyCat - do you have any you’d recommend?

OP posts:

Oblomov21 · 07/02/2021 09:35

I'd do it now OP. In covid. Perfect opportunity to! No one is gonna see you! How bad could it be? What's the worst that could happen? It goes yellow? Home lighten the ends. Just a little bit. Just do it's not too stark. I think you'd be happy if it just blended in a bit more, right?

Oblomov21 · 07/02/2021 09:40

Mind you. None of our hair looks as good as those 2 models! Like, EVER. Right?

Kerberos · 07/02/2021 09:52

I've just been through this process. The problem I had was my "natural brown" after time then went through an extreme red phase so the only option was to go shorter than I usually go and have the rest chopped off. My hair in general is in better condition so it's less fluffy. Might that be an option?

Still took a year though to grow it all out!

Original poster

Lockdownennui · 07/02/2021 11:18

I’ve been growing it out for more than a year and it feels like I’ve only done a fraction! Am tempted to just go for it. As you point out, if I screw up my hair it’ll have a while to recover before anyone sees it!

OP posts:

superstar63 · 07/02/2021 12:33

I have the same problem and have noticed the grey is not growing in evenly, in fact my fringe is half silvery and half much darker grey so am not sure how it will all look when more has grown in. The parting is very silvery whereas underneath is quite dark grey.

I would love to be able to use a semi permanent darkish gray to try and make the stripe better but from all that I have read you need to bleach the dyed part which is lightish brown for me and I really dont want to do that but would just like to be able to put something on blend the two a bit.

PaulHollywoodsLowHangingFruit · 07/02/2021 12:41

I know you said that short hair is tricky but with 10cms natural I would bite the bullet and chop it off. There are plenty of products to help tame hair whilst it grows out.

I have just bleached mine to grey for the grow out. It took three bleach treatments and my hair is shot but it will all be grown out within 3 months. I used Colour Freedom graphite grey to tone - which is ok if not a bit dark in places. I used this shade as the silver grey they do will show any yellow as green after a couple of washes.

If I had 10cm regrowth I wouldn't be faffing- you have got through the hardest bit.

Can you tell us a bit more about your hair type and maybe we could make style suggestions?

PaulHollywoodsLowHangingFruit · 07/02/2021 12:51

These are great styles to my mind...

superstar63 · 12/02/2021 10:58

I bought the John Frieda Visibly Deepening for Brunettes shampoo and conditioner in the hopes of getting rid of the badger strip or at least blending it in a bit but after 3 washes it has done nothing to either the grey or the dyed light brown .

I would be happy to go a bit darker brown as my dyed part is looking a bit on the gingery side in certain lights and it would only be temporary until the gray has grown more and I can get it all cut to a pretty (hopefully) gray but who knows if it is going to be an even gray!

RacheyCat · 12/02/2021 11:19

@Lockdownennui

I often wear it up in a loose bun but I don’t like that - the contrast of the dark ends against the grey scalp is really stark. It also suits me better down. *@RacheyCat* - do you have any you’d recommend?

I've got the Artic Fox, mainly because the bottle was larger than the alternatives, but if you're in the UK, I'd try Bleach London or the shrine drops; I've used the purple on my bleach blonde hair and it was really good. These ones mixed together seem to come out an interesting grey:

www.weareshrine.com/collections/hair-dye/products/drop-it-toner-box

Does it have to look absolutely natural, or could you have a little fun with subtle pastel tones as you go?

GothamGirl1970 · 12/02/2021 11:21

Do it! It will need bleach or a pixie cut.

DianaT1969 · 12/02/2021 11:38

I went through this. I persevered and blended the 'blorange' as long as I could. Eventually I had to cut it short (around 12cm). I was much happier short one colour than two distinct colours (which made it look like I had given up and let myself go in my eyes). It took another year to grow the short out to where I felt it flattered me. You may find the new grey growth is thicker, softer and behaves better than dyed hair. In hindsight, I can't believe how dry and thin it was. Best thing I've ever done.

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