Own the grey, or dye away?

I started greying early and colored. (Not always my natural color, but it has been for the past 10 years or so.) This year when I had my first brain surgery a part of the hair was shaved and the incision wasn't healing well. I was allowed to get my hair died but not that area. The section is 3" long and about an 1" wide. The grown back is perhaps 50% gray. It's my reminder to be grateful for how well my surgeries and recovery has gone.

When my daughter is graduated from high school I might let it all go natural, but that's six years from now.

I say let it go grey and own it! Who's to say it doesn't make you look distinguished? It's certainly not a sign of weakness in my opinion. There's a famous writer here in the UK called Caitlin Moran and her grey streak is something of a trademark



Strident feminist and fantastic author. If you can get it, read her book 'How to be a woman', i actually laughed out loud multiple times.

My mum naturally had very dark brown hair, but has been dying it with highlights for as long as i remember to cover increasing greys. She says she does it because otherwise the grey would come through patchy, which is fair enough I think. If it blends well, however, I say stay natural


Edit: sorry that's so huge :embarassed:

I've been greying since I was 21, and dyeing my hair for longer! At first it was crazy colours like green and purple and orange, now I stick to reds, browns, purples and blacks. Sometimes it depends on whether I want to look professional, other times whether I don't give a stuff....

Dye it if it makes you feel better, own it if you want to. I feel happier with unnatural hair for now, maybe when I hit my 60s I'll stop.

I've got a streak at each temple like this. I think it's pretty cool and i'm all for going natural. I've been going grey since my 20's and I'm not afraid of it at all. Bring it on!

I think it depends on whether or not you like the way you look with the gray. SOME people look Amazing! But we are not all Those People.... Whatever increases your self-confidence should be a factor in the decision.

Lol my first reply in the forum! I started going gray at your age and have never colored. For me, I figure I earned those gray hairs! That said, my hair is very dark brown so the flecks of silver just make it sparkle a bit. If I had more blond hair like you do, I might make a different choice! It's such a personal preference! :-)

Got my first gray hair in 1st grade- I was 7 years old. I'm 25 now with dark brown hair & plenty of gray. My hairstylist would love to dye it but I mostly own it. Some days I sit and pick them all out, though.

i started going grey at 23, now at 44 i dye my hair pink! growing older disgracefully and outrageously is a must!!!!!

I'd rather spend the money on other things.

i got my first grey hair at 17 years old. i'm 25 now and they're becoming very noticeable and are starting to dominate my entire hairline and the surrounding areas. if i see a stray one pop out, i usually pull it. otherwise I just pull my hair back into a ponytail and slick so much holding gel over it that it makes them harder to see. i don't really like dying my hair and can't afford to go to the salon all the time for coloring or root touchups or anything so, until it takes over my whole head, i'll just hide it under styling products! lol

I started going gray (actually the hairs are stark WHITE) since I was 16. I didn't start coloring 'til I was 25 - it became noticeable then. Used to be a multi-shaded brown - gradually faded with age to a mousey brown. Now I'm a medium chocolate. Gray starts showing after 2 weeks of coloring. Rethinking what to do...

HOT!!! OWN IT!!!

My gray hairs come in not as a pretty silver, but more as almost a clear color. I get together with some friends for regular "henna days" in which we take turns slathering henna on each other's heads and then sit and watch Due South for a couple of hours. My friends tell me that from above, it's like I have "invisible hairs". The end result of the grays is that I look washed out and like I'm actually losing my hair. So the coloring (in the present day, the henna'ing) continues. My mother and daughter had/have beautiful auburn hair, but I drew the short end of the stick and got mousey blond/brown for my own head. With the bonus invisible hairs, yay. The henna has been a godsend for me, let me just say.

Note: I don't use the metallic or compound hennas that damage your hair and make it impossible to ever use regular dye again without first growing your hair all out. I use the natural stuff only. If you're partial to a coppery red, you might want to consider going that route.

some women look great with the grey, some, look old and washed out. As a cosmetologist of 35 years i recommend you go to a professional(one you trust and doesn't just want to do it for the money) and get a professional opinion. Even with semi permanent color your hair shaft collects and holds the color, only less of it because of its low peroxide content so it only penetrates on the first layer. The older hair(from about an inch out) holds the color from the previous coloring making it darker on the ends and the roots too light.
The idea of coloring is to enhance your looks. I see so many at home "box" color users that have used it over and over and it makes dark ends and the "root or virgin hair" looks lighter as it never really covers or blends like the ends . Are you in a professional job that you talk and see people daily?If so, you want to look your best.
As far as the health of your hair, every time you color you are reopening the hair shaft in order to grab the color and yes some damage happens but if you use a good protein treatment and deep conditioner afterwards, then use a daily conditioner you should be ok. There is a difference in "treatments" and daily conditioners. Treatments penetrates deeper in the hair to strengthen and are to be used about once a month. A daily conditioner just protects and coats the hair to smooth the hair shaft.

If you still choose to color and use the box remember these steps. #1 clarify treatment before the color to remove all traces of old color,hard water build up etc. #2 re seal the hair shaft with a conditioner #3 making sure the roots are dry,do the roots only for the full time running the rest of the color through the hair no longer than 5 mins if the hair ends are dry. I f you leave the ends wet with conditioner you can leave it on longer (about 12 mins) #4 After rinsing the color out, deep condition for about 20 mins. To hold the color longer. Do not wash the hair again for at least 48 hours and use a good color shampoo and conditioner .

Good luck in whatever you decide!