Does dyeing hair dark brown in your fifties look ageing?

[seeyouyesterday]

I’m early 50’s and dye my hair a mid-dark brown. I’m naturally an auburn colour but feel a deep brunette shade suits me better, I’ve had it for years. I’ve been blonde before & it doesn’t suit me. But lately I’ve been thinking can dying hair a dark brown be aging? I don’t mean if you’re naturally brunette, that’s different but like for me who isn’t & I dye my hair dark, sometimes I feel am I making myself look older?

I think it depends on your skin tone. I'm naturally brunette, coloured my hair black for many years until I was in my 40s then realised it looked too harsh (and boy, did the greys show up!). I've been blonde ever since (it never suited me in my younger days). My colleague is several years older than me, but rocks her dark brown hair 🤷

My mum’s Irish cousin did this. She thought she’d chosen the same dark brown she’d had naturally in her youth, but it was too dark for her pale skin and blue eyes. She looked like a decrepit goth.

I became allergic to hair dye at 49/50 I’m mixed race, and had what was close to true black hair. My Mother who was white had deep olive tone skin my Chinese Father had very light olive tone skin. I have had many people comment positively on my skin tone it’s a natural mid olive tone with darker eyelids so it looks like I’m wearing a tiny bit of eyeshadow.

I went slowly grey for a decade, very salt and pepper and ended up about 70% grey. It’s not a nice silver though unfortunately like my friend, so I ended up looking for a solution and I now use Daniel Field hair colour. They are specialists in assisting women with allergies, medical conditions and cancer and it’s the least harmful of any hair dye. I feels its more of a stain. I didn’t go black I went a mid brown. As my hair is streaked it doesn’t have that block look. I had an online consult which was free and now I mail order from them.

So I had very grey hair for around 7 years, I look and feel better with it dyed.

Good point!
It's interesting to read this post where posters are so quick to decry women with eg dyed hair or grey hair in comparison to the one running about Mrs Burnham's unflattering dress she wore to Number 10. Well it's not the dress per se - it was the tummy etc that it displayed. There's the usual misogyny , what about the sisterhood etc fervent posters on there. You could class this thread in the same vein.

I have naturally brunette hair colouring and am 62. I look 10 years younger as age well. Always stayed out of the sun drink plenty of water healthy diet and have a great skincare regime. I dye my hair light brown to cover the grey. Home hair dyes ever since age 30. I used to dye it light golden brown the past few years but then it slowly goes yellow coming up to the monthly hair recolour. So now I use light brown. I prefer semi permanent as better for hair quality. Grey only at the roots slowly then. Works for me. My complexion is quite pale though so have to leave the hair dye on 15 mins not 20 mins. Or I can look too stark.

Yes! Women, how dare you age??! And if you insist on ageing, for the love of all things holy, wear your hair grey and a dress loose enough to hide your unacceptably mature body. That way, everyone can tell you're an older woman at first glance, giving them a chance to look away quickly!

I have gradually gone lighter, but I loved my hair dark and miss it. I think that it depends on the percentage of grey to be honest. I couldn't keep it up as my roots were white within four to five weeks. It also lost all of it's shine and looked dull.

People assume I dye my hair . I was 70 this year and you have to really peer to see the odd grey hair . It has got progressively lighter in the sun - but having been honey blonde until I had my first child at 31 I went several shades darker (hairdresser did not recognise me). 2nd child at 39 it went darker again … once I get more grey I am thinking highlights to my now light brown hair.

Genetically I am in debt to my mother who died at 88 with hardly any grey . During months and months in hospital the other elderly ladies on her ward persistently asked how she was getting her hair done …. They did not believe it was natural but they must have thought she was spirited out during the night for a hairdo ….

I absolutely agree. I shudder to think of the money I've wasted on salon colouring. Covid finished off that, and also being a mum to a young DS, I never have time to sit around for hours on end. I have found colouring my hair truly liberating and I even enjoy it! It takes about an hour and I don't have to talk to anyone!
I'm 54 and dark blonde which is more mousey grey now if I don't dye. I was using dark blonde box dye colours but now have moved to lighter blonde tonal shades and have even had compliments. I'm not trying to disguise the fact I'm older and going grey... I just look and feel better with coloured hair.

Me too (though a few years younger).
Interestingly, my very dark brown hair looks far too dark for my face these days and grey/lighter shade would almost certainly suit me bettter.

During all those Covid Zoom calls with similiarly aged friends, my dark hair stood out and made me realise it didn't suit me but no way am I going to start dying it now if I don't 'have' to.

