Going grey gracefully at 40

[Taleas0ldastime]

My hair is dark brown. Ive been going grey since 19 (20 years) so dying every 3 weeks since. I'm tempted to just let it go grey now but hate the idea of the growing out process. I'm going to book consultations with a couple of hairdressers over the next couple of weeks but just wondering has anyone experience of this and how was it done.

Sorry may I watch with interest? 10 years older than you but tired of dying my hair, it's got very brittle with menopause and breaks easily.

I'd like to go grey gracefully too...

I was the same as you - dark brown dye on roots every few weeks. Got sick to death of it. Hairdresser stopped the brown colour and started adding blonde highlights, a few at a time, around the front and sides. The grey was still visible but looked blended in if you know what I mean. So I guess the approach is, slowly go lighter, and learn to embrace the grey

A few months ago I got my back and sides clippered which shows my natural grey coming through. There's lots of it and I LOVE it! Appreciate it may be a step too far though 😊

I'm 52 and took advantage of WFH during Covid to grow out my dye, it took two years (shoulder-length hair) and I'm now salt=and-pepper. I don't know if I'd have been brave enough to do it whilst in the office every day.

I disliked the stage where the grey was an inch but once it reached about halfway down my head, I liked it as a home-done balayage

My hairdresser said there is no trick, some people go grey really well and it suits them; for other people the hair goes brittle and "old lady" like. I don't know whether certain shampoos would help the latter as I was in the lucky camp.

My hair (so dark brown it looks black) has been going white for the last 5 years or so. I'm not quite 40. I am lazy and have just left it, as it's in sort of Mallen streaks at the front. However, I have had to change shampoo from normal ones available in the supermarket to some hairdresser type ones. Redken or Tigi. The softness has returned!

Your hair sounds like mine. I've been getting blonde highlights starting with t section then increasing over past couple of years.

You'll need a blue shampoo (I use Matrix brass off) to stop it turning orange. My highlights are now blending in nicely with the grey. I only get it done every 6-12 months so not very high maintenance

Similar story here - going grey since early 20's. After DS came along when I was 35, I went for a pixie cut and had my dyed brunette hair stripped and went ash blonde.

From here I started going lighter/whiter then stopped dying it all together and let the grey come through.

This is the current "do"

I did this at 39. I wanted to be natural at my 40th. I do think you need to make the decision and stick to your guns. I think it took about a year. I had long hair and wore a lot of buns! I'm thrilled, I also get unsolicited compliments, though I did also get one stranger express his inhibited, uninvited disapproval. I love my natural colour now, very salt and pepper!

I am a year older and started going grey at 18, so have been dying for round about the same amount of time. I’ve been wanting to embrace my greys for probably more than five years. Tried lightening my hair, so the roots would need doing less frequently, but I didn’t like being blonde. Had a few failed attempts at going cold turkey, but always chickened out and went back to dark brown every time. I really regretted re-dying it after not dying it for about 5 months after the first lockdown of 2020. So the next time I tried, I stuck to it. The first six months are definitely the hardest. But I am now 14 months into my grow out, and I love my hair. I have gone shorter, but still enough to put it in a ponytail. I can’t wait for the final bit of colour to be chopped out, but that’s probably at least 6 months away. I’ve had quite a bit of support, and most people who don’t like it (of which I’m sure there are plenty), are too polite to say anything. MIL was the most vocal in her dislike, but I stood firm and she actually admitted the other day she quite likes it now and can see why I’ve done it.

I say give it a try - you can always dye it again if you don’t like it. And if you regret colouring it again, like me, give it another go!

Same age and have tried growing out twice now. I got to chin length once.

It's hard as my hair was so dark before.

I've ended up putting blond highlights through it, and am about to see if I can go platinum.

I woukdbhave a consultation with a really good colourist to see what they suggest ee the transition. Definitely get a purple shampoo, these really help. Some are better than others

My grey hair journey started, like many others, during lockdown. I have been blonde for years and to start with I got all sorts of root colourants to try and disguise the grey. In the end however I decided to grow the colour out and it's taken two years. Had the last cut out about a month ago - I'm very happy with my grey hair. I've stopped wearing anything from the brown/beige/orange palette and gone onto blacks, whites, pinks, pale green, blue and lilac. Also tweaked my makeup too - more defined brows, lip and eyes. Very happy with my new look.

In 2018 I stopped having my roots touched up with dark brown but continued the highlights I'd had for the previous few months/year or so. This meant the grey came through but there were no harsh roots and the highlights blended it in. I last had highlights in Feb 2020, and after lockdown decided to just continue growing them out. I was dye free probably summer 2021 (bobbed hair). I'm mid forties and totally grey/silver. The texture is soft so I'm lucky there. Noone has said anything and I really feel the natural colour suits me so much more than dyed brown or blonde highlighted. I wasn't planning to go grey until I turned 50 but lockdown gave me an opportunity that wouldn't be repeated (hopefully!).

I last box-dyed my hair in December 2020. Had a chin-length haircut (from elbow length) last summer, when I got it trimmed last week my hairdresser said it was much softer and almost all grown out.

I've had a few health issues recently so it was quite liberating and empowering to get the chop - there are only so many ways you can wear hair up in a bun and that style itself is very ageing.

Next stop is wardrobe clear out to see what actually suits my new hair colour.