Grey hair

Thanks everyone for your experiences with having grey hair and your very welcome advice. Although I’ve still not decided what to do, I feel as if I’m gradually getting used to having grey hair and may keep it that way, at least for the time being. I was watching Tamsin Greig on tv the other night (10 Years of Friday Night Dinner) and her short grey hair - when not covered by the auburn/brown bob style wig she wears on the programme) looks really beautiful in different tones of dark grey. It’s styled really nicely and looks chic and modern. She has dark brown eyes (which I also have) which compliment the grey hair. I don’t think I’ll look as glam as Tamsin (well, I KNOW I won’t!) but I think I’ll give the grey a try. I feel my hair is in better condition now as I never did think that colouring does the hair any good. Also, I’ve not worn make-up for over a year, and I always wore subtle make-up before lockdown, so maybe I need to concentrate on doing that again. A few of you mentioned wearing different colour clothes as well - that’s worth a try, hadn’t thought of that. My dear late mother used to colour her white hair with cold tea! It was surprisingly effective and the finished result was an ash blonde, if she didn’t leave the tea on for too long! Don’t think I’ll be trying that any time soon, as my hair is a dark grey and cold tea might not do the job. Thanks everyone for your advice - I apologise for taking so long to respond.

After years of putting more and more lighter and lighter blonde highlights into my brown but greying hair, I took the plunge at 50 and decided to rock silver locks. I love it and refuse to call it grey! Suits me better than the blonde, which washed me out. Also steering away from the earthy autumnal colours I used to wear does help - stronger colours for makeup and clothes def needed now. Bizarrely, I feel less invisible and far more confident as a result!

I been using L'Oreal temporary colour rinse which is very easy to use and gave warmer tones to my grey hair which made me look less"washed out"but in the last few weeks my hair has gone even lighter and I've decided I now like the colour it is so I'm no longer using hair colourant.
I am now dying my eyebrows instead and it makes my face look more alive.Wearing blusher and mascara helps too.For the first time in my life I am loving my natural hair colour and it looks shinier and healthier too.

PS my hairdresser comes to my home and I have the highlights done every six months at a cost of £60
I’m 77 and would be happy to go silver.

My natural colour is dark blonde and I’ve always had pale ash blonde highlights put in. Over the years I developed a broad silver streak either side of my parting. It’s exactly the colour I’d like all over but it stubbornly refuses to get any bigger, so I have to continue with the highlights or look like a badger.
This is my latest colour, after a long nine month wait to see my hairdresser.

I have saved over a £1,000.00 by not going to the hairdressers. I have been having all over colour and hi lights every 6 to 8 weeks previously. I have discovered at the age of 65 that I do not have a lot,of grey I have found a mobile hairdresser (a friend of my younger son) and she tells me to keep using the semi permanent it is working fine at covering what grey I have. My DH. Prefers it lighter but I am enjoying not having to worrying about maintenance. It is interesting that some of you are using semi permanent hair dye to cover mainly grey because we are told semi colour will not work.

I think once I have more grey I will pay for a consult with a top hair salon and get their advice.

I was brunette in my younger days and gradually with highlights etc ended up with shortish blondish hair, this grew out over lockdown and I decided to keep it longer (in a bob) and had a grey toner on just to brighten it up and I love it! Better when I have make up on and maybe a bright lippy could give you a bit of a lift? Why not visit a make up counter at a department store now they are open again? I had a little go at the Dior counter at the airport when I last went away, only a bit of foundation, blusher and lippy, such a difference. Treat yourself!

I am 64 and have allowed my very dark brown hair go grey/ white over the last few years. I love it ! I did colour it but dark hair and pale skin looked so unnatural on me.
I keep my hair well cut and I am very happy with it !

I expected to go to my grave with my white hair coloured a lovely ash blonde. Then I was unexpectedly taken very seriously and lost a lot of my hair. My hairdresser suggested we stopped colouring it for 6 months to concentrate on the quality of my hair. Luckily my hair grew back. By then everyone had seen my white hair and I had grown used to it so I kept it but had an up to date short cut and modified my makeup.

