Grey hair despair

[RubyandPearl]

Hello! Sorry if this has been discussed a lot - fairly long time member but not posted for an age.

I have naturally very dark hair and discovered my first grey when I was about 20. Have had to dye it for about the last 15 years but now it's so grey that the greys outnumber the dark browns!

I know that silver hair is very fashionable and that I should embrace it but I just can't. I just turned 50 and should probably know better!

Do I have to go blonde now as I've seen so many women my age do? Or is there a practical way of staying dark and still looking relatively natural? Thanks in advance xx

In the exact same position but a different approach. For a few years I continued to dye brown but it got to the point where the roots looked dreadful so switched to blonde. This is the best approach until you’re ready to embrace the grey. I’ve gone to a short pixie to let the natural colour grow through and I have to say I really like it so far (layers have a mix of dark grey, white, and the bleach blonde).

when it is fully grey I might reassess but so far I’m in favour of conditioning and caring for it rather than forever dying

I'm the exact same as you! Naturally really dark and started getting greys the same age. They weren't bad back then but now I can't get away with leaving it natural. I definitely don't suit grey either as I'm really pale and freckly. I been getting it dyed copper for years and I love it. It's high maintenance but you can buy copper conditioners/toners to keep it looking fresher in between appointments. Equally there's some nice box dyes I just don't trust myself at home incase it goes patchy.
If you wanted to stay dark you still coulz but alot of dark box dyes end up black so I'd probs go the hairdressers.

If you're going blonde, you need to lift that dark natural colour with peroxide, so you'll still be using a permanent colour, possibly with a higher concentration of peroxide, which has potential consequences for the condition of your hair. If you still have a high percentage of natural dark brown, this "lifting" is something best left to a hairdresser, so you'll need regular colouring appointments. Also, if you do decide to go blonde, you will need to have ALL the old colour, natural and artificial stripped from your hair first. Do not attempt this yourself.

You can gradually go a shade lighter every 12 months-24 months if you wish to continue doing it yourself at home cheaply and conveniently. Keep this up until you're practically white all over, then switch to blonde yourself, which might be achievable with a semi-permanent (low peroxide colour)

You can buy professional colours for a similar price to box dyes at Salon Services and obtain a professional result.

If your colour is starting to feel "unnatural" as you say, it's likely that you've gone too dark, or you have dark build-up at the ends, which gives a very blocky, powdery look. It may be your application which is heavy handed. You don't need to do like the box says and draw the colour down to the ends every time.