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Fake or Natural?

(50 Posts)
Nonna1949 Thu 27-Sept-12 11:54:18

I am interested in finding out what other Gransnetters do about colouring their greying hair. I'm in my early sixties and working part-time in a job that requires a lot of public speaking. My hair is still brown at the back but is now grey at the top, front and sides. The contrast between the front and back looks rather odd. I have it highlighted so there is a mixture of my natural grey and shades of light brown at the front. This is a rather expensive procedure that takes place every couple of months. I can ill afford it but more than that, I'm feeling a fake for doing it. I would be happy to be grey all over but it looks like it's going to be a long time before that happens. Any ideas?

Grannyeggs Mon 01-Oct-12 13:17:54

Totally silver sounds lovely nanaAnna, but my hair is mouse, with big grey chunks at the side,plus a bit that appeared right across the top when my ex left me ten years ago, shock apparently, I never believed that it could happen until It happened to me, (the hair I mean, not the love rat husband) So now I'm with those that gets it coloured regularly, and it will be the last thing that goes. Vanity! blush

Granny23 Mon 01-Oct-12 12:29:15

I have just had a big, pleasant surprise after a dyeing accident. I have been a bottle blonde since I was 15. Mum bleached it for me the weekend between leaving school and starting work and I have been Nice and Easy 'Honey Blonde' ever since. A couple of weeks ago the suermarket did not have the right shade so I took a similar shade from a different brand, bunged it on and transformed myself into an old woman, with dark grey beige hair. It was so horrible that DH insisted I needed a hat to go out and DD2 concurred that I looked ancient and nothing like myself. So off to Superdrug and got colour stripper, (designed to take all artifical colour from hair) which is very complicated but worked wonders and here I am now BABY BLONDE! I am the same colour as youngest DGD, a bit lighter than my usual colour but colour looks natural and is all over with no pale roots.

Although I had bought my usual shade of Nice and Easy, to apply after stripping, I have decided just to leave well alone and see what develops. Perhaps worth a try by others who are unsure what their natural colour is now. Like me, you may be pleasantly surprised.

constance Mon 01-Oct-12 08:33:22

I started going grey in my teens and over the last few decades have died with henna and chemicals and tried going natural - problem with that was people assumed I was ten years older than I really was. There came a time when I had to shift from dying with darker colour to hide the grey roots, to acknowledging how much grey there was and going with highlights to augment the grey and make it more 'ash blonde'. THat made it easier to blend when it was growing out so I didn't have to go to the hairdresser so often.
Now I am 50 and almost white haired all over apart from a darker grey bit at the front, and stopped dying as the hair was getting a bit 'tired'. I occasionally get a shock when I see the very white back of my head and it reminds me of my mum!
I did have a big bright red streak put in on either side of my head that are half hidden by the hair above, and lots of people compliment me on those - tho my little grandson thought I had banged my head like him and was bleeding!
I did it the week that the tories won the election as I didn't want to look too 'respectable' any more. I did think about going red all over and being a vivienne westwood style of granny but couldn't face going back to having a roots issue every month.

Sook Sun 30-Sept-12 18:04:34

Ian I think it's easier for men to go grey maybe less pressure. My DH looks even more handsome now his hair is a pewter colour. My sons FIL dyes his a dark brown in my opinion he looks a bit ridiculous it is so obivious.

glammanana Sat 29-Sept-12 19:48:20

fluffy as long as your hair is in good condition and you like it and feel good about yourself it doesn't matter how long your hair is,I had this problem last year when DD thought I should have my hair cut,it is now near waist length and has been coloured for years but is in very good condition,after a lot of thought I just had a trim I think about 2 inches because I can have it up or down or pony tail or plait and it always looks tidy so go with what you think suits you.

Ian42 Sat 29-Sept-12 19:31:28

I have no problem with my greying hair.

