Anyone else fed up with dying their hair?

[TheSweetLittleBunny]

I am 42. Getting very white haired, but because of my hair type am fed up of dying my hair back to it's natural shade of dark dark brown using dyes which contain lots of chemicals.

Does anyone know of any natural products for covering grey. At the moment I have been using Natratint, but I thought of using henna but am not sure if it covers the greys up?

Be grey and proud!

I've decided to stop dyeing my hair, it was getting dryer and dryer with each application.

I too am actually quite grey.

Haven't found anything that will cover up the grey yet, but will watch this thread with interest.

Am considering being grey and proud, but it would be easier if it was greyer iykwim... it almost dirty with the amount of grey that is there - you know, not enough to be grey, but too much to be the light glinting on my nice, shiny dark hair

I hear what you are saying Lubyloo, but .... how many grey people have you seen walking around - even 80 year olds dye their hair FFS! Whenever my hair goes a bit grey I feel unkempt - as if I have committed a grooming faux pas - a bit like not wearing deodorant But ironically I actually like the colour of my white hair.

That's the stage I am at - where it looks a bit untidy because it is not grey enough. My hair is like straw at the moment - even the Natratint which is very gentle still contains a teeny bit of peroxide although no ammonia.

I know that henna is quite good for your hair, but can colour it quite red - orange sometimes. I have salt and pepper grey in places but at the top it is growing all grey now - so if I used henna I am worried about having a weird orange streak on top of my head. Not a good look.

Well I stopped dying my hair when pregnant with DD who is now 2.4. I am quite grey now (am 35) and just didn't see why I should feel like I had to conform and dye my hair. As long as your hair is tidy and regularly trimmed then you shouldn't feel "unkempt".

I have been dying my hair since the first grey ones started coming through when I was just 16. It is really liberating not to have to do it anymore.

I have stopped dying my hair too. I have shoulderlength dark brown hair, and the fringe and top front are quite grey.

But I am fed up with the chemicals in hair colourants, and I also intensely dislike the skunk effect when the hair grows and the grey roots show.

So I have decided to gradually allow myself to go grey. Luckily dh likes my 'silver streaks' and is very supportive.

I do desperately need to go and have a good haircut though, just can't decided on a nice style to take the attention away from the grey.

I have been dying my hair since I 19-ish, and said all along I would stop dying my hair when I was 40. In fact I stopped last year when I was 35, and is is very liberating!

I agree that it would be liberating. I definitely do feel trapped by the monthly messy chore of dying my hair. It just feels so un-natural. The thing about dying your hair is when do you stop - 30, 40, 50?

Oh, the other reason I gave up was that I am only able to afford the home-dye sets, and they give a strange monotone the-same-all-over colour. (Yes I know you can get the ones where you paint hightlights in but for me that would be a recipe for disaster)

Exactly - for a few days after it looks a bit Ray Reardonesque.

I also have memories of my mum (who now at over 70) still dyes her hair jet black. It just doesn't look right and I always said I would not do that. I grew up with the smell of ammonia dye every month on a Sunday.

I always dyed my hair a different colour when it was black - for fun and fashion really, but now that it is going grey and I "have" to do it I am in a battle with myself every month about whether I want to or not.

I think it's back to the thing about societal pressure to look slim and young. When I was growing up, older people looked their age - now you could be walking behind someone and not know how old they are until they turn around.

me, i am 39, and if I let it grow I would be completely grey.

Why don't you stop dying for a few months and see how you feel? You can always start dying it again if you want. You might be surprised and feel comfortable with it.

I have to say though that I went into work this week to find a toy stuffed badger on my desk. I'm wondering if it was a colleague's joke about my two tonal hair!

Well, I am not slim and never will be, so I fall at that hurdle too

So, I will start a new trend, I am fat and grey and look my age

And it does not feel too bad actually!

Oh luby, what did you do with the badger? and what a lame joke!

It's still sitting there! It's quite sweet really. Nobody owned up to it and I don't know if it was a dig at my hair or not. DH refers to my badger hair so it made me wonder about the toy.

How odd

I actually love badgers, I just don't feel comfortable looking like one...

After reading this thread I think I just might leave it for this month and see how I feel. I have this beautiful Tea Tree Oil shampoo I bought from Holland and Barrett which I just love but it says "not to be used on colour treated hair" - so it will be good to be able to use that.

Hippi - I am not slim either. I think I am suffering from fat and old syndrome at the mo. DS is 4.5 - he makes me feel so tired sometimes - then I look in the mirror and see a tired "old" lady.

My sil has mousy brown hair with quite a bit of grey (gosh I hope she does not read this ) and always dyed it. Then last time she developed blisters all over her scalp immediately after colouring her hair, so she vowed there and then never to dye her hair again.

Instead, she bought some ghd straigtheners and invested in a good quality shampoo and shine enhancing conditioner.

Her hair now is still light brown with grey streaks, but it is sleek and shiny and actually looks miles better than when she used to dye it.

I am going to take a leaf out of her book and I think greying hair can look good if it is well conditioned and in a good cut.
(so says the woman with out of condition, straggely greying hair which has not seen a hairdresser in over 6 months )