Should I embrace white hair at 47?

[Silverparting]

I found my first grey at 19. Have naturally dark brown hair, eyes and very pale skin. Dark brown eyebrows.

I've been dyeing my hair for 30 years. For a long time I've gone to the hairdresser for a number 6 permanent dark brown base, coupled with a blonde tsection every five weeks, cost £80. It looks great for a week, goes brassy and the greys come after two weeks.

In lockdown I've been dyeing my hair with Majirel a 7.3 in a bid to go lighter. I have to do my roots every two weeks! Even then there's a white spot at the back and I don't love the colour.

I'd say my hair is white and I am toying with the idea of growing it out, but then adding blonde highlights once it is all white, if I don't like it.

I have just started Curly Girl and was amazed to see some great results after a week. It's made me enjoy my hair again.

I'm so fed up of dyeing my hair every two weeks and not loving it.

Has anybody gone white, not just grey, in their 40s? I think if I was slate grey it might be easier.

Attached is a pic of my blorange and root growth after less than two weeks. This was pre curly girl so ignore the frizz. Have NC as still embarrassed about hair.

I wish I had all this good advice when I grew out my orangey brown hair a few years ago. I stuck it in a ponytail until it grew long enough to have a chin length bob. It has grown a lot over lockdown. I don't miss the time I spent dying it, the dull, dry, frizzy hair, the scheduling appointments frantically to conceal my roots. Good luck @Silverparting. You will never look back.

Thanks grey (and everybody). I've had some terrific advice. Your hair is gorgeous.

I have a salon visit booked for tomorrow so will post a picture. I'm going with the intention of having some lowlights or highlights around the grey, but if I feel like I'm being railroaded into having too many, too fast then I will simply ask for a cut.

Wish me luck!

Good luck!

Keep us updated. I think it looks a beautiful colour, I'm sure it will be lovely. Are you doing full cg (conditioner-washing)? what products do you use? Your curls look v defined.

Back from the salon.
I've gone for highlights over the existing dyed colour, but leaving my white regrowth. It wasn't what I was expecting - it's a muted auburn, that I'm sure will be blorangey soon. But I really like it as I feel the contrast with the white is more subtle than before.

Both the stylists said "are you sure?" several times, saying that at 48 I'm too young to go grey, but I stood my ground.

She also blow dried it, even though I'm CGM, but it's a novelty to see it straight. They took bare minimum off.

What do you think?

It looks great! It will blend in well, if it goes orangey try purple or blue shampoo to tone it.

Thanks Coco (just realised, I'm actually 47 ).
I am worried about the orange, so will definitely look for shampoo.

I'm so glad I kept the white now, especially as apparently on Loose Women today, the panel were horrified about women having grey hair!

I think highlights are better for me as I work in an office that's fairly formal. I don't like putting chemicals on still, but hoping that this is just a mean to an ends.

Means to an end, even! Although mean ends rather sums up my hair.

@meg70 Well before the hairdresser blew out all the curl, I have been using Garnier Nutrisse Coconut sleek conditioner (and the shampoo when needed), a pea size of Cantu Curl Activator mixed with V05 gel and then diffusing with the Dyson dripping wet (my hair hates plopping).

The last curly pics were on a refresh day where I rinsed and then added a small amount of the Cantu and gel and then diffused. Oh, I don't touch my hair while diffusing as it fizzes up more.

CGM is a minefield!

That looks good for blending the white/grey in.

haven't read the full thread (just OP;s posts) but I'm 47 and gave up dying 23 months ago. My hair is a bit curlier than yours but I'm liking it now that the white is properly grown out. My hair isn't nearly as white as I (and my hairdresser) thought when it was just the roots coming through - I still have blonde sections at the front and the back at the bottom has a fair amount of brown still coming through.

I found the 3-6months post dye timeframe the hardest but have been fine with it since. I'm hoping to get the very last of the dye cut out on Friday when I'm at the hairdressers for the first time in 8 months!

I've posted previously on similar threads - you're not choosing between the colour of your youth or grey, you're choosing between spending a fortune on colour that you only really like 1 week out of 6... I'm genuinely fine with my hair now, would prefer to have the hair of my dreams but if it's this or what I was doing then I prefer this. your last colour looks as though it will help shift towards the grey, at your next appointments I'd consider getting them to just put toner on the ends to blend rather than actually dying/highlighting.

Thanks!

Stur, sounds like you've come a long way and enjoying breaking free of the shackles of dye.

I don't particularly want more highlights if I can help it, so I am really interested in your suggestion re just toning the ends.

It's just another colour. Why the angst?

It looks great BTW @Silverparting.

L'Oréal series silver is the best toning shampoo.

@ShrikeAttack you are rocking that colour!

Thanks - I will pick some up.

@GertrudeTheGreat

I think a lot of women are rightly questioning why they are expected to spend their time and money having their hair dyed. Sometimes huge amounts of money and huge lengths of time fairly frequently.

Having natural hair at any age is definitely not for everyone. In fact, ime, it is poo pooed by many people, as if it is just abhorrent to not want to dye it . "Grey hair adds precisely ten years to anyone over 30", "ugh MOUSY hair colour. You need a few highlights". It's the hair you were born with. Dye it if you want, but it shouldn't be the expectation or seemed some sort of crazy notion not to. But nobody is going to take your dye away, so panic not about the 'strident brigade' of Mumsnetters . You do you boo!

Do you have a Peloton perchance Gertrude?

@Silverparting - your hair is now the exact colour mine was in December 2019 - I had one more round on highlights the following January- I wish I hadn't as my hair was very dry afterwards, and the underneath faded anyway (I'm actually very surprised how much the dye faded).

Well done! There's no going back now (well you could, but why would you?) - you look great now but you are going to look amazing

@Loubilou09, no, I don't have a Peleton, sorry. I do have a normal spin bike, but it isn't a connected one.

Do I remind you of someone IRL, or do I just have the air of a woman who spin bikes ? If it's the second one, you are impressively intuitive!

Thanks, Crazy. Hmm, maybe I'll wait and see before rushing in for the 2nd highlights, as my hair is already quite dry and brittle (and fine!).

[quote GertrudeTheGreat]@Loubilou09, no, I don't have a Peleton, sorry. I do have a normal spin bike, but it isn't a connected one.

Do I remind you of someone IRL, or do I just have the air of a woman who spin bikes ? If it's the second one, you are impressively intuitive![/quote]
Getrude, ha ha! one of the Peloton instructors has a saying of "you do you Boo" which is well known and I immediately thought you were into Peloton when you said it :)

Ah right loubilou. No, I don't know where I got it from tbh! It just came out . Definitely not Peleton, as I've never even tried one out.

Just one week and one wash on from my £80 highlights and my hair is blorange again. This is going to be a long grow out!

Ah sorry op! It honestly doesn't look terrible to me at all. I'm growing mine out too and it's going to be awful. I'm thinking sun hats and head bands for a few months!

@Silverparting

Just one week and one wash on from my £80 highlights and my hair is blorange again. This is going to be a long grow out!

Sorry I would complain about this change of colour after one wash