JessM Sat 29-Sept-12 07:31:07

I have the same greying pattern as you nonna (0P)
For a long time i have been having blond highlights to "warm it up"
However 6 months ago, the last time I had this done, I developed a very itchy patch on my scalp which I can only conclude was caused by a bit of bleach on my scalp (even with foil highlights, I guess impossible to be 100% that the product does not touch the scalp I guess.
This itchy patch is slowly slowly improving but has put me off hair dye. Maybe for ever...
I am fortunate that it is still thick and fine. I am reaching the conclusion that a flattering cut is the way to go. And taking a bit more trouble to dry it so that it looks tidy.
There was an ad on TV with a woman with a great grey bob ... might have been IBM? That is what i aspire to. I think.
On the down side, white is not "one of my colours" and a bit of me always fancied going pink or something if and when I had proper white hair hmm

gracesmum Fri 28-Sept-12 19:05:22

Well if you must go for purple with blue highlights.......grin

goose1964 Fri 28-Sept-12 19:00:36

I've been dyeing mine but the last two times I#ve done it my grandson burst into tears so I'll stop for his sake

Littlenellie Fri 28-Sept-12 18:08:10

Each to their own I think...

fluffy Fri 28-Sept-12 18:03:49

Everyones going to look at you too! Esp if you are a glamorous gran!
I have been having my hair highlighted for 30 years - the big question is - when do you cut it! I always had to have short hair when I was a child and grew it long as soon as I could - now at 53 and a gran am I too old to have long hair? - its not that long - just past shoulder length and I do like it - think it will always have to stay. I do think white hair with a tan looks lovely so I think overall do what suits and feels 'you'.

glassortwo Fri 28-Sept-12 16:23:30

I have been going to the same hairdresser for 26 yrs she had just come out of her training. I would not know where to start if she had a change in career, she wont leave as she opened her own salon, I think I would have very long hair and be grey without her.

annodomini Fri 28-Sept-12 15:33:22

Good for you, glamma. I used to work in an FE college with a hairdressing department. One day I went for a shampoo and blow dry. The girl put so much mousse on that I came out looking like a cross between a hedgehog and a Brillo pad! Seriously, though, having short, fine hair, I do need a really good cut and this stylist proved to be just what I needed.

glammanana Fri 28-Sept-12 15:02:47

anno I usually get friendly with a hairdresser and we get on well etc and then they go and move on to another salon it drives me mad,I must say that the last few times I have been for a trim (I only ever have 1inch taken off) I have gone to the local beauty training college where a trim is £6.00 supervised by one of the tutors so no damage done and it helps the students with their portfollio.

annodomini Fri 28-Sept-12 14:47:04

Have had good news about my hairdresser. A new one is starting up just down the road from me and it looks as if one of the owners is my stylist! What a piece of luck!

gracesmum Fri 28-Sept-12 14:22:27

I have read all of these and dithered, but am now back from the hairdresser and will save going grey for another day! (Oh, had my eyebrows tinted too!)

glammanana Fri 28-Sept-12 10:24:41

I don't know what I'd do if "Nice & Easy" stopped making my colour I have used the same one for years and colour my hair myself it is a pale blonde just a few shades lighter than my natural colour,but over the years I have greyed at the sides and now slowly starting all over,I buy two packs of colour with my hair being so long and colour every 8/10weeks so the cost is not bad at all and I think it gives you a real boost when you know your hair looks good.nannanna your cut is fab and colour very similar to mine suits you well.

glassortwo Fri 28-Sept-12 08:06:53

NannaAnna I love your colour it suits you.

annodomini Thu 27-Sept-12 22:48:07

Your new style suits you so well, NannaAnna. You must have a brilliant stylist. I'd just found a new one when she moved to another salon. Don't yet know where but I have my sources.

NannaAnna Thu 27-Sept-12 22:30:01

grin JO4 She is adorable.

Ella46 Thu 27-Sept-12 22:04:14

I think it's much nicer now nanna, it really suits you.

jeni Thu 27-Sept-12 22:03:52

gally I think our hair colours ate the same! The only difference is that mine wavy! I wish it was straight!

Sook Thu 27-Sept-12 21:55:59

NannaAnna the colour and the cut are very flattering.

janeainsworth Thu 27-Sept-12 21:47:39

That's a great hairstyle and colour NannaAnnasmile

JO4 Thu 27-Sept-12 21:47:04

Who's gonna look at you NannaAnna when there's that so sweet little baby to look at. grin