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Oh-oh. The dreaded white hairs have resurfaced......!

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SlinkyNewMe
SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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What to do. I have made three attempts at just leaving them alone and let nature take it's course and then I catch myself in the mirror and think "OMG!" and run to the chemist to get some hair dye - quick, quick!

For the last few months I have only dyed the centre parting of my hair, which is completely white - and I mean white - not grey. The rest of my hair is a salt and pepper black and white. I have dreadlocks, and if I were to leave the white to take over, I would end up with a Toni Morrison (Google her - she's a famous African American author) crown of regal dreadlocks. I like her look, but she is about 70 and I, on the other hand, am not! Having said that I have a relatively youngish face, so allowing nature to take its course, could look quite striking

Soooo... to dye or not to dye, that is the question. I am at the stage of regrowth where I am feeling very self conscious and the box of Nice and Easy in the bathroom cabinet is calling me....calling me......
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Replies

  • caroldot
    caroldot Posts: 388 Member
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    I've been keeping color on my hair the past few years so I'd hate to see how many gray hair is really there! I know its more than I realize because I see them when the color starts to grow out. I will definitely be one of those women that fight old age anyway I can - under eye cream, hair color, anti-aging moisturizer....whatever I can! Unfortunately can't afford plastice surgery - lol! - so gotta fight the bulge the old fashioned way - lots of exercise and sit ups!

    But whatever you do, don't pluck gray hairs out! Two grow back in place of one......old wives' tale my mom has always told me but I'm not taking any chances!!!!
  • SlinkyNewMe
    SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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    I might cave in and dye them. I have just joined my local gym and I don't want to feel too self conscious!
  • sdolan825
    sdolan825 Posts: 10
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    Well I have certainly used my fair share of Ms Clairol...still do! I come from the belief that if I feel pretty Im going to work harder on maintaining myself. And well lets be honest, I dont feel too pretty with grey hair sprouting off my head!!! Perhaps in a few years when Im out of my 40's and well into my fifties Ill feel differently! I say FIGHT THE GREY/WHITE!!!!
  • RheneeB
    RheneeB Posts: 461 Member
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    I say go for it!!! I have black hair and when those grays start popping up they stand out like a sore thumb. I only have a little but I do cover it up. I think I will keep covering it until I am about 65 and then I will just color it gray!!! I actually found a gray eyebrow last week while plucking......now that bothered me!!!!
  • woodmetal
    woodmetal Posts: 72
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    You will be beautiful no matter the choice! It is what is inside that counts! Thanks for your support Slinky! I am really struggling and not sure how well I am going to make it.
  • SandyMilton
    SandyMilton Posts: 130
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    I have "lightly salted" hair (LOL) - and the unfortunate thing is, if I just get off the counter hair dye, I can see my whites back within two to three weeks. The first time I had my hair professionally colored was the only time I actually never saw the whites come back. UNFORTUNATELY I got lazy and just let it grow all out again (at the time I had probably 7" cut off to below shoulder length when i got it dyed and since it was all long, it was easy to grow back out and ignore it again).

    It took... oh.... about a year before I went to the salon again. This time they cut 10" off, I got this shortish style, and the rest of the color went away with the cut. now it's just the super dark brown, lightly salted look again *sigh* - unfortunately I think it's time I actually not only keep up with the "new doo" but to keep up with the coloring - one way or another :(
  • Ellejay40
    Ellejay40 Posts: 13
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    Got my first grey hairs in my late teens early 20s and have dyed my hair eversince. Sometimes I'm brunette, copper, Ginger, blonde, brown, chocolate, streaked, red chunky bits...whatever take my fancy. So my grey hairs don't concern me. On the other hand the single black wirey one that grows right out the end of my chin is starting to tick me off.
  • frenchkm
    frenchkm Posts: 4 Member
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    I agree with Elljay40.... I dont mind coloring a few grays on the head, but what the heck with the facial hair?? I have plucked a few out from my chin the last few months. I need some Nair for the Face or something!
  • RheneeB
    RheneeB Posts: 461 Member
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    I went to a woman's conference with Anita Renfro performing......you gotta google that woman, she is hilarious. She was talking about all the things that happen to us women after we turn 40 and she referred to those chin hairs as "catfish whiskers". I thought I was going to die laughing......and yes, I have a couple catfish whiskers myself....what the heck?
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    I don't even know if I have any greys, been dying my hair since my teens because I don't like my natural colour (really dull brown). I've been red, black, purple.... I've settled on dark brown now which seems to suit me best. There's bound to be some greys under it, I've found some 'downstairs' :/
  • SlinkyNewMe
    SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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    You will be beautiful no matter the choice! It is what is inside that counts! Thanks for your support Slinky! I am really struggling and not sure how well I am going to make it.

    Hang in there woodmetal. Everything that challenges us does not have to win!
  • SlinkyNewMe
    SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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    I caved in and dyed my hair. It now looks fabulous! I feel 100% better. I don't even know what point I was trying to prove by not dyeing it. I tell myself that it is just make up, the same as lipstick, eyeliner that we use to make ourselves look nicer.

    This ties in with the "invisible" thing. Because of my weight, it's as if I am fading away, becoming a shadow of my former self - so dyeing my hair, wearing make up, losing weight, working on my image, is my way of painting myself back into the picture.
  • sdolan825
    sdolan825 Posts: 10
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    Slinky I LOVE LOVE LOVE that attitude. I totally relate with the fading away ...I stopped with the makeup and general "up keep" if you will, you have inspired me to change that. THANK YOU!!!
  • lovemydrmartens
    lovemydrmartens Posts: 144 Member
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    I have this battle every month... I have alot of very thick curly hair so it takes a couple of boxes everytime and I have to justify the expense too.. my hair is almost totally white underneath now and I think i would have to get it all cut off in order to make a change...but I'm just not ready to be white and shorthaired yet...
  • Change_Agent
    Change_Agent Posts: 98 Member
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    Hi there,
    Joining in post-decision but just to say Good for you! I think everyone should be able to make whichever decision they want - dye or no dye - without feeling like they are caving in to societal pressure, etc. (As super fabulous women in our 40s, we have had to wrestle with lots of feminist questions, i think. Something that the younger set doesn't always understand or remember. I mean it was really a big deal to me and my cooler friends when it came to whether we should shave our legs or not. Were we just mindless bunnies for doing it? Were we Making a Statement if we didn't? It was a lot of work making those decisions!)

    I have been dying my hair since my 30s as like others on here I started going grey - and not in a purdy way either but in a drained-of-all-color way -- in my late 20s. Now, I just factor it into the monthly budget and don't look back. I think dreads always look cool as hell so why not make them as emphatic as possible?
  • lu136mickey
    lu136mickey Posts: 202
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    I say use the dye, because you will feel better about your appearence along with the weight loss!
  • SlinkyNewMe
    SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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    Isn't it funny how different you can feel by making such a relatively small change. It took me 15 minutes to dye my root back to their natural black colour. I no longer feel invisible, and this week I joined zumba and yoga and feel alive and invigorated. Think about it 15 minutes = 10 years younger! It's a no brainer really :wink:
  • Greenhaven44
    Greenhaven44 Posts: 71 Member
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    Isn't it funny how different you can feel by making such a relatively small change. It took me 15 minutes to dye my root back to their natural black colour. I no longer feel invisible, and this week I joined zumba and yoga and feel alive and invigorated. Think about it 15 minutes = 10 years younger! It's a no brainer really :wink:

    :happy:
  • imarlett
    imarlett Posts: 228 Member
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    I have been dying my hair since I was 19 (premature grey). You do what works for you so long as you don't stress your hair out. Keep healthy and keep happy!
  • irishginger
    irishginger Posts: 33 Member
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    I, too, have the premature white that started my every 3 month visit to the salons to cover it up. Now I'm to the point that I have to get touched up at the salon every 4 weeks. I thought that was bad enough but now I'm noticing at 2 weeks that the white is creeping back. :sad: My stylist recommended (when I told her no way in H*LL am I coming to see her every 2 weeks!!!) a color pen. It's actually a stain that I put on with a little brush that looks like a mascara brush and it gets me through those tough spots when I can't get to the salon. And it seems to hold up through workouts and washings.

    @ Slinky...Thanks for starting the group. I'm having fun reading the posts :)

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