Ditching the hair dye and embracing the grey

[needagoodnightsleep1]

So 8 weeks ago I decided to give up dying my hair to cover the grey. The last root touch up didn't seem to take on my roots and i just felt it was a waste of time. Im 46 and been dying my hair every 2 weeks to cover the grey since i was 20. Excited and apprehensive but determined to see it through. Had a good haircut last week and had about 6 inches cut off, so it’s shoulder length now. I thought this might help. Anyone else currently embracing the grey and want to keep me motivated and share some tips?

Following with great interest, OP!

My stylist is currently doing babylights after I have tried every conceivable combination of home and professional tinting, highlights, balayage, etc. The growth stripe is minimised this way but the damage to my hair is not. Expensive bonding treatments and other products are only doing so much. It is clear that I need to choose between the colour and the condition of my hair.

There was a recent thread about Stylish Women Who Left a Lasting Impression and it was noteworthy how often the description included the fact that the women had grey, silver or white hair!

It’s time, but I dread it. I am from a culture where letting your hair go grey is still seen as Giving Up, even when the tint starts to look comical. I would love to follow someone’s journey.

I did this back in 2021. My hair used to be naturally dark but over the years I had it lightened and highlighted so the grey was not so obvious. My final path to grey was to have my hairdresser do a last headful of very light highlights to make the rest of my hair blend into the grey as much as possible, then to cut it as short as I could stand, which for me is about jaw length. Result was a nice head of silver hair which grew out with very little obvious transition, especially if I used a silver shampoo now again. All natural now and I get strangers stopping me in the street to compliment my hair. Wish I had done it before, the condition of my hair is so much better.

I did this about 3 years ago and I am so pleased I did! My hair looks great and in fab condition after stopping the dye, I did do some highlights to ease the transition for a little while

I had my hair colouring tweaked to let the grey grow out.
Cold tones rather than warm - so platinum highlights and cool mid brown tones.
All grown out now and I am happy with how it looks.

@poetryandwineIve done the exact same thing. Naturally a dark brown, over the years went lighter and lighter to light brown then dark blonde. Most recently balayage with blonde highlights. But whatever i do within 2 weeks the roots are there again. Its a never ending cycling with no long lasting results! Since ive had a good chop my hair already feels so much better, with the most of the balayage cut off. Im over dying it and constantly fighting the inevitable. Thankfully i dont really care what people think. It’s my hair my choice and i already feel free from it all. But ask me again in another couple of months lol. Perhaps i should do monthly updates and include pics 😆

Look at Silver Sister Facebook groups. They are really supportive places.

i have been Silver for 5 years (now 40). I will not be going back x

@ChaToilLeam i love you dont regret it. Im hoping to be in the same position in a couple of years . Thank you for your reply i need this inspiration.

Thank you all for posting your positive stories. I know its the start of a long journey for me but reading these will keep me motivated.
i will have a look at that face book page thank you :)

I did this about five years ago, in my case I had to admit it aged me a lot. So I went back to three weekly colour in light brown. On occasion have used a spray along the parting. Will keep going for the foreseeable. Of course it looks good on others, so great. Also blessed with masses of thick hair, so able to tolerate the chemicals and still in good condition, If my grey had looked good I would have kept it, old luck op

@Mumsgirlsi am concerned it will also age me too and perhaps not suit me. But i think if i don't try i will never know. Thank you

8 weeks in, 2 years to go 😆

Buzz it and wear wigs/hats for a while if you need to.
The new growth will be so healthy and you get a clean slate to work with.

@OhBotherSaidPooi dont think im brave enough and i havent got a face that suits really short hair. Ive had a good chop and hopefully I will feel braver in a few weeks to go even shorter. Baby steps at the minute

I did it over a decade ago, it was the best thing I ever did. It's so liberating to not need to constantly touching up roots. My hair is in the best condition it's ever been. Coloured dry shampoo can help with the roots in the early days.

@@CeeceeBloomingdale Oh lovely, thank you for the suggestion, i will have a look at coloured dry shampoo.

Mine was dyed platinum blonde so grow out was simple.

The saying 'a year to the ears' was about right for me. I haven't had mine highlighted for 1y 7months now and just have a little bit of highlighted hair at the ends as I got my hair cut above my shoulders a few months ago. Im 52 and have what looks like grey highlights now

Me too! I’m 3mo in and I don’t hate it! My main worry is that there’s less grey than I thought - loads at front, less at the back. I will have a massive demarcation line as my hair is quite a dark brown and my dye matched it. I have previously had a pixie so my plan is to stick with it until I can basically get it chopped off to that!

I did it a few years ago. Naturally dark brown, dyed it for years but couldn’t keep up, a few highlights then a shorter cut then cold turkey, stopped dyeing. I had to be very brave because it did look bad for a while. It was tough to resist the temptation to just grab for a box of dye to cover the problem. And it took me a while to get used to me with white/grey hair.
Anyway, now I love it. It’s in great shape and people stop me and tell me they love it - that never happened before.
good luck, be brave, don’t go back!

That’s a very pretty grey, OP!

‘A year to the ears’ sounds a long time but I guess it is about right, @dementedpixie . This is defo a project.

I did it during covid when I was mid 50s. My hair was no longer taking the dye at the temples and I was dying it lighter and lighter. Now fully grown out and it looks fabulous, an all over silvery white that most people seem to read as a peroxide blonde. I love it.

I did the same about 6-7 years ago. I already had short hair and I just grew it out, I was box dying it dark so there was a real badger phase but my hair grows quickly and I just made sure I had a regular trim. Now I love it, like someone above people stop me to say 'I love your hair colour' and most people don't believe it's natural! (I'm 43 btw)

That's the same colour/regrowth pattern as mine – I call it more cinnamon-and-sugar than salt-and-pepper! I'm a year in to my grow out and I love how my hair looks and feels. The condition has never been better and my natural colour lifts my skin (which I need at 54!).

You'll definitely have days when you'll catch yourself in the mirror and think "gah, I look old and grey" but it will pass and as your hair grows you'll learn to truly love it. If I'm ever wobbling, I look up the hashtag silversisters on Instagram for inspiration.