Grey hair - love it or hate it?

[TooMuchCaffeine]

I'm 44 this year. I am having my bi-monthly struggle with white roots. The "should I leave it grey or dye it my natural (very dark brown) colour?"

I am brown skinned - and have neat dreads cut into a short bob - I also don't look my age (most people think I am mid 30's). SHould I go for Billy Ocean grey and try and pass it off as a funky and maverick look - or will I just look like I've let myself go?

How long do you go on dyeing you hair and being a slave to the bottle.

I think with brown skin it can look great. A great (well, good) cut and condition are pretty key as well.

I hate dyeing my hair, hate it, but would age about 10 years, at least, instantly if I stopped.

Hate, hate, hate the white hairs I have - they definitely make you look older. 49 and still dyeing ...

What is it you hate about the white hairs though? Do you hate the hairs themselves or what they represent in a society where even 70 year old women are dyeing their hair?

And when will you stop? A good cut, attention to make up and skin, and your general health should be sufficient - no? Am I just kidding myself?

I actually like my white hairs but feel obliged to conceal them because of what other people will think - I resent that. Every female in my family dyes their hair.

I think you are right caffeine. Grey hair on men is accepted and looks good (IMO). Why is it different for women. If it's well cared for what is the problem. I can't even say that I dislike long grey hair any more - my yoga teacher had long hair streaked with grey and she looked fantastic.

I don't have any as yet. My hair is such an undistinguished dark mouse colour that I guess there's not much to lose.

I think it's all down to skin tone and general maintenance, for want of a better word.

I know someone my age (40) who has completely slate grey hair. She is tall, slim, dresses fashionably, funky glasses and has olive skin. She looks fab. I'm very fair with blue eyes and, although I have my hair cut well, going grey would age me instantly.
So, 6 weekly visits to the salon it is.

My DH is grey and is really happy because for a long time people mistook him for a younger person - he's now 46. When he is 21 he was stopped by police in the street asking him why he was not in school

There are lots of articles on the internet celebrating people like Helen Mirren and Judy Dench and Meryl Streep for being "brave" enough to go grey - but lets face it - they are in their 60's anyway so what's the big deal? The message is that older women are not expected to look their age, therefore us middle aged women are also expected to look younger.

Personally, I think nothing looks worse than badly dyed hair - nicely looked after grey looks much nicer.

Depends. Mine is pretty much grey, but quite dark and streaky. I intend to reveal it only once it goes a lovely uniform silver. Until then, it's coloured every 5 weeks, a lighter shade than the dark brown original, to reduce the 'badger stripe' effect.

i am v. pale adn i think it is more aging on pale skin, i toyed with the idea of going natural but i looked horrific.

give going natural a bash, if you hate it dye it back.

I hate it because it makes me look old and I

a) don't want to look old!
b) can't afford to look old in my industry

It is a sad fact that grey hair on men = experience/expertise/gravitas whereas grey hair on women = old and letting oneself go

I have my hair cut every 8 weeks and am slim-ish; I will continue dyeing until I'm told that I can't! (Is that even possible?!)

To reduce the badger streak - I have been compromising and only dyeing the crown and front hairline and leaving the rest interspersed with white. The idea is that when there is more white all over, I can introduce the block of grey on top and stop dying it altogether.
Unfortunately today I am having "issues" with the white bits - 'tis sports day today at DS age 5 school.

I think that if you are going to go grey it does require a re-think in terms of what you wear, etc. I used to dye my natural hair auburn when I was younger and wear mostly black but now I wear brighter colours and mad jewellery as I have got a bit older and more confident.

I bet Helen Mirren and Judi Dench still dye their hair only they dye it varying shades of white/grey/blonde.

Silver hair on olive skin looks great, salt and pepper "going grey" hair on fair skin doesn't look so great.

I don't mind the greyness, it's the fact that they are straight and wiry that really bothers me (the rest of my hair is fine and curly).

I am planning to go grey gracefully. My skin looks youthful, so grey hair shouldn't age me too much. I think as long as you are stylish and glam, grey hair can look good.

I love grey. Grey hair looks fab. BUT the in-between stage can look not so hot. It would be a lot easier if we all went grey overnight.

I appear to have inherited my hair from my dad's side of the family, who all go grey very late, so when it does hit I'll probably just accept it gracefully. Mind you, that's easy to say now when I have no grey hairs (well, I had one four years ago, but that seems to have been an aberration)