I’m 66 and my hair is naturally very dark still and I think it makes me look witchy. My best friend has white hair that is thinning and gets it dyed professionally very regularly. It’s very obvious that it’s dyed, and sometimes you can see dye on her scalp. But she doesn’t want to be white haired and with thin hair.. is it aging to have dyed hair.. yes. Would it be aging for her to stop dying her hair…yes.
are we all aging…yes.
I think, enjoy your choices while you have the chance.
Out of all my friends the one who has greying hair but goes to the hairdresser for bronde balayage looks the least successful. Her hair is quite curly now, and she looks classic old lady à la Hyacinth Bucket era.

I think it depends... Most people in their 50s look like they are in their fifties, and then of course therefore the joys of menopause hair! I can tell if someone colours it, especially if it's a box dye job.

My friend is mid 50s dyes her hair dark brown and it's very obvious even though she's always done it. Skin tone changes as you get older and it doesn't always suit dyed hair. I was very dark brown up to mid 30s and started to go grey. By covid lock down I was sick of colouring it because it never lasted, or I'd get the white stripes on top. So I stopped. Let it be natural. It's now platinum. I occasionally run a toner through it for fun, but I get loads of lovely comments about my semi-long silver-grey hair!

I've been dark brown for a while, I was dark blonde before the grey came in. I'm now in the process of going lighter each time I get it done, to get it more to my natural colour, partly so it'll blend with the greys.

I’m genuinely surprised by this, someone else said it too. I posted a picture of the spice girls up thread, all with dyed hair all in their fifties, I find it very bemusing anyone thinks they look older as they dye their hair and would look younger if they were all sporting grey hair. I simply don’t see that at all.

i don’t think dyeing your hair makes you look younger, i think most people look their age, within 5 years either side, but grey hair once you reach your fifties acrually makes you look older than you are. So it’s not dyed hair makes you look younger, it’s grey hair makes you look older, so I e the opposite view.

I add the image again, and could use some many more, I attach one of Gillian Anderson who is 57, again I’m really bemused anyone looks at any of these women and things gosh that’s really ageing they’d looks so much younger with grey hair, and thinks of cliff Richard

I always think that not only does hair colour change but so does skin, so I think yes, it does make someone look older and I hate to say it but a little strange too. (I'm so sorry everyone!) I am very grey and have gone lighter and lighter blonde now as mainly I hate the grey/silver line that appears at the parting. I hope one day to have the guts to go full grey though.
Quick add, I hate it when a man dyes his hair full stop. Men look gorgeous with grey hair - not fair!

I wonder about skin tone too. My Dad and sister went pure white and it really suits them. I am still having silver blonde highlights and some light chestnut low lights because I was colourless when I let the grey come through during lockdown.

I am so pale and the silver parting made me look like I was balding. There will come a day when I have to give in, but on me it ages me by ten years.

Yes it’s really aging if you go too dark - especially with a block colour. I’ve found it best to go a few shades lighter than I used to when I was younger.

I had dark brown hair all my life, but am very grey now. I've gone to ash blond as a compromise because I got fed p with all the dyeing and the roots coming in. But yes, my light hair ages me. Having my preferred colour takes a good 10 years off me. BUT I can't be bothered with the upkeep.

So no. I think if the colour suits you, darker hair isn't ageing.

@seeyouyesterday do you have dark eyes or light?

I am in my 50s a natural dark brown but now quite grey so I dye. Used to use Natural Black shade (as Dark Brown didn't go dark enough and always faded with reddish tones) but became too harsh.. I have light olive skin and dark eyes. I use a Dark Brown box dye but only dye the roots each time. It creates a much more natural look as your hair gradually lightens, sun/dye gradually reducing and is also healthier for your hair.

Hairdresser always comments on how healthy my hair is for box dyed hair and agrees that is the reason.

So, the upshot is, yes, dyeing your hair is aging but so is going grey. Good work, everyone.

Aging -you can’t escape it, unless you are Joan Collins!

@ShanghaiDiva and I believe she wears wigs.

Definitely!

yeah I dont understand all this "but you can TELL its not natural!" - so bloody what? I can also tell that my best friend's eyelids arent naturally gold and sparkly but she still looks great in gold eyeshadow!

Something being "natural" doesnt mean it suits you- if it did, people wouldnt get their crooked teeth fixed or bother to treat their acne!

Or you could look like Anita from Bargain Hunt