Teach me about hair dye

[ThatGreenFawn]

Help! I haven't dyed my hair in about 20 years. I will be 40 at the end of the year and have just noticed a few silver/Grey hairs appearing in my fringed and by my temples. I have quite dark, wavy/curly hair.
Sorry, I have lots of questions.
How do I go about colouring my hair and getting rid of my Grey's?
Do I do it now before they get too noticeable or should I wait until I get more?
Should I go to a hairdresser (I don't have one I go to regularly), if I do go to the hairdresser what should I ask for?
Will a box dye work? Which is best?

Thanks for any help.

I wouldn't start dyeing with permanent dye before your greys are noticeable because once you start, you have to keep up and do the roots every 2-4 weeks depending on how quickly your hair grows.

You could try a semi-permanent dye which will naturally fade over a few weeks if you want to start now and not have a root problem, also a good way to see what shades work for you without doing something irrevocable. Clairol NiceNEasy semi permanents are good, though I don't rate their permanent colour as highly, it's not very vibrant.

The problem with box dye recommendations is that it's a very individual thing. My sister and I, to look at have really similar hair - she swears by L'Oreal Casting Creme (semi permanent) - I tried it - same colour she was using - and it left my hair like straw.

My personal favourite permanent dye for hair condition is Garnier - either Nutrisse or Olio.

My tips -

Always do a patch test and strand test if using for the first time
It's usually best to choose a shade or two lighter than your natural colour.
Ignore what it says about mixing the developer and the colour creme by shaking the bottle - tip them into a plastic bowl and mix them by hand
Put barrier creme around your hairline to avoid staining your skin

i would say go to a college salon, it's usually the ones that are in their final year being supervised by the teachers. as close to professional without the price tag… a friend gets her hair bleached toned cut dried and curled/straightened for £30 and i would think colour would be cheaper than bleach and tone.

Some great advice, thank you. My hair grows really quickly so you are right, the permanent dye would cause a problem with roots.

I'll definitely have a look at my local training college, never thought of there.

Sorry, another question, would you go lighter or darker?

Lighter - if you go darker it can be very ageing, plus if it's too light after dyeing it's much easier to overdye it darker than it is to lighten it if you've gone too dark.

i would definitely go lighter because darker will make the regrowth a lot more noticeable, try looking at inspo pics on google/pinterest/instagram to see what you like, it also makes things easier when it comes to going to get your hair done. i've used box dye twice in my life and regretted it both times. hope you get the style you want, nice fresh hair definitely makes you feel good. i'm not qualified due to my health but i've done hair for friends and family most of my life and have a strong interest in hair and beauty (if i look good i feel good) so if i can help with anything else fire away.

I use henna to dye my hair brown. I used to get highlights but I wanted to give my hair a bit of a break. I tried henna and I’m so impressed with it. I’m doing it every five weeks, you just slap it on, you don’t have to do the roots separately. The down side is that you have to leave it on for hours. Literally.

https://itspure.co.uk/collections/100-organic-hair-dye?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19674766310&gbraid=0AAAAApQBpEjsmL6Bnhk42RrLRvz1UpZqh&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvOjKBhC9ARIsAFvz5lgs7e23Mk7jcRkF822qhypVQgVzCDylNX5VSUeYAwsN1ptf0iWGf6AaAlqjEALw_wcB

Thank you so much. Over the last 2 years I've grown out my pixie cut and my hair is now shoulder length and I have finally embraced my curls. My hair is really fine and always looked a bit kinky with slight waves even after straightening, which is why I've had a pixie cut for so many years. Since using merwaves I've found that my hair is actually really curly and looks good and I am now able to go a few days between washing rather than every day which is great.
I think now that im finally happy with how it looks, I'm now really noticing the Grey.
Do you know if hair dye will have an effect on my curls?

