Keep this natural hair colour?

[MintyAraminta]

I was bright baby blonde when younger but it has darkened to a mix of ash and pale caramel as I got into my late forties. I am now 50.

Years ago I started having highlights (£150) as I suppose my identity still felt caught up in the older, blonder hair. I only needed them doing once or twice a year but stopped in the first lockdown. Haven't had it touched since.

Now, I've made an appointment to go back and get them again next week, but have suddenly decided i kind of prefer my natural hair! Was not expecting this. The highlights did make the lengths somewhat damaged and when they were growing out the difference was very obvious, which have since been cut off.

I have no greys yet but most of my family went silvery white. So no idea of the future just yet, which i am sure is just around the next bend

As I love to wear my hair up in a claw clip when working, and occasionally braid, the highlights always looked crap when growing out. They graduated lovely at the top, when it was worn loose, but the undersides, even with excellent, expensive colour, do look obvious.

Would you keep it as it is in my photo? It is to bra length at moment. The photo is my hair now fully natural in daylight. The pic was taken in April so it is a bit lighter now due to being in the sun.
Is it odd to suddenly really like the natural colour of your hair!!???
I kind of love not having to worry about roots, upkeep, damage and whatnot.

I was always told my hair was 'cool' and 'ashy' but i can definitely see warmth in it.

If you are 50 with no greys you should absolutely reap all the benefits of that!

Honestly I love having the option of make-up and nice clothes (equally happy scrubby) but sometimes resent all the things I do to my hair and body to simply look "normal", not even glam.

Other reason to keep it is that it's a lovely colour and is also really difficult to achieve with dye without going too dark or getting residual red hues. It looks like the kind of light brown that seems neutral but then gets golden tints in the sun.

You’ve gone through the pain barrier by growing it out. Stick with your natural colour!

I tried to do the same but my natural colour was very dull and mousey so I am gradually going lighter again. It’s easier to manage when it’s all one colour though.

My hair is exactly the same colour as yours, was very light blonde for a long time

I'm just glad it's not grey!

I could have written this OP. I haven't had my natural hair colour since I was 16 and have been pleasantly surprised at how nice it is! I grew it out during lock down and haven't had it high lighted since. I have dark blonde hair and am the same age as you.

If that was my hair I would 100% keep it!

Thank you!

I don't mind the idea of grey, but like most of us it depends on whether i would like the tone.

What I am more amazed about is the script we write for ourselves, that we look better a certain way. Nothing wrong with that exactly but i think it is very hard to like ourselves as we are. It is a rare being who is truly satisfied.

I was on the verge of going to get it done and just panicked. There was this horror at destroying a totally decent head of hair!

Was always told my hair and skin were cool toned. I think I am neutral though as silver jewellery gets lost in my skin and anything with gold just lights me up beautifully. My cool highlights looked pasty in retrospect. My ashy hair is also a warmish caramel in certain lights. It changes every second..

I was searching threads about hair colour last night and this quote really made me wonder, because it describes my hair i guess:

I tend to agree people suit their natural colour - except for that very mousey dark blonde/light brown which I think looks almost grey, and very flat somehow.

A bit depressing, but just one person's view, and most likely they had that hair themselves. But I think this was why i highlighted mine, essentially, but for some reason now I just can't see an issue with it, it's a decent colour!

I think people are really weird about the word 'mouse'.

What I am more amazed about is the script we write for ourselves, that we look better a certain way. Nothing wrong with that exactly but i think it is very hard to like ourselves as we are. It is a rare being who is truly satisfied.

It's easy to say that when you're not grey! 😆I tried embracing my 'natural colour' which turned out to be a horrible steel grey. Back to brunette and look so much better!

I think i get this: my sister had darker hair than me and went very dark grey in her late 50's. She now uses a block colour and has to deal with the roots every 3 weeks. But she likes that, and that's ok.
So I can see what you mean, exactly, depending upon the colour of the grey.

I already know that if my own grey didnt satisfy me I would colour my hair.

I think my post is more concerned with where i am now, iyswim?

Essentially hair is dead, it regrows. It doesnt matter what we do to it, and it should never be anything other than personal choice.

And hey, you never know, steel grey might have it's moment. Hair colour os fairly arbitrary, leaning on trends. If the world suddenly coveted steel grey.....

It's all bollocks really.