How did you transition to grey hair

[justsayso]

Over lockdown I'd grown out my hair dye and had gotten more comfortable with my grey hair. It's quite noticeable, all around the front of my head and is white with salt and pepper areas.
Went to the hairdresser 6 weeks ago for full highlights and colour, and now I'm back to square one again with a ridiculous inch of regrowth. Of course I anticipated this but am wanting really to embrace my grey hair and stop trying to live a lie!
So my question is this, did anyone go cold turkey with the dye or did you get a sort of transition colour to blend them through.
I'm only 34 so need to get used to my grey hair, if I get it right I think it could be a 'look' - fierce silver fox vibe maybe??

I'm currently in the "oh my god it looks fantastic / awful" stage depending on if my hairs been washed, needs washed or I've inadvertently seen my own reflection somewhere. I made the decision a few months ago to not dye it anymore and just let go. It's currently streaking down from my temples and the middle parting of my hair. I found the hardest part after the last dye job where, like you the dreaded inch long strip of greys came through.

In all honesty it's not that bad, I like the way the streaks are coming through naturally and there's always a temporary spray in colour for special occasions. I've been talking to my mum who went grey in her 20's but dyed it until her 60's she now has a beautiful silver/grey colour which really suits her.

I had my hair cut into a short pixie when I stopped by getting it dyed. That was nearly 2 years ago. It's less grey than I thought I would be but I am happy I did it.

I went cold turkey (no choice as I developed an allergy to the dye). Took about 18 months and I had a fairly short cut. I'm now left with a sort of silvery blonde and people are always surprised that it's not dyed. You can do it!

I went cold turkey with it. It’s tough but never having to dye my hair again is worth it! I don’t suit really short hair so as my hairs grown I’ve had an inch taken off each time (chopped it myself in lockdown!). I have one more cut to go and then I’ll be fully grey. I have noticed that my grey hair is in much better condition than my dyed hair was and that in itself makes my hair look better.

As my roots got longer and longer I tended to tie my hair back so the contrast didn’t hit me in the face so to speak. I’m glad I persevered and didn’t give in.

I went cold turkey. Its taken 2 years to fully grow out but once the grey was down to my cheekbones say, it was a lot easier to keep going.
It helped to have a good year or so of lockdown where no ones hair was looking great.

Following with interest. I've stopped dying mine to see if my grey grows out in an interesting way. So far, no.

I had really short hair so got a cut every 6-8 weeks. And just gritted my teeth until it was all out. And I love it.
Now I'm trying to grow it out to a longer style and more teeth gritting - but for a different reason - and still love the Grey (a lot of which is going silver)

It depends what your natural colour is. I went from mid brown to full on grey over about 4 years.
When I started to see grey, I had a semi permanent colour. Did this for about 2 years until the regrowth the became more obvious as more of my hair turned grey. I then had a few blonde highlights put in along with the semi permanent colour, for about 1 year, then stopped having the colour, just the highlights. Over the 4th year I had fewer highlights put in, then eventually stopped all colouring. I didn’t go through the obvious regrowth with 2 tone hair thing! My hair is fine, there’s not much of it, so it was easy to transition. People do ask me now where I get my hair coloured!
My dh, who did have dark brown hair, has transitioned to grey without any colour 🤣🤣🤣 and never had any root lines...

Should have said my hair is long, (halfway down my back) and was naturally very dark brown. One thing I've noticed is that the streaks are coming in very naturally nothing like the uniform block of grey after hair dye and my natural hair colour now seems to be lightening on it's own so it's now a dark chestnut with the grey peppered through.

I love my hair today 😆

I still dye mine but a friend gets hers dyed to blend the grey in, so it has a salt and pepper look which gets saltier!

Shaved my head. My hair was very dark and I just couldn't bear to grow it out one white inch at a time. I was 34 as well.

Stayed grey for 3-4 years but have since gone back to dyeing (and am much happier).

I never dyed it out, so not much help.
I had some white hairs from age 19, btw.

Hair dressers can probably advise on a transition strategy, but few women your age would stop dying and they may not understand why you want to do this.

I didn’t bother dyeing in the first place, OP. I had rather dull matt brown hair, and I much prefer the shiny silver I have now, which catches the light and goes with any colour of clothes. Plus as a doctor, it gave me more gravitas with patients to look older and more experienced!
You could either dye all your hair silver or wait and let it grow, it doesn’t really matter which.