I’d do semi permanent rather than permanent

@ThatGreenFawn i dont think it will effect your curls much my auntie has very curly hair and box dyes hers without problems and the stuff they use in the college salon is obviously a lot better quality/professional grade. just make sure to keep using moisturising products, i love give me cosmetics hair sets from tiktok shop £25 and very moisturising they do one called four curls which is meant to be good but wait til you find out if they want you to use colour depositing shampoo or anything depending on what colour you end up going (i would say teddy bear blonde is the darkest i would go if mine was grey) also i think colour is better than bleach for curls but they might want to bleach your hair before they use the colour depending on your hair…if it's colour more than style you're after you can use any inspo pic but if you want it a certain style type in [insert hairstyle] curly hair (not the first time i've showed 2 separate inspo pics- one for colour one for cut)
ps i swear by vo5 hot oil to keep hair moisturised and healthy, around £5 for 4 tubes iirc you get it in boots/superdrug.

Box dye gives you an all-over same colour, which looks fake. It also dries out your hair. Natural hair has highlights and lowlights so I’d either leave the grey or colour it professionally.

Hey there. Permanent hair dye is the only way to completely cover greys. When I dyed my hair dark (it’s now platinum blonde with dark underneath. Done by my lovely hairdresser) I loved Garnier Olia. It’s so kind on the hair and easy to do. There’s loads of TikTok’s and YouTube videos on how to use it.

I think I need to start by finding a hair dresser as I don't think I'm confident enough to use a box dye.
Does anyone know what I would need to ask for? Is it highlights or something else?
Is it better to start now before the Grey is too noticeable or wait until it really needs it?

Make an appointment with a hairdresser for a consultation. Then when you go in, explain what you’re after (as you’ve described here) and they’ll give you their professional advice. Up to you then to decide whether or not to go forward.

I'd recommend L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss semi-permanent dye if you do decide to go DIY. I used it for decades before letting my grey grow out four years ago, and am now using it again as I've gone back to dyeing my hair. Interesting to hear PP refer to differing experiences with this product.

Agree that you should err towards lighter rather than darker, on the principle that you can always add but it's hard to take away. Darker shades can also look harsh as we age, owing to changes in skin tone.

My hair is straight but thick and what I have found is that this dye leaves my hair glossier and softer, meaning it can tend to lie slightly closer to the head, particularly when it's been recently dyed. Whether that could make curls look softer or not, I can't say.

As to whether to start dyeing sooner rather than later, I'd recommend holding out as long as you feel able, both now before you go down the colouring route and then in between appointments or dyeing it yourself. That way you can more easily change your mind and stop/reduce the dyeing if you wish, rather than finding you're having roots showing every few weeks and feeling obliged to continue dyeing.

as i've said, i definitely think it's easier and better for you and your hairdresser if you show a pic of a cut/colour (even one of each) you like. i would start while it's not very noticeable rather than let it get out of control and take more time/money/effort to deal with, plus it'll save the in between stage and the shock of going from grey to a new colour.
i think this colour would be nice without being too noticeable with the regrowth but a root drag is definitely something to explore, if your hair is curly then protecting the integrity of it is essential, so make sure to get nice hydrating products for curly hair.

posted pic but it's under review🤔

That looks amazing, but would be a huge change which is not necessarily a bad thing, when I was younger I used to change style and colour frequently and used together quite dramatic cuts as my hair grows so quickly.
I think as I've got older/had children etc. I haven't put the time or energy into my hair so have become a lot less brave. But think I'm ready for a change.

Do you think something like this would hide Grey or is it better to go blonder?

it would be very noticeable i think sorry to say it but it would…a blonde with a root drag is definitely your best bet i would say, have a look around for pics (type in blonde hair with grey root drag then type in curly hair cut styles shoulder length if you want a new style… put the pics together in piccollage or similar then show ur stylist)

@ThatGreenFawn would you be willing to post a pic of ur hair from behind and one from the top of your scalp… might make it easier to suggest things?