When to go Grey...

I was interested to see your post re poliosis, mimoro. My mother had a wonderful thick silver streak in her very dark hair from age 50. We used to call it her Mallen streak (for the Catherine Cookson fans out there!). I was rather hoping to inherit it, but no such luck. Nor did I inherit her lovely thick hair, unfortunately!