I’m (was!) naturally dark and went cold turkey.

I’d stopped having it dyed about 12 months before lockdown last year as my eldest used to get really upset at the hairdressers when I had it done.

Another cut or two and it’ll all be gone. I’m 41 and just couldn’t be bothered with the time, energy and money it cost. I wear it up most of the time so it’s not as noticeable, as obviously most of the dyed section is at the bottom, however I’ve just worked out how to Dutch braid my own hair and it’s a bit more noticeable in this style. I’m so thrilled I’ve managed to crack it I don’t care though

I am trying with mine which is quite dark . I used to use touch up between salon visits but the hairdresser has asked me to leave it . I have had it cut shorter though I don’t suit very short hair and I am hoping to have some highlights so the “line” is not quite so obvious. I am very nervous though but I can no longer afford the constant visits to the hairdresser to keep on top of the roots.

Cold turkey - 2.5 years in (& in my thirties as well). After it gets past a certain length, I think (I hope!) it looks more intentional/natural. I have long hair so a while to go still, but no regrets.

A friend paid a fortune to be 'transitioned to grey' in a salon. Main tip she was given was to gradually go lighter then the roots would be less noticeable, which she had done in the salon over about 18 months (but she still had to let the grey grow down so I felt she'd been 'had' )

I colour my hair at home and had started to go gradually lighter a year or so before lockdown. During lockdown I stopped colouring and let the salt and pepper grow down, hoping it wouldn't take too long. Typically this was the one year my hair grew ultra slowly so wasn't ready for a shorter cut (wanted longer than pixie but having spent several years growing out a pixie look which didn't suit me I wasn't going back there).

I'm currently using a colour which fades with washing. As it fades I can see how much of my natural colour is left in my hair vs white. Currently a bit too 'stripey', but once 'grey all over', I'll be able to see when the grey is long enough to have a shorter cut and finally 'go grey'.

Cold turkey. After a while it stops being a thing and as in I don’t think about it. Hairdresser told me (I’m dark) that you can’t dye hair grey as grey isn’t a colour it’s loss of pigment and any highlights are still dying and you’ll get root regrow that and a line.

Could you have it dyed a similar grey to your regrowth grey and then just leave it?
I don’t know much about hairdressing but think maybe that would be better than having for instance 3 inches of grey and then the rest dark or whatever colour you have your hair.

It was dead easy. I never dyed my grey away, so all I had to do was nothing. I have grey hairs, but guess what, I’m getting old. It happens.

Going grey is most easily done cold turkey with a degree of humility. It's a shame you'd gone through the hardship of it during the pandemic and then erased that hard work, but at least now you know how long the process takes and what it will look like!

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

A friend paid a fortune to be 'transitioned to grey' in a salon. Main tip she was given was to gradually go lighter then the roots would be less noticeable, which she had done in the salon over about 18 months (but she still had to let the grey grow down so I felt she'd been 'had' )

I colour my hair at home and had started to go gradually lighter a year or so before lockdown. During lockdown I stopped colouring and let the salt and pepper grow down, hoping it wouldn't take too long. Typically this was the one year my hair grew ultra slowly so wasn't ready for a shorter cut (wanted longer than pixie but having spent several years growing out a pixie look which didn't suit me I wasn't going back there).

I'm currently using a colour which fades with washing. As it fades I can see how much of my natural colour is left in my hair vs white. Currently a bit too 'stripey', but once 'grey all over', I'll be able to see when the grey is long enough to have a shorter cut and finally 'go grey'.

What colour fades with washing please?

@Muddydoor

It was dead easy. I never dyed my grey away, so all I had to do was nothing. I have grey hairs, but guess what, I’m getting old. It happens.

I think that is absolutely the best approach if your hair greys relatively easily. I always said I would go grey gracefully but I have white hair in clumps and my natural colour hair very strongly in others. So I would look like a skunk. In fact, not as stylish as a skunk. So the fade out hair colour will help me see when the white is a bit more even.

I'm in the process of growing mine out. I'm naturally dark brown. I've found it quite difficult tbh but glad I'm persevering.
I was wearing it curly or putting it up a lot to help soften the demarcation line. Then I got a big chop, about 5 inches off it. Now it's in an actual style rather than a lock down mess I feel more confident to wear it down.
I think another 6 - 9 months and it will be completely grown out. So about 18 months growing out in total.

EVENLY not easily,!