Hair choice- grey or brassy fade?

[TealReader]

I am mid 40s, about 40% grey. My natural hair is a very cool dark brown. When I go to the salon and ask for a colour similar to my natural it tends to be great initially, then fade brassy/warm very quickly. I use the shampoo sold to me by the salon but I run 4-5 times a week so have to wash a lot. I’ve been told that this is because I have natural warmth in my hair (which I struggle to believe as I’m very cool toned). I’ve tried highlights and balayage to try blending but that seems to just get blonder over time. Currently I’m 10 weeks from my last colour as considering paying through the nose for grey blending and they ask for 3 months regrowth first and I don’t actually hate the silver coming through as I think the cooler tones work best for me. But I’m not sure I’m ready to go grey just yet!

This must be a common scenario- is there any way to keep a cool brown colour or are the only choices going brassy or going grey?

Have you tried blue shampoo? I am also a cool-toned brunette and discovered this really helps with the brassiness I get when my hair gets sunbleached.

I use one by Milkshake but I think there are other option.

I’ve used a blue shampoo and find it helps extend the time to brassiness but not long. Potentially washing my hair so often is the issue but I love exercise and am a very sweaty runner

I feel you! I also run or hike to the point of sweatiness most days, but my hair can't cope with that much shampoo, so I only shampoo every 3 days and on the other days I rinse and condition. No idea if that would help the colour fading though - I only have a few greys so far and my issue is more sun damage from being outside so much.

I’m a similar age and I’ve gone grey - about 50-60% grey. It took 3 years for a full grow out and I went cold turkey. My hair is now totally natural colour.

I’ve never had more compliments on my hair than now. Literally strangers will come and tell me that they think it looks lovely. I’m also a runner and washing my hair every day!

No brassiness, no colouring, no dreaded grey/brown line after 3 weeks of colouring. If you go on to ‘Going Grey early’ on social media, there’s a whole movement.

I’m 54 and a cool very dark brown but currently it’s coloured auburn with demi perm which does fade a little brassy IMO over the 8 weeks til I dye it again.

My plan is to demi perm cool brown all over to re-match the natural tone and then - let it grow. Not for a couple of years. But that’s what I’ll do.

Grey blending will look fab for a few washes until it needs a tone - they go brassy too.

I’m a bit older than you and my natural colour was very dark brown. I got fed up having to have my hair coloured every 6 weeks, it needed it after 4, but I worried about it destroying my hair. I’ve been grey for 2 years now and have natural streaks in my hair. I changed my hair style to something sleeker, and like a poster up thread, the amount of compliments and comments I get now is incredible. Wish I had done it sooner, and I probably would have done had I heard of grey blending. A friend has had it done and it looks great.

My friend specialises in grey blending now. It seems to be something that’s really taken off. Why don’t you have a consultation with one and see what a realistic halfway house could be without fulling transitioning ( if such a thing exists )

Thanks all. I live fairly rurally and need to travel for grey blending- I’ve made an appointment for a consultation but am sure it needs fairly significant upkeep. I’d love to have my own colour back but failing that wondering if I should just go grey. I’m finding the in between stage very hard.

I find the sun bleaching a real issue my hair ends are bright sun bleached blonde my roots are brown/white/grey streaked my mids are a strange orange tone I haven't permanently coloured my hair for years just semi permanent which still seems to have changed my hair instead of washing out it turned me ginger my hair is growing super slowly so despite not dying it for over a year there is still loads left to grow out! If I had a slim face I would chop my hair off, but I dont!

I wish I hadn't started dying my hair there was no need

I would try grey blending then let it grow out naturally.
I couldn’t be bothered with all the upkeep.