Have you had to let your hair grow grey? Support please

[tobee]

I'm looking at having to let my grey roots grow out and feeling fed up.

I've had irritation to patch tests having dyed my hair for years with no problems. I carried on dyeing my during lockdown and patched test every time because I didn't fancy having to go to a&e (and dh vulnerable)

The two bad things will be the interim period and the fact that my hair is thin and colouring my roots look better after.

I'm also annoyed with myself for feeling down about it 🙄 If I'd known I'd have to go cold turkey rather than when I chose, carefully changing my colour, I'd have stopped dyeing yonks ago.

Please tell me your tales of support, and maybe gently kick me up the arse!! 😁

If you dye your hair when it starts to grow out the grey roots look like bald patches! So much easier to embrace the grey...

Following as I'd like to know how to go grey gracefully.

If you can get it cut short to speed the process, then go for that, but if not there are loads of people doing it - you won’t be alone.

On the bright side, you may well find your hair thickens up afterwards - most hair will be in much better condition when the dye is grown out. I’ve only ever had positive reactions to mine.

Thanks for the replies!

I wish the growing out process could be speeded up. I have toyed with the idea with going short haired for now but I think my face is too jowly. Think I should spend all my usual hair money on hair cuts now; really keeping it in good nick.

It also annoys me because I generally see myself as easy going about things appearance wise but thin hair feels hard to deal with at the best of times.

Any other personal experiences? How long it takes? Is wearing a hat worth it? My dyed hair is quite dark brown but my roots are definitely completely white!

I feel your pain - might look at wigs haha

Could you put blonde highlights through it? Some people don't react to the bleach

I went down the gradual route using highlights. I think my hairdresser was particularly talented at this but I didn’t have any grey stripe. I just went gradually blonde from brunette.
Then lockdown happened and I went grey. I’d rather be blonde but could no longer afford the cost. It was all pretty painless.
Edit to say sorry I didn’t realise you couldn’t dye at all any more.

Thanks for the highlights/bleach suggestions - might talk to my hairdresser about that!

I popped on a cap to cover roots a couple of times and found it so hot! Can imagine a wig would be the same!

The first few months are the worst. After that, it's obvious you are growing it out rather than have just haven't got round to dyeing it. And although it looks white against your dark hair, it might not look as white once it's all grown out. Definitely get a good cut. Once you've finally done it, you will notice dyed hair a lot more and how much just doesn't look right on people, even the "I'll never stop dyeing it" people.

My roots are fine just got a 2 inch full length badger stripe in grey

I grew mine out in lockdown when noone could see

That's a great reply, thanks!

If I'd known then what I know now!

I grew mine out during lockdown. Have a good chat with your hairdresser. Mine did a fab new shorter cut which really helped. The dye will fade over months so you don’t get such a jarring cut off point (I used to be a brunette). It is nowhere near as bad as you think it is going to be so don’t feel bad about it.

I went short, mine grows incredibly fast though. I do quite love my salt and pepper ☺️

Same.

I've developed an allergy to hair bleach (which drives me mad as I usually have it bleached the shit out of and dyed a vivid random colour and it's a huge chunk of my identity). What we've managed to do is grow it long enough to take foils and I get it foil highlighted and then those strands dyed vividly - because the bleach isn't in direct contact with my scalp, it means I don't react to it... might be a possible solution for you?

I’m early 40’s and growing mine out and about 5 months in. It deffo gets easier once you’re past the ‘need my roots done’ phase and get about 3 inch growth going.
A good cut and maintaining the condition is key! My hair was a weird combo of 3 colours when I started so it was painful the first 2/3 months.
I found this video really helpful when trying to explain to the hairdresser what I was trying to achieve.
www.instagram.com/reel/Co4q9hSvYiN/

On the really crap days I look at Pinterest pictures of gorgeous grey hair and remind myself it will all be worth it!
Also hairbands! I have a gigantic head and heads never fit me so hairbands are great for the bad days!

I went from bleach blonde.
To two tone blonde highlites .. then just stopped and let the grey through .
I use Provoke touch of silver.. platinum effect shampoo and conditioner..really really helps.
I can send you photos of my hair if you like.
Be warned I'm 66 soon lol.

Went grey in my mid forties. My hair is very short. Just try to avoid mirrors in shops! Also be prepared to colour block your wardrobe.

Which Provoke shampoo please, I see there are several and did you use the conditioner too?

I had red hair, and to keep up with the greying roots I had to redo it every 2.5 weeks.

It was going to cost about 6 hours and £250 in hairdressers to get it died back so I just shaved the whole lot off. Did it again 2 weeks later and no trace of red at all.

I've had two haircuts since. I just shave it when it gets too long. I let it grow recently as I had a wedding to go to yesterday but as soon as this cut looks straggly, I'm shaving it again.

I too had highlights to camouflage the grey and it looks so much better. I do miss being a brunette, although the last time before highlights I put on my usual home colour and I looked so odd, your skin colouring changes as you get older and your old colour doesn’t necessarily suit you anymore. If I let my grey take over I’d look ridiculous, I’m pretty grey on the front and very brunette with a little grey at the back 🤦‍♀️

My sister in law isn’t just grey she’s literally white and she persists on home dyes in her usual brunette, it looks horrendous. I don’t understand why she does it, it doesn’t suit her anymore and she can afford to go to a salon, it’s truly awful 😞

It was a shock at first, I used to have lots of blonde highlights when I was younger before going au de natural, and got so used to my natural colour. Hopefully when the back has eventually become as grey as the front I won’t need as many colour treatments to blend it all in 😝