Natural red hair - what to do in middle age and beyond

[SerendipityDiamond]

My natural hair colour when young was vivid red which I learned to love once I reached adulthood.

I started to go grey (or white) quite early and spent years having my roots done every 4 and then 3 weeks.

Now I am in my 50s I have been having it lightened gradually so that the roots blend in more.

I don’t think it really suits me though - my daughter says it’s too ashy for my pale/pink skin tone and it feels a bit washed out.

I wondered what others were doing as they get older - I’m not ready to embrace the grey yet and miss the red.

There is a wash in coloured conditioner from Super drug for 2.99 for 3 washes. I use that in their Auburn shade. Works well and you don't get roots.

As soon as I started getting some grey hairs I used Nice'n'Easy a shade lighter than my natural colour I"ve been doing this for 25 years and went another shade lighter a year ago as I thought my hair looked a bit "brassy' against my skin. I'm 70 and some people still think its natural. I think I'll gradually go lighter until it's gingery blonde before I finally stop - when I'm about 90 🤣.

could you post a link please?

https://www.superdrug.com/hair/hair-colourants/hair-toner/superdrug-colour-effects-auburn-674-toner-75ml/p/843372?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18158841593&gbraid=0AAAAADp4mz8t0YnlaFGY_R7b6ZObICDjL&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMHEBhC-ARIsABua5iSG0GKYy9RI28kzup2-sojS_XWWkKqRzlLmp0rsJUtI6e6iWr_Xvn4aAlvFEALw_wcB

I have a few whites coming so my hairdresser put some very fine highlights through to blend.

Ive always said that when I go too far white I am Just gonna go crazy colours like purple, pink, green etc

What about henna? Can get different colours mixed up so you can be red again

I use this or the red version. It brightens my hair a little as it’s losing the colour but i don’t have loads of white hair. I’m 46. It picks up on the multi tonal hair i have.

My copper haired sister has used henna too.

I'm a strawberry blonde and just get some copper added here and there and let the grey come through. I've also used those Superdrug colours and liked them. I've used this too and it's more of a blender and a lovely colour. Xxx

Color Fresh Mask Golden Gloss 150ml GG | Wella Professionals | WellaStore UK https://share.google/lY1vhnV5QiPnna4g7

I second the Colour Effects from Superdrug, I mix the Auburn and Copper Gold, gives a natural colour and no roots, annoyingly I have one small chunk of hair which has lightened, but the rest is still natural red, though my natural hair colour has dulled a fair bit. This restores natural colour well.
I was told recently that if you pt this on dry hair and leave in for ten minute, it gives a better colour pay off, was very nervy but the works a treat. Just wish they did bigger bottles.

My mum who was a natural red head uses "It's pure" dye. It's organic and has several red/auburn colours.
She always looks lovely.

Strawberry blonde here. I go to an Aveda salon and have it highlighted copper with some blonde through it at the crown.

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I will get some red added back in - not ready to let it go yet.

Renaissance Henna is excellent. It’s pure, high quality henna and they also have a wide variety of natural hair dyes and kits and give advice about what would suit you. I’ve been using their henna for years and it’s been great for my hair aswell as maintaining the colour:

https://renaissancehenna.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooftHAXyFxDwZlaxwAGPPGBbu9AiGenlQQN_Yu0lCu4om284_u6

.

I started off copper as a child (called Duracell for years!) and my hair naturally lightened as I’ve got older…
during COVID decided to not bother dying at all and now it’s a very pale blonde/white with slightly red undertones… if I use a hair product it has a slightly red tinge!
I always get compliments on the colour with lots of people not believing I don’t dye it and my hairdresser says for me to achieve the colour ‘artificially’ it would cost me loads!
I don’t have any gray at all
Embracing my natural colour is quite a relief tbh

I thought red hair didn't go grey as such, just faded? Jane Asher who was once an incredibly vivid redhead still looks gorgeous in her late seventies.

I have left mine and it’s now strawberry blonde but I am interested in toners as it feels a bit dry and washed out sometimes. That said, when it’s well conditioned I am happy with it. So maybe I just need some really good hair products. My hairdrsser has said the same about highlights or dying it.

Mine has done the same but gone somehow darker and less red started off practically orange

I use lush henna for my reddish brown hair, I like that it matches the tone of what's there so your greys look lighter than the rest, feels less "cheating" to me (not saying dyeing it is cheating, it's just how I feel about my own hair.) I can still see where they are and it feels more natural but they're a light red instead of white. If you're quite grey it would be very bright so you could use two - the darker block first and then the Rouge one to redden it up more. I've used it since my teens off and on, makes your hair feel lovely.

Another vote for henna, it takes my hair back to what it was in my youth

My uncles (age 62 & 82, duracell or straw blonde) let themselves go gray naturally.

My aunt (duracell, now 72) still dyes her hair to about original colour.

Am thinking exH's aunt (carrot) was pure white haired by age 52. She looked super elegant with the pure white hair.

My (originally strawb blonde, 66yo) cousin is dying hers ash blonde now.

Basically they all did something different and they all look great :-). I'd say having fair skin, nearly all of them protected their skin very well from sun (not by choice!) & just plain have amazing skin as a result into old age as a result.

I'm auburn and had it dyed similar colour at the roots for years. Then the hairdresser advised me to go a bit lighter so that I get less of a stripe at the roots after a few weeks. I did this for a few years but never felt like 'me'. Sometimes it also seemed a bit yellow.
So I've gone back to closer to my natural colour and feel much happier, even though grey shows more at the roots in the weeks before my regular appointment.

The actual colour they use is an ashy midbrown, I couldn't believe it when she showed me. She said natural red hair is very strong and unlikely to ever go totally grey, just slowly more grey.
I'm early 60s and I do wonder what I'm going to do about it in another 5 or 10 years! I guess stop colouring and see what the salt and pepper looks like!

My red went darker as I got older, I went auburn compared to my bright red childhood hair. I haven't dyed it and in my late 40s it is a lovely reddish grey blend. My hairdresser says she spends hours blending others hair to match what mines doing naturally.
I like to think of it as payback for my childhood and teen years where hairdressers, friends and passing strangers would tell me to dye my hair to make it normal.

It goes white. Or at least mine has.

I'm 56. Gradually faded from ginger (not copper) to strawberry blonde. I.now have lots of white hairs and streaks, which most people think is blonde. I quite like it, but then I never had it colored in anyway so I'm used to it's changing tones i guess.

I thought red hair didn't go grey as such, just faded?

Mine has greys in it. They’re lighter, less steely greys maybe, but they’re definitely not just faded! My mum has red hair too and hers is almost white now.