To go grey gracefully?

[Effjay]

I have dark brown hair and I'm now starting to notice the grey hairs coming through. Not many, so I still pull them out when I see them. I'm 40 later this year, so I realise that I am pretty lucky in this respect as I know a lot of people go grey earlier. Is it better to let it go grey or to start dying it? I like the steel grey look and can see me with that in my 50s, but I still feel quite young and don't know if I'm ready for grey hair yet. But, dying your hair every month to cover up the roots must be a bit of a pfaff ... I sometimes wish I was blond

THere was a thread not so long ago about this on here... they were saying DO NOT PLUCK as they grow back all wiry and sticking up! Also suggested an american webite about it.... hopefully someone'll be along soon with a link for you, I can't remember it.

The American site is here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I've never looked back after I stopped dyeing my hair, which I did when I was 42. I really love my grey hair and think it looks so much softer and more distinguished than it did when I dyed it. And when everyone else is dyeing, it looks really unusual. The only thing with grey hair is to get a cut that really works and remember that it gets drier as it goes greyer.

I have gone blonde instead. I can't stand how women have that inch of grey/brown roots and then bright red/brown hair - it looks much worse than a bit of grey.

My only point would be yes I have seen plenty of women with a full head of grey hair looking fab. But yours may grow in patches or streaks or just on your temples only (like mine) which doesn't look so good imho... so that's why I dye it and have highlights to disguise it.

Maybe you could go the whole hog and dye it an overall permanent greyish shade now and then let your natural grey catch up with it, iyswim.

I think its quite individual - I dye mine and cant imagine not doing despite it being a pain because of the time and cost involved. But, I just know I would not be happy with it grey and for me I believe it would be really ageing and although some people may embrace their age, I dont! So, for me dyeing it is much better but for others going grey might be.

No chance. I'm (just) 30 and have about 30% grey.

I will dye it every week rather than go grey.

I feel so frumpy and unattractive if it's not dyed.

Well I'm 35 and going pretty grey (since age of 21) and I still pull mine out , I won't have it I tell you. When DC 2 is born I'm going to dye with a vengeance, but then I'll probably not have the time

I agree with not pulling them out; apparently you pull one out and six grow back. I think if you went grey and got a great cut it could look fab but it's whatever you feel comfortable with.

Amy

The six growing back thing is balls, but I happen to know from personal experience that thye do grow back wiry and sticky-uppy and ergo a lot more conspicuous!

I tried 'going with it' for a good few years but I now get highlights to help blend it in, because I started to look like someone old and grey who's had a face-lift/lots of botox (I'm only 34, and started getting grey at 19). I'm kind of looking forward to having an older face to match my hair so I can relax with the maintenance

I will be 45 in August and my grey - at the front and some at the crown has become more noticeable.

I have my hair highlighted anyway, but the hairdresser now puts a permanent tint on my roots at the same time (same as my own colour) so the regrowth of grey is not as noticeable as quickly.

I agree though - do not pluck them out!

Eeeek! I've been plucking!

I've had the odd grey hair since last year - am only 28.

I Dye it blonde when I can be arsed, but just pull the stray ones out!

I think grey looks amazing on around 20% of folk who go a shade of grey that suits their skintone.

The rest just look old in a bad way imo.

Thanks for all the advice. I didn't realise that plucking them out is a bad idea - I'll stop doing that! Agree with grumpypants that an inch of grey looks awful, but I think going blond would be a disaster for me as I have black eyebrows! That is never a good look . So I may learn to love them ...

I also think that I probably need to change some of my make up when I really go grey, as I like quite neutral shades. I think stronger colours look good on those with grey hair, such as darker shades of lipstick.

I tried going grey, but it looked awful, it wasn't a great shade of grey, it made my skin look like a corpse. I had a 'Mallen streak' at the front and then really white on the temples, as I have very short hair, it looked really blokey and horrible.

I dye it myself, every 6 weeks, and don't have noticeable roots coming through.

grey is ageing. simples. a 40 year old with grey hair is going to look waaaaay older than a 40 year old brunette or blonde. personally i don't intend ever being grey.

my hair is almost totally grey and im 34, I have to get it dyed every four weeks
i look forward to the day when im old enough to emerge with beautiful white hair!!