Gray Hair Adventure

ellie-g

Hi All
On the 6th February 2015, I had my hair coloured for the last time.
For 40 years I have coloured my hair from every shade from platinum to black. I have been long, short, in between, straight and curly and I am so bored with the constant upkeep.Over the years I must have spent thousands on it.
Now I have decided to let it grow in my natural colour,which I think is light brown with a sprinkling of gray (let's say silver highlights!).
I can no longer bear to sit in that chair, the condition of my hair is terrible and to be honest I just want to be my real self. My hair is straight, fine but plentiful and I want to grow it shoulder length so I can wear it in a ponytail or up, which does suit me. I think this is going to take about 2 years.
So I am looking for like minded people to join this thread for support. I still plan to keep slim, exercise and look after myself but I have just had it with this hair dye thing!

fiftyeighter_2

Ooh I envy you. I so wish I could be brave and stop colouring my hair but I'm almost 65 and totally grey. Well at least I think I am lol. I just can't pluck up the courage and I know I would look awful.

good_advice

Hiya, I have never coloured my hair.
It is a dark blond and goes lighter in the summer sun.

Ellie, I have straight hair. Pony tail or up. It depends on my mood.
I cut it myself when it gets to long. Not been to the hairdressers for a few years.

P.s. I like my natural nails too! Just short and filed tidy. NO paint needed.

ellie-g

Apparently lots of women are going natural now. Have you seen Susan Paget's videos about this on youtube? They are quite fun and inspirational and have caused me to question my attitude about gray hair. Fiftyeighter you might find the silver looks really glam and Good advice I admire you for never resorting to the bottle! I am going to give it a go, though my friends seem shocked at the idea.

hoglet121

I've been going grey since my early teens. I used to colour it as I was embarrassed about it, I just leave it now (I'm in my 30s so still young to have as much grey as I do).

I actually quite like it now, and if anyone thinks less of me because of the colour of my hair, then I would have to question why I was friends with them in the first place. I still look after it it, condiiton it and do it nicely, but it's in fair beeter condition now it's not being coloured all the time.

zippychick

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

I've recently discovered Henna... not ready to go grey yet here at 36... Good luck with it

Zip

pws52

Good for you!

I decided to go natural nearly three years ago having dyed my hair for 43 years.
My hair was in a bob style. My hairdresser was brilliant. She cut it shorter each visit until the crunch time came to cut out the last of the colour. I had planned to grow my hair back into its old style but absolutely love having it short.
Instead of going to the hairdressers every five weeks and sitting for hours having it dyed I now go every 7 weeks and am in and out in 35 minutes. Time and money saved.
People still tell me how good my hair looks after 3 years.

The only problem was that I had to change my glasses....the frames went with blonde not grey!

McKneff

I coloured mine for donkeys years but like you, I ot really fed up of messing about with it.


I waited till the 'grey line' was as much as I could bear, Ihad been using temp dyes so some of it had faded, had my hair cut as short as I dared and then used a Nice and Easy blonde dye. Everything just blended in, I did dye it the same blonde (temp dye again) twice more and then after a couple of fmonths the blonde had washed out and I had hair that is a nice silver shade. Just lately, I have found some new 'silver' shampoo called Provoke, from supermarkets but its in Boyes on special offer at the moment.
I feel great not having to float around the house for 20 minutes while the dye is taking. Have a go ladies, 3 months tops and you will be free

maddiemay

For any one on the book of faces, there is a group called

Going Gray, looking great!

lots of amazing grey hairstyles there on women of all ages.

I have been grey for about 4 years now, knowing that I was moving 150 miles and needing new hairdresser etc, I decided to make my life easier in that I would just need to find a good cutter and not colourist too. Had just highlights put in for a year or so while having it cut every 8 weeks as it grew out. Luckily my hair is now several shades of grey, and not pepper/salt, I am always being asked where I have it coloured as it does look streaked. For fun I sometimes now have bright pink or blue or purple (sometimes more than one) highlights added and it looks really great, it gradually fades out so no tide mark and is lovely even when the colours are really muted.

System

maddiemay wrote: »

For any one on the book of faces, there is a group called

Going Gray, looking great!

lots of amazing grey hairstyles there on women of all ages.

Thanks for the heads up. I am grey haired. Decided to stop colouring it when I stopped going to the hairdressers a few years back. Ive tried a couple of semis but they stuck like glue to my grey hair and refused to wash out. After using a few colour strippers and cutting my hair quite short there is only the hint of colour on the ends. My main aim now is to grow it again.

Now its more or less back to its natural colour (i think they call it salt and pepper) it shines again and is so soft. I'm enjoying how it falls and how it feels. I just wish it would grow a bit faster on the sides..

Anne_Marie_2

I tried to dye my hair with one of those home dyes, when I was in my teens, with no success whatsoever. It just stayed the same colour as my own colour was so dominant, so never bothered to try again. My hair has now faded, and I've been told it's strawberry blonde, it's just very well faded red hair. I have even been accused of dying it this colour, quite a few times, and same people think that I am fibbing. Why would I?

My Mum, who was a brunette, dyed her hair later on in life, but for quite a while now, hasn't bothered and gone natural. She looks great, her hair is quite white now, and suits her complexion.

Think as we age, we don't suit the strong colours that we used to have, and nature carries it off well, although we might all not like it so much, it's usually just a slow approach to get us used to it. Must admit, that I really didn't notice my hair fading too much, but was probably too busy to give it much thought.....it just doesn't happen overnight, but gradually.
If one does dye their hair the same colour, and not go for lighter, it must be harder to accept.
Suppose that I didn't feel that lucky being a redhead, and being teased as a child, getting called carrot top, ginger nut and other rather worse derogatory terms. Well, seems that the lucky bit comes in when you don't go grey, and go strawberry blonde naturally, and you don't actually give a hoot.

Seriously, good luck with not dying your hair. I am sure that the colour will suit your complexion, it will be much better for your hair, and once you have come to terms with the new you, you will feel a lot better. (And so will your purse.)