Going grey - or rather stop colouring your hair - best way to do it?

My hair grows quickly so I let it grow out for a couple of inches then had a good haircut- it was either that or gradually go lighter which would have cost a fortune at the hairdressers. I've never regretted it

I think pure white hair looks lovely, it's the inbetween stages that can look a mess. If you hair is coming through all white roots then I'd bite the bullet and do as looopylou did.

A really good hair cut is vital though - it is worth the expense.

Maybe you could have a good hair cut and a lighter colour, as a starter. Then continue to colour, lighter yourself gradually using a lighter shade, over a period of time.

I gradually went lighter shades as my dark hair turned greyer. Now the front must be pure white, but the roots at the back are darker.
My hairdresser mixes colour that is a blond platinum colour, which I do like.

I know OZ hairdressing is expensive.DIL has long hair and would have a good trim when she came back to the UK. x

As loopy says.

I kept mine quite short initially, when it started to go silvery, and it soon lightened all over. Yes, start with a really good haircut that will accommodate the silver growth. I don't think you'll have any regrets.

As loopy suggests.

As your hair is growing so fast, the "bite the bullet" stage won't be for long. When I stopped dyeing my hair I was surprised at just how much of my natural dark hair was still around, (in a salt and pepper way) - also my hair was healthier than it had been for years. Never regretted it.

I envy you all.
I have thin fine hair and when I tried to stop dying it it looked awful even though it is short. I chickened out and am back to dying it dark blond which I've been doing as long as I can remember.

Mmm. Haven't been able to get to the hairdresser for a while, and the roots and highlights desperately need attention. I know it is grey a) I can see it and b) that is the colour that emerged when it grew back post chemo.

It is silver at the front but was a horrid steel grey at the sides and back. I think I might talk to my hairdresser about going gradually lighter as some of you suggest. I really wouldn't mind silver or white hair. I think....

I was going to suggest subtle streaks in all different colours, which last for ages and don't show as much when they grow out, but see that it could cost a fortune over there. Could you afford to have it done as a one-off, just as a treat? If you have fine streaks in silver, gold and light ash brown, it can take two or three months before it's noticeable, by which time you could have it all cut shorter. Or, have it cut short first, then have the streaks while it grows out.

I used to have highlights put in along my parting every time I had a haircut, so it blends quite well - depends on the style I suppose as to whether that works.

Having said that, I have just had bright red streaks put in

Ariadne mine was very white silver at the front and sides but darker at the back. It didn't worry me (I actually liked it looking different striking) and quite miss it now I'm pretty much silver all over

Once done professionally, you could redo the streaks yourself. There are kits on the market with a wand like brush that you comb the streak on with. You don't have to put it through a cap or use foils. I did this myself for a while and it worked out ok. One of the reasons I stopped and went to the hairdresser was that I'm messy and got the stuff all over the bathroom! x

I just bit the bullet when I stopped working , my hair is quite silver with darker grey a the back but I love it and everyone thinks its deliberate on my part... after 40yrs of dying and hi-lighting I just thought ENOUGH!! i cannot do this anymore and stopped and yes it did look YUK!! for a while but I wasn't bothered anymore.. now I love it and it looks shiny and healthy too.
Its a shame things are so expensive but the others have given lots of good ideas for you to try..

Thanks everyone. I like the idea of going to the hairdresser to get a lighter colour put on then maybe doing it myself. I am not actually sure what the actual colour is underneath! I think there might be a white streak at the front (The Mallen Streak DH calls it - some of you may remember this on TV) as other members of the family have it!

I agree a good cut is essential. Very brave with the red streaks Constance.

I have a friend who has always had beautiful, thick, glossy hair. she is 63 now and her hair is still lovely. She used to colour it a dark-ish brown (her natural colour) but got fed up of grey roots showing through every few weeks. Her hairdresser put a lighter colour on it and she has gradually let her hair go grey. She has it shoulder length and it looks absolutely lovely.

! Guess what Katy; I actually went out and bought a wig today [how long have I been talking about it!]. I had let my hair go completely white so I could play about with hairpieces etc.I'm finding it very itchy, though, especially round my face.

A lot of it depends on how long your hair is. Before I let my hair go grey I had it cut quite short and had very light highlights in it. This way the regrowth is not so noticible. When I finally went grey I was disappointed at how patchy the grey was and how draining. I have very sallow skin. Now I have silver highlight put in it and use a silver shampoo, conditioner and mousse.

I am in the final stage of going grey and I love it! My hairdresser cuts it - short- every 4 weeks at the moment and the next cut should get rid of the final bits of colour still on some of the ends. I have had positive comments from everyone apart form my 8 year old DGD who prefers it "brown" and my DH who thinks it's too short!

Tegan - What a pity it is itchy. As mentioned before I have a hair replacement system as my hair has completely gone now. It's fantastic but expensive. I am not one of those brave ladies who can be bald and proud I'm afraid.

I did the same a Loopyloo donkey`s years ago when I was still quite young. My lovely dark brunette hair colour started going grey in my 30s eventually I got fed up colouring it and let the grey grow to a couple of inches and then had a good hair cut (hairdresser was very nervous) I have never, ever regretted it. I am lucky thought it is a lovely silvery blond which people admire to this day - and some think I colour it!!!

I might just get used to it. My skin is very sensitive anyway and a lot of hats make me itch also. Trouble is, for some reason, if I itch in one part of my body it seems to set off a chain reaction. Labels in clothes etc drive me bonkers. I might try taking an antihistamine tablet if and when I dare to wear it to see if that helps.

I had very dark brunette hair and started going grey at 18, coloured it for about 20 or so years then decided to go for it, and I've never regretted it for a moment, although this was long before it became more common to see younger women with silver hair. You do need to have a good cut I think, but I love seeing women with grey/silver hair
Saves me from any more disastrous 'bad hair day' colouring mistakes too [!

I also had very dark hair until about thirty, then went completely silver by the time I was forty, I tried blonde highlights - made me feel very odd, just didn't see myself as a blonde - then tried home colouring and hair went olive green. (Never use anything with ash in the name on grey hair, I later learned). So I decided to live with the silver (it's not completely white but a very pale grey). Now I get lots of compliments on my hair colour!

I have to say I thought going grey would be a really big deal but in the end I found it quite easy I just think "I can always colour it again if I don't like it." I think that mind set has helped.

My hair was a rich red but has faded over the last ten years or so. Started using wash-in colour, which was fine until I felt I was fed up with the harsh colour. Now have no artificial colour. I have a lot of silver highlights at front, but the back is still a faded auburn. Yes, cut is the critical thing - you can get away with a lot with a good cut.

The only problem I find with the loss of colour is that I'm not so confident in which colours work well for me. From it being instinctive, I now have to work hard to get my clothes colours' right. I'm looking forward to having completely silver hair.