Going Gray?

eastcoascrazy · January 25, 2012, 2:33pm

I have naturally brown shoulder length hair with a lot of red in it. Full, thick, wavy; it has always been one of my best features. However, I have been dyeing it for a while (10 years) now, as more and more white/gray comes in. I'm about at the point where after 4 weeks I look like a skunk on top. I love the (dyed) color of my hair, but the upkeep is becoming a chore. I have a lot of white around my face, with less white/gray towards the back.

Have you decided to go gray?

What process did you use? Cut it short and go whole hog? Let it grow out? What have you done during that growing out stage? I do know that I am too vain to let the skunk stripe just grow out on its own. ;)

Nrdsb4 · January 25, 2012, 2:42pm

^^^^^My colorist says I would need to do highlights if I wanted to ease into going gray. Otherwise, the only choice is to let the skunk stripe grow out. Even if you cut your hair pretty short, that's still what you'd be looking at.

I'm mostly gray all over; I get the stripe within 2-3 weeks :mad:

somemom · January 25, 2012, 2:44pm

I have not gone gray, but I do have quite a few natural highlights ;) Do you do your own dying? Or go to a salon? I had my old stylist recommend a product and I do it myself every 3-4 weeks, it is semi-permanent, so it fades a bit over the month and I don't get a sharp skunk line.

NorthMinnesota · January 25, 2012, 2:48pm

I got my first gray hair at 16. My aunts on my dad's side were all silver in their 20's. Didn't bother me very much in my 20's until people thought I was older than I was. Started coloring then and haven't stopped since! I bet I am totally silver. I don't think I would ever stop now even though my roots start showing at week 3. It is a lot of upkeep but I figure it is my one splurge. If you decide to go natural you probably should talk to your stylist. I would think you can color you natural color.

whatever4 · January 25, 2012, 3:40pm

I've wondered the same thing. I know there are products that are supposed to remove haircoloring; wouldn't those be an option? Or couldn't you dye your hair a light ash blonde, which would, in theory, make the "skunk line" less noticeable? Why can't a person dye her hair silver/white and then let any hairs that aren't already that color be the "lowlights" as the hair grows out? (Does anyone make silver/while haircoloring?)

katliamom · January 25, 2012, 3:45pm

NorthMinnesota, have you considered not coloring your hair, and going silver? I know a couple of women who have stunning silver/white hair they leave natural - and they look amazing. Kind of otherworldly. Silver is a whole different ballgame from just plain gray, IMO.

MomLive · January 25, 2012, 3:51pm

A good colorist could help you make the transition to gray without looking like a skunk. I agree with Katliamom. I know several women with stunning silver/white hair. The trick is to have a great cut to go with it.

mom60 · January 25, 2012, 4:13pm

eastcoastcrazy- my hair is similar to yours. I doubt I would go entirely natural since I find that due to pale skin the white that comes in makes me look like I have no hair at my temples.When I color it I feel like I look much younger. My GF went silver but highlighted it so she did not have the skunk look. She is olive skinned and it looks beautiful. Another friend is silver but she finds she still dyes her hair to give it a bit more color.

barrons · January 25, 2012, 4:40pm

Silver/white looks fine, if you are over 65 and or Barbara Bush or male. Or a hippy artist.

MomLive · January 25, 2012, 4:50pm

^ Actually, I have a friend with silver hair, she's 52. It's cut in a short, sort of spiky ala Halle Berry cut. I can not tell you the number of times I have been with her at stores or restaurants and have witnessed strangers come up to her to tell her how much they liked her hair. People of all ages, race and nationality. It's a great look on some people (though probably not with a Barbara Bush haircut).

ellebud · January 25, 2012, 4:54pm

I have highlighted/colored my hair since I was14. (Always done my my hairdresser). A few years ago the color started to change (at the base only) to a strange gray white. After I finished chemo the hair grew back white. I wore a wig until I got to my hairdresser.

On me...never happening...aging and skin yellowing.

Gibson1514 · January 25, 2012, 4:55pm

I also know 2 ladies who have stunning white/ silver hair. They are probably in their mid to late 40's. Both have great cuts that really suit their faces. I always think they look like they should be in a Chicos catalog. ( meant as a compliment)

ellemenope · January 25, 2012, 5:02pm

I have dark hair that I used to dye, but it got to be too much trouble. I'm going au naturel!

PackMom · January 25, 2012, 5:05pm

I'm 49. I have thick short dark hair with silver streaks coming in pretty evenly throughout with one more pronounced stripe in the front. I have dark eyes and an almost olive complexion. I'm tall,in pretty decent shape and don't dress "old". I don't think my silver streaks make me look old

I don't plan to ever color my hair. I'm actually kind of looking forward to more silver. I'm considering it a fashion accessory! DH says that he likes that I'm "low maintenance". He has silver hair too.

churchmusicmom · January 25, 2012, 5:06pm

Add me to the list of those madly avoiding the skunk look. I get compliments all the time on my hair...even from the fantastic woman who cuts it. I do it myself and am careful to only color the roots so the ends don't start to look all funny. I may someday do the short haircut and let it grow out. Not any time soon, though. I am just not ready to look that old.

franglish · January 25, 2012, 5:12pm

I have never dyed my hair and at this point it's pretty grey, but mostly still dark. I really like the grey and will never dye it. It's too much trouble. I really couldn't ever consider the skunk look. I'm proud of my years and really am liking the grey as it gets more pervasive.

Nrdsb4 · January 25, 2012, 5:14pm

Some of my gray hair is rather resistant to color. It accepts some, but not all of the dye. So the less dyed hair ends up looking like natural highlights. The problem with dying hair dark brown is it tends to all end up the same exact color, which looks fake. So far I've been lucky with this natural highlight effect, and I am usually met with surprise when I mention that I color it.

I don't want to go gray. Wrinkles I don't mind, but the gray hair thing bothers me. I'll probably be one of those 90 year old ladies who still has dark brown hair and thinks she's got everybody fooled. :o

mini · January 25, 2012, 5:18pm

I'm all gray and white, but I dye it black when singing opera.

mominva · January 25, 2012, 5:35pm

I think I'm franglish's twin.

I made my decision not to dye in grade school; I was impressed by the dignity of a classmates mom with 'salt and pepper' hair.
I am significantly 's&p' now, much to the chagrin of my sisters and daughters.
But when I tell folks my age I always hear, 'Really, you don't look that old'

ChuckleDoodle · January 25, 2012, 5:41pm

Like North Minnesota, I have had gray hair since 16 years of age. I colored from my 30's to 40's and then stopped when I got tired of doing it every 3-4 weeks. When I asked my hairdresser to just color it gray she told me that nobody makes that color! Of course that was 8 years ago, so times may have changed.

If you are going to stop coloring, you wil have to let the stripe grow out. My hair dresser told me that if I kept my hair cut short, the stripe would be less noticeable. The longer your hair, the heavier it is and it weighs down on the scalp. A short sassy style allows your hair to be "perky" near the roots and where the stripe then appears smaller. Highlights also help.

I had my hair cut about every 3 weeks for about a year. That's how long it took to get rid of the coloring remnants.

I'm lucky in that my hair is a nice soft silver gray I get a lot of compliments from people. I do think that the hair cut is very important when you have gray hair- you may want something that doesn't look "old" style.

I'm still about 30% brown on the back of my scalp and about 85% gray up front and on top. I keep wishing that it would all turn silver like my mom. She has this wonderful white silver hair and it's as soft as can be- not wiry, just pretty.

Whatever you do, it will take patience to get to the color you want.

Good Luck!

Going Gray?

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