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.

Thanks - yes, I knew it would get brassier, but not after one wash!

@GertrudeTheGreat

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!

Thanks. I have some spray, but my hair is multicoloured, so that should be fun.

Just debating if I can wear a hat to work meetings.

Hopefully, we can encourage each other. I can't wait to be able to save my money on hairdresser visits, both by going grey and wearing my hair curly. Only a year of growing out angst to get through first

The blorange is why I went cold turkey in the end - did you ask for a toner? Mine lasted a couple of washes

Blue shampoo, sun hats and scarves all helped - the first three months are the worst.

She said I didn't need a toner.
I have decided to go cold turkey now whatever happens. I will keep trimming it and don't mind losing a bit of my length if it means the blorange will go sooner.

No more bleach, dye or even haircuts.

Going to cut it myself as I realise I did not feel good at the salon and I resent paying a small fortune for the experience!

Same age as you, I transitioned to grey/white a couple of years ago.
I occasionally get pangs of wanting to dye it again but then remember the white stripe horror. I've saved an absolute fortune. Lots of people compliment my hair, sincerely not just to be nice, and personally I think the white roots stripe was more ageing for me than my current colour.

I do always have a really good cut though and I'm lucky to have thick healthy, glossy hair with lots of natural tones in it.

It was a bit of a pain to transition but not too bad, I had a patient hairdresser who lightened it over time then I cut it short and grew it out. It's long now and I'm happy with it.

You can always give it a shot and if it's not for you go back to dyeing. I may dye mine again if I decide to go short one day.

Going to cut it myself as I realise I did not feel good at the salon and I resent paying a small fortune for the experience!

I feel exactly the same. I don't enjoy the hair salon at all. I honestly have only ever enjoyed it when I've been going for a big chop. I'm not planning on doing that again anytime soon, so may as well trim myself at home.

Feeling for you. It is why I chopped it all off in the end and grew it out that way.

Stick with it though.

It is amazingly shiny though if that is any consolation!

Thanks . I'm definitely going to embrace the grey and I hope it stays glossy as my natural hair comes in.

I know I have a tricky period coming up (3-6 months) but I still prefer my silver to this strange highlighted colour.

I'm 45 don't dye and have longish hair I just chop myself. I hate hairdressers and couldn't imagine spending all that money on something I don't like doing. I'm not very grey yet though, just a few wiry ones her and there but I can't see myself ever being bothered to dye it.

You’re the best advert for Curly Girl I’ve ever seen!

And wow, your hair grows SO quickly if you get an inch of root after 10 days. 😳 I’ve just started dyeing mine (I’m 50, but s redhead so we don’t go grey for ages - which nearly makes up for all the teasing at school, nearly) and ugh, what a faff.

I’d get blonde highlights in, loads of them, then let it grow out all streaky.

Sorry, ignore that, I hadn’t RTFT.

What shampoo are you using? Maybe that’s stripping all the colour out. I know ahead & Shoulders is meant to nuke hair dye.

(Sorry if this has been covered.)

I grew my dark hair dye out starting at the end of a summer so that I could wear hats all through autumn and winter and most of spring in order to get through the worst stage of natural hair growth coming through.

I’m fortunate that my hair grows quickly especially in the spring and summer.

My hair is long and I would trip a bit off the bottom each month.

What I found was that the hair that had once been dyed dark and was no longer being repeatedly dyed over had faded considerably to a gingery brown which I hated.

I bought a can of silver hair spray and was delighted when it sprayed like a dream over the ends.

However, the next day I woke up and in my bathroom mirror I noticed I had considerable bruising around my neck and décolletage.

I was horrified as I thought I had contracted a blood disorder and then I realised that the spray on my hair had rubbed off onto my skin in the night causing a bluish tint in patches that looked like large bruises!

Other than that daft moment I managed to successfully grow it all out anabolic am very happy with the natural colour.

Ah thanks Thatother I am so white haired - this is why I think it looks more grown out.

I only use shampoo about once a week and it is a no or low poo one. I do clarify when needed, but I did use a cleansing shampoo for the first wash after highlights to get rid of all the stuff the hairdresser put on .

This wash then included a Garnier deep condition, silver conditioner, and another Garnier conditioner.

Maybe the cleansing shampoo stripped it.

Chata that made me laugh. That's just the sort of thing I'd do (shuddering at an early fake tan incident when it ran down my legs during a rainy school trip. I was wearing shorts and never lived that one down!).