Is anyone else going grey this year?

[YouBelongWithMe]

I thought it might he nice to have some company and progress celebration.

I am 39, turning 40 this year and I've had enough of doing my roots every five weeks. Haven't had permanent colour on my hair since the beginning of August and it feels very liberating.

I feel like these next 12 months will be the real transformational seasons!

For those who are struggling- here’s how I did it if it helps. I was dying my hair with semi permanent reddy brown and it was shoulder blade length. My hair dresser got me to grow it out for 4 months so she could see the grey placement, then we chopped it to a short bob and we then dyed it to a grey balayage (that bit took about 6 hours). I then just grew it out. I’ve about 15 months on and have grown out the dye ( it’s been chopped off mostly) and am now all natural grey and I love it. I’m also loving the short hair - am now more of a lob but might cut it shorter again.

Me! I'm 38 and starting to get more and more greys coming through now. But I haven't dyed my hair since 2014 so it's about not starting rather than stopping the hair dye.

I do get a straightening treatment done every six months and my hair cut every two months which I plan to keep up with as I have visions of it looking sleek, smart and silver one day.

My DM is absolutely horrified I'm embracing the grey and says it is ageing. Personally I don't want the harsh roots and expensive maintenance she has and I don't think she looks any younger than my auntie who is three years younger than her and has been grey for years.

Yes, do it! It's so freeing and so nice to feel like you're embracing the real you. I'm a similar age to you.

I stopped dyeing in summer 2024 and my grey is now down to my chin - it grows slower over winter. They say "a year to the ear" which seems to be fairly accurate. My hair is really long so I think I have another 18 months to two years before it's fully grown out.

I found the first five months the hardest but then it sort of blended and the demarcation line became less obvious. I used root spray/powder for the first few months to disguise it a bit.

I quite like it now and like the grey pattern I have, but do sometimes miss the depth of colour around my face. If I ever have a wobble, I remind myself how self-conscious I was of the grey roots a couple of weeks after dyeing, and how I was always very aware of them coming through. I wouldn't go back. I also think it's nice for women to show other women and young girls that it's fine to visibly age.

I’ve done the classic of going blonder, which I’ve absolutely hated. My hairdresser had an appendicitis in August, so I had to kiss my appointment, so I took the opportunity to stop colouring and I absolutely LOVE how it’s evolving! Going blonder certainly helped ease that demarcation line so I don’t totally regret the blond. My hair seems to be greyer around my face with quite a lot of natural colour towards the back. It’s exciting to see what comes through!

I was wondering about using bright colours on grey, I wasn't sure if they would work? What kind do you use? I was thinking a dark purple manic panic might give me some purple highlights on the grey

I'm exactly the same age as op with very similar hair, I grew it out once before and it felt so much thicker and healthier. Then I cracked and have been is using semi permanent box dye for the last year or so...

I use crazy colour. I first just experimented with the ends. Some colours take more than others purple is very vibrant takes and stays well. Any pinks/pastels don't last too long.

I did the Bob and lob to get some of my old colour out it was very freeing !

Yes! Buzzed it to a number 2 today and am delighted with the colour underneath…

I love that! I've always secretly wanted to do it. I think when I decide to completely stop colouring I'll probably go for a really short pixie cut

Looks even brighter in daylight and the top looks lighter too.

I’m in! I’m 48 and have been dying the grey since I was 22. I last dyed it on 31st October 2024. I had a load cut off in February but wasnt willing to go any shorter because my hair is really fine and I can’t do anything with it when it’s short. I had a horrid mix of blonde mid to end with steel grey, white grey and mousey brown mid to root and it was this that I was struggling the most with. I’ve been using Plantur 39 brown shampoo for the last couple of months and while it’s taken a while I find the right balance, I’m a lot happier with it and will have no hesitation in simply washing it all out when the time is right. It will be this year though. At the moment my grey is at the bottom of my ears so I think I’ll stop using the P39 for a while in the summer to see where it’s at before going for the chop again. If I don’t like how it looks I’ll just start using the P39 again

My hair is much healthier from not dying it every 3 or 4 weeks and actually has some shine! I’ve also been taking biotin supplements and collagen which are both helping too.

Do you find the P39 covers your greys then? I was super hopeful but it doesn't work at all on my hair. What am I doing wrong?

Yes me! Im 54 and decided two weeks ago.. I cannot bear the thought of another root touch up for it to look awful 5 weeks later. I’m not growing the brunette out though. I’m going to look at grey blending instead. Something like the attached pic. I’m hoping for the salt and pepper look as it looks like I’ve still a fair bit of dark in with the grey. I feel like it’s a bit of a ‘thing’ deciding this but I’m strangely looking forward to it..

It does but it took about 10 washes to get the desired effect

I've been dying my hair blonde for years. Without dye it was mousy/grey. Last year it started growing silvery blonde! It's a lovely colour, so I let it grow out for about 6 months, then I got the hairdresser to match the ends to the new natural colour. I'm over the moon with it! It's not grey, definitely more blonde with streaks of silver. No more hair dye, and I think no more periods! FAB!

I am the same - silvery blonde, when I used to be mousy/dishwater. It is a much nicer colour than I ever dyed it and nicer than my natural colour before I started dying it. Total win.

I am 54...haven't dyed mine for 3 years this easter...
Was originally blonde...

I'm nearly 58 and mentally ready to be grey but I'm in a corporate job where I'm 30 years older than many of my colleagues and now isn't the time. I'm retiring at 60 and the day I stop work is the day I start going grey. Even though my mum is 80 and still does hers!

So many lovely looks here, but I can’t se sit working for me. I have waist length dark brown hair and my root growth is gruesome. The contrast would be so terrible. Equally, I know I will have to tackle this sometime as I am 55 and at some point it will look mad to have dark hair. Just hope I haven’t already gone past that point!

Meee! Got my first grey at the grand age of 22 and now at 35 just can't be arsed with it. I had a blending all over dye job done at the end of May and have been growing it out since then. Now at the stage where you can't see the colour looking at me dead on and I like it so far!

Had my hair cut today so the balance between dyed and natural grey has changed. Nearly 50/50 already. Really pleased with how it's looking.

Has anyone dyed their hair silver?
I'm thinking like a silver balyage to not mess with the regrowth and then just letting it grow out? 🤔

Even at nearly 60, I am less than 15% grey (hereditary, even my dad was only 20% grey by his late 70s.) So 'embracing the grey' isn't an option for me. My hair would just be 85-87% mousy blonde, with a few streaks and wisps of grey. It would look shit.

It's easier for me to just dye the 13-15% of grey quite honestly. (It's sort of around the side/at the temples...) I do it 6 to 8 times a year. Costs a £5 box of light brown dye.

If I was 85% grey I would just let it all go. Not in my 30s or 40s though. I think that's too young an age to be grey haired. Don't shoot me. It's just my opinion.

I’ve been going grey for the last 20 months. I’m almost at the cutting stage but I also get so many compliments about how good it looks with the dark ends I’m not sure I will cut it.

@SlenderRations I also had dark brown long hair and I’m almost all white / silver naturally now. I get so many compliments on the contrast, it’s just my ends now that are brown and I am tempted to keep it this as people always tell me how good it looks. I

thought I would hate growing it out but have actually enjoyed the process.