Best hair dye for grey hair.

I wouldn't mess with it at home - a good salon colour job is worth the money.

I agree Teetime. I post as a veteran of many a visit to a salon to undo home jobs. Now I just cut out self-attempts.

I have let my hair grow out to nearly white now but I never had any problems with Clairol Nice and Easy. I used a very light blonde shade so didn't get grey roots showing. I used it for years.

Nice and Easy is simple to use and covers well. £5 as opposed to £40 in the salon. My Yorkshire genes made the decision for many years. I have also now gone 'au natural' but I have a box of N&E in the cupboard in case I change my mind.

I wonder if the grey bits don't take dye as well as because of the ageing process that leaches the colour out in the first place.

Any hairdressers or scientists about to answer that one?

I had let mine go grey after using Nice 'n' Easy for years. Until DD tactfully bluntly told me I should start colouring again.

Used it about 3wks ago and it's looking good
Although I thought it too dark and asked on here about re doing it. I'm now happy with the colour.

Yes Nellie grey hair is more resistant. It tells you in the instructions to leave it on longer if you have a lot of grey.

I used Nice 'n' Easy for the first time recently. Applied the solution to my now silvery hairline 10 mins before applying the remainder to the rest of my hair and was delighted with the result.

I daren`t tackle it myself, but my daughter does mine with Clairol Nice `n`Easy, it lasts well, until my hair grows, that is, it doesn`t wash out.

I don't bother to colour now but I wear my hair very short any way Trying to get a dye just on the roots is difficult. Mine is very much a mixture of black and silver/white in colour anyway. More white at the front.

I use a blonde shade Nice n Easy and have done for about 5 years. Once I retired it became too expensive to pay £40 for a colour/meshes. It's about £5 in Asda and covers my grey brilliantly and also provides shades of tone. i.e. not all one solid block of colour. I use it about every 2 months.

Every so often I treat myself to a few meshes at the hairdresser, just for a change. I colour my hair a few days previous to the appointment.

And yes, like pp, get it onto the hairline before the rest goes on. Make sure it is well covered. I never bother trying to touch up roots, just do the whole head and hair is in great condition.

I think directions say something like 30 minutes but I leave it on about 50 minutes. Occasionally I've been on the phone and its been 90 minutes !! No bother.

Thanks for the recommendations - seems Nice'n'Easy is the outright winner!! I think I should just have the nerve to leave it on longer!! I have also read that you should wash your hair with baby shampoo the day before you colour it to strip it of other 'products' so it takes better - so think I will try that too.

I was told by hairdressers to shampoo with fairy liquid to strip my hair of other products! You learn something every day

I've used N & E for many years and even though I am very fair naturally slowly going grey over time N&E does give it a colour boost,you can see the colour on my profile if you need to,I just leave it on for 40mins every 6/8 weeks and job done and as everyone says I always do the grey around the hairline first.
Agus I will try that not heard of that before as sometimes you do need to go back basic's and get rid of the build up of products.
blackmoorfoot Just remembered you can try a blonde toned mousse for that matter it stay's on for a wash or two if you need it for something special,worth looking at,think it may be by Insett ?

Only just read this thread.

If money is an issue, rather than colour at home, you could get your hair professionally coloured at an in-salon training session or a hairdressing training college. They usually charge a lower fee to cover the cost of products used and the students are supervised. If you can choose to book into a level 3 class, it should be better as the students will be already qualified hairdressers at level 2 and will be aiming to increase their skill set.

If you live in a main city, you can also try the Colour House training academies such as Wella Academy or L'Oreal. Toni & Guy, Hobs, or Sassoon academies in London.

I trained at Sassoon in London and the Academies offer loyalty schemes for regulars for cuts and colours and it's a real bargain. The downside is that you need to allow a lot of time for an appointment (2-3 hours for a haircut) as the tutors have to check the students progress regularly.

From an experienced hairdresser point of view, please don't wash your hair with baby shampoo or [shudders] fairy liquid. Your hairdresser has given you poor advice there! It will strip your scalp of natural protective oils which helps to stop your scalp suffering during any chemical service. If you have a build up of products in your hair, you're better off using a decent chelating shampoo designed specifically to deep cleanse the hair.

Baby shampoo is vile stuff. It's ph balanced to match tears so that it doesn't irritate the eyes but it's far too alkaline for hair, not gentle at all!

Hope this helps. :-)

This is all very interesting. I used to home colour years ago but have been going to the salon for years now as I made such a mess of the bathroom! My hair is naturally very dark but since going grey (sob) I have been having it dyed blonde. Now, I'd like to go dark again just to be different. Would that look ok on a NotTooOld person? Also, what do others think about longer hair on older women?

Longer hair is fine, if it suits you in the first place. I would be wary of going too dark because skin tone changes with age, often becoming paler. Thus the contrast between dark hair and pale skin can not be a good look.
I had dark chestnut hair and over the years I have coloured it getting gradually lighter. I find that shoulder length seems to suit. x

Your advice about shampoo is really interesting Skullduggery It would never have occurred to me that baby shampoo was bad for hair, but I suppose it does make sense.

I didn't realise that about baby shampoo either.. I know now tho...I use nice n easy too.. I prefer result to when I had it done in salon!.. Bargain!