|
||||||||
Growing out grey hair |
![]() |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
|
Growing out grey hair
Im 40 and I dye my hair. I know I have grey hair as my hairline is practically white when it grows out, and ive been going grey for about 15 years.
Ive been pondering letting my hair grown out naturally now. Without cutting it off, as Im not ready fro short hair, what is the best way? Im still vain enough to not want a horrid grey line for a few years, so was thinking about using semi permanent hair dye and dying it less frequently, would this be a more natural transition? (I use permanent dye at the moment!) |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,202
|
Im not sure there is an option if you have conpletely grey hair that has been dyed with permanent colour.
My hair is naturally grey too, with the roots at my parting being the worst. I had my hair coloured at the hairdressers so its all a darkish shade. Now i use semi permanent for the roots, but the block colour is always going to be dark. So when the semi permanent washes off i still have a colour on the rest of my head. I suppose if you know how fast your hair grows then you could use semi permanent until you know it would all be grey but then i think even semi permanent leaves a bit of a colour behind so the roots would be a slightly different shade to the rest. |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
|
Quote:
Im not sure there is an option if you have conpletely grey hair that has been dyed with permanent colour.
My hair is naturally grey too, with the roots at my parting being the worst. I had my hair coloured at the hairdressers so its all a darkish shade. Now i use semi permanent for the roots, but the block colour is always going to be dark. So when the semi permanent washes off i still have a colour on the rest of my head. I suppose if you know how fast your hair grows then you could use semi permanent until you know it would all be grey but then i think even semi permanent leaves a bit of a colour behind so the roots would be a slightly different shade to the rest. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 272
|
I've recently decided to take the plunge and go grey. I can't keep up with colouring it. It grows so fast and there is now so much grey (around my parting especially) that my colour only lasts about 2 weeks before starting to look crap.
I had quite long hair but my hairdresser has cut it into a bob and put loads of low-lights all over my head using foils in a colour that's very close to my own natural. It was a big step, but I'm so glad I did it. I feel liberated already. The grey is getting more and more visable (it was 4 weeks ago) but is looking quite natural. I reckon about a year or so, and I'll be mostly grey. |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 8,705
|
My hairdresser uses a demi-permanent colour on my hair. She says it lasts longer than semi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: UK and Canada
Posts: 5,452
|
Quote:
I had quite long hair but my hairdresser has cut it into a bob and put loads of low-lights all over my head using foils in a colour that's very close to my own natural. It was a big step, but I'm so glad I did it. I feel liberated already. The grey is getting more and more visable (it was 4 weeks ago) but is looking quite natural. I reckon about a year or so, and I'll be mostly grey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,435
|
I had the same dilemma. I did have my hair cut quite short to get rid of all the dyed hair and then grew it into a jaw-length bob. My hair is grey at the front but still quite dark at the back. The feeling of never having to mess around with hair dye again is akin to giving up smoking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,086
|
Grey hair can look good and chic - but it can look ageing too. However, there IS that sense of liberation if that's the way you have decided to go. I'm still having far too much fun with my purples and reds to want to let nature take over, and grey roots are easily covered with a bit of eye pencil, or a root touch-up until the next time. I'd be grey too if I allowed it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,851
|
There are products that remove dye - such as this? I've no idea how good it is and am certianly not making any recommendations, just saying it could be worth investigation.
http://www.boots.com/en/Colour-B4-Ha...egory+-+Beauty |
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 34
|
I started growing mine out, got to about ear length then decided to colour again, just for something different. I do wish I'd persevered with it, it was so nice not to have to colour it (and I hennaed, leaving it on for 9 hours a pop every 4/5 weeks). I'm only about 30% grey, so it's not such a shock growing it out. I will definitely grow it out again as I think it looks much nicer and natural, rather than block colour hair with ageing skin. We all grow older, there is nothing shameful in looking your age and I think healthy hair is much nicer than dyed hair.
The hair colour removers only remove dye from your hair. Most hair dyes have a bleach in them, so you will be left with strange coloured hair, not your original colour. |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 13,041
|
Quote:
I started growing mine out, got to about ear length then decided to colour again, just for something different. I do wish I'd persevered with it, it was so nice not to have to colour it (and I hennaed, leaving it on for 9 hours a pop every 4/5 weeks). I'm only about 30% grey, so it's not such a shock growing it out. I will definitely grow it out again as I think it looks much nicer and natural, rather than block colour hair with ageing skin. We all grow older, there is nothing shameful in looking your age and I think healthy hair is much nicer than dyed hair.
The hair colour removers only remove dye from your hair. Most hair dyes have a bleach in them, so you will be left with strange coloured hair, not your original colour. |
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,180
|
Couldn't you have your hair dyed the color you think it actually is. Then, as it grows out, it wouldn't show.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,435
|
Quote:
Couldn't you have your hair dyed the color you think it actually is. Then, as it grows out, it wouldn't show.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
|
Highlights are the best answer to mask the grow-through. More on the top to high the obvious roots and a few through the back to even things up. Everyone's hair is naturally darker underneath as it gets less natural sun lightening. Highlights won't need to be done as often as a block dye, so you'll get 6-8 weeks between colours instead of the 3-4 you get with a block colour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
|
Quote:
The hair colour removers only remove dye from your hair. Most hair dyes have a bleach in them, so you will be left with strange coloured hair, not your original colour. Quote:
Couldn't you have your hair dyed the color you think it actually is. Then, as it grows out, it wouldn't show.
Quote:
Highlights are the best answer to mask the grow-through. More on the top to high the obvious roots and a few through the back to even things up. Everyone's hair is naturally darker underneath as it gets less natural sun lightening. Highlights won't need to be done as often as a block dye, so you'll get 6-8 weeks between colours instead of the 3-4 you get with a block colour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,776
|
Won't semi permanent just mean you need to do it more often as it will wash out faster than perm will grow out?
I'm interested in the answer to how to transition to grey/white gracefully as I'm in the same position but my natural hair colour was originally very dark so if I don't dye it it's a horrible salt a pepper mix that I have never liked (on anyone not just on me). I was getting highlights which means the grey doesn't show up so much when it comes through but it costs about £150 a go so I went back to £5 home dye. |
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
|
Quote:
Sounds like the way forward. I imagine they would put less and less highlights / lowlights in each time as well? I will have to go to the proper hairdresser (I box colur my own at the moment and go to those walk in no appontment needed for a trim at the moment!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 21,390
|
I have white /blonde highlights in my hair. I started to go grey around 5 years ago. So, I started having highlights put in. Its blends the grey / white / blonde together so you can't tell whats natural and what isn't.
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,086
|
Having seen Strictly Dancing: It Takes Two tonight, I guess Anita Dobson is an example of a successful transition to grey hair. Personally, I hated the grey hair but it was done well.
Highlights and lowlights are great if you have deep pockets....I used to have my hair coloured in a hairdressers but I simply couldn't justify spending that kind of money on myself |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
|
would blonde highlights look ok brown hair though? well, the remaining brown bits?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
|
Do a Google image search for brown hair blonde highlights and you'll see hundreds of examples of how it can look. It's a perfectly normal combination.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 21,390
|
Quote:
would blonde highlights look ok brown hair though? well, the remaining brown bits?
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: shoreham-by-sea
Posts: 826
|
I have stopped dying my hair and now have grey hair. I think the trick is to keep it short, cut well and with plenty of conditioner and shine products. Nothing worse than long, dull, grey hair, really ageing. If it is well looked after it looks great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 17,242
|
Quote:
would blonde highlights look ok brown hair though? well, the remaining brown bits?
But the techniques they use now are more sophisticated, and some fine highlights through the hair mainly has the effect of lightening the overall colour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
|
Quote:
I have stopped dying my hair and now have grey hair. I think the trick is to keep it short, cut well and with plenty of conditioner and shine products. Nothing worse than long, dull, grey hair, really ageing. If it is well looked after it looks great.
Im not ready to go short Anyway, still not dyed it yet and still not been to the hairdressers. There's a visible line now probably a centimetre wide. When I pull my hair to one side, it looks proper white in places, i think i am greyer than I expect! |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 21:50.




But the techniques they use now are more sophisticated, and some fine highlights through the hair mainly has the effect of lightening the overall colour.