I'm 72 and I'm a sort of silvery white all over. I've grown it into a jawlength bob which is fairly easy. The best shampoo and conditioner etc for my fine, white hair is from the White Hot Hair range, although I do use Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer about alternate weeks before shampooing.
Ii love the colour I am now and my daughter is crossing her fingers that she goes the same shade as she gets older.

Try a semi permanent colour on your hair (but don't do it the day before an important occasion). I've had naturally mousy hair most of my adult life (blonde as a child) so have coloured it blond right through. It's now almost white and I colour it with a lightish blonde from Boots. There are so many choices particularly for grey hair, go for a light to medium blonde. Do it yourself it's easy. If it works out go for a permanent colour. You don't need to be grey.

A friend of mine is 68 and has gone completely grey and looks fantastic. but her grey is the same all over, it suits her complexion, and she always has it cut every 6 weeks in a very stylish cut, and uses salon products to keep it in wonderful condition (very shiny and smooth). However, I tried to go grey but my skin is much paler and it didn't suit me, so I now use a semi-permanent about once a month. Started with a pearl blonde colour (Castings) and then experimented with a slightly darker one. I think they last well. I also keep in Superdrug Colour Effect conditioner (which has a wash in / wash out colour in it - I use Cool Blonde). A friend has recommended Clairol Natural Instincts (dark blonde) but I haven't tried it. I wish I did suit grey hair but it just made me look washed out - sadly.

Ditch the grey, you're as young as you feel. I'm 74 and I have blonde hair with highlights and lowlights. Call me vain, call me anything you like but it makes me feel great. It can be high maintenance and in-between salon visits I'm very careful to use expensive hair products and yes I had to change some of my makeup to suit and also the colours I wear but who cares, I don't feel old and I don't feel frumpy. I'm going to enjoy every moment.

Make sure you have a good haircut and then have a browse at Boots, Superdrug etc. 'Nice n' Easy' has a lot of shades in semi-permanent and permanent. L'Oreal do a good range too. The choice of hair dyes is enormous.

Don't forget to patch test yourself just in case and you can buy 'colour remover' products if it goes wrong!

I have convinced myself that I like my grey hair, even though I wish it wasn’t grey. However the cost of keeping it coloured by my hairdresser was beyond a joke, and after a couple of attempts to colour it myself , I gave in and here I am ‘au natural’.

I decided to stop colouring my hair a couple of years ago and it is now mostly quite white with a fair bit of grey (both dark and light) in there. My mum was always on at me about covering up the grey but she died nearly 2 years ago and I have now decided that "This is who I am" - I'm on my second husband, had 3 kids (and a grandchild), had personal and financial problems but come out the other side and the colour of my hair is completely irrelevant. If people judge you on the colour of your hair, then they are not worth knowing!

You can't put a price on freedom from the time and money spent colouring your hair, it's lovely. The comments about changing your make up and clothes to match a lighter colour are good, didn't really think about that. I am trying to lose weight as well so will wait until I am slimmer before investing in a whole new wardrobe but will experiment with more colour on my face in the meantime - I think that will help with not looking as washed out.

I don't really care if grey hair makes me look "old" - I AM getting older and want to embrace it actually. I'm nearly 54 and there are many people who never made it to this age so having grey hair really doesn't matter in the scheme of things.

First get your make up updated, a great hair cut, use products for grey hair and experiment with your clothes colours you will find you are a new woman.

I have always dyed my hair and been dark haired naturally. Have had to dye it myself since mid thirties really . I get complimented on how dark hair suits me. But it's just a packet due. I would like lowlights or possibly the ombre.look but costs to keep it up would be exorbitant I can't stand to sit in hairdressers for hours my sister does and spend the whole day there in foils etc .she has nails done. .podiatrist and thinking of BOTOX and has eyebrows tattooed in I had my hair cut yday by a mobile hairdresser for first time since last year . She remarked how pretty I was and lovely eyes. At 66. I am happy with that. Tho i said I am well past all that. Lol. Nice to have a compliment. If had money I would probably like to do more adventurous things. But never have changed hair colour so not sure of how would look.. Some people change hair every few weeks. I wouldn't like being natural now. Never seen myself like it. But it suits a lot of people. Long as had a good cut.

I don’t mind being grey but my grey hair is just around my face, the rest of my hair is dark . Not very pretty. I have highlights every few months to balance it all up. Does anyone have the problem?

That's interesting, Puzzler6 that you colour your grey hair with semi permanent dye. My hairdresser said it would be translucent and may not last long. So, perhaps i will give it a go as I do feel a little pale sometimes even with make up and if i don't like it at least it will wash out!

Yes, definitely go for colour but not at salon! I think any hair colours you can buy in a box to do yourself are fine nowadays. Less than a fiver each. I find that one that’s described as being ash is good. Eg dark ash blonde. They tend to fade rather than show ones roots so can just be repeated every 6 weeks or so.
If unsure you could try a temporary one that’s described as lasting for 6 shampoos.
They do splash though , or I do,so make sure you have plenty of old towels to hand for floor and surrounding furniture ?

I am another one who have not had highlights for months during the various lockdowns and was initially happy with the grey taking over. I had highlights in a similar colour to my natural hair colour so didn’t have the problem of roots showing.

Now though I have decided to go a bit mad! I’m going to have some different shades of grey highlights as well as purple ones to celebrate the easing of restrictions. As I am quite a conservative dresser, I reckon my friends will be surprised but in a nice way I hope. If I hate it, I won’t have it done again but if I like it, I might change the colours every time I go!

A bit of a ramble, but bear with me if you can...

Ageing is inevitable if one is lucky and this cult of 'youngness' in oldees, especially women is sad... How one looks is hugely important to many but aren't appearances deceptive and of course exhausting to maintain... my mantra is tis ok to look your best but to strive to look younger says lots about one's inner voice, surely tis time of celebration when one has reached a certain age...

The celebs who we can't help but see constantly are to blame, with their surgical procedures and invasive poisons pumped and plumped, even Jane Fonda the activist has in my mind let women down with her myriad of surgeries et al. What is sooo wrong with being older?

The problem is that we do not value older folk in industrialised societies... we who are older bring experience and wisdom, moreover surely we bring usefulness with our talents/skills etc. however there are too many amongst us that cease to continue growing/learning as they age, hence we do have a problem with 'in my day' beings who are 'stuck'... I believe that if we continue to grow, develop, see 'things' anew we will be more respected and listened to and in turn feel better about ourselves.

I am 70 and cannot believe I have reached this grand age, never thought I would and hugely grateful, however I read lots, keep up with news & views, walk the woods and meadows, not just for exercise but for the inner self, the enabling 'stuff' that being in nature gives. Finally we should all celebrate ageing and of course experiment with hair colour (I oft have hair pillar box red and pink) not because i want to be younger but it brightens my being, sometimes looks odd, but hey ho, I don't care, I cut my hair too... I also like to look my best, I don't sometimes/often, but i don't care, its about me... I say to all women, be ok with who you are but start from the inside, that's what matters... rantings end :-)

If you've got this far thank you for reading my ramblings ;-)

I’m glad I stopped dyeing mine during the first lockdown (March 2020 was my last colour - same as you), I’m 59 and ready to embrace being grey.
Have a good modern cut, get it in tip-top condition (show your hairstylist some style pics you like) and don’t forget that wearing different colour clothes makes a huge difference - as does a nice lipstick.
I’m not willing to go back to dyeing mine every 4 weeks and covering roots in between...go for it xx

I still have my hair coloured but after so long in lockdown I decided it would be highlights only (half a head) and the base colour would be left natural. I think it's a good compromise and a lot cheaper as the growing-out is quite 'blurred' because half of it is your natural colour. So these days, I'm a half-blonde, not a whole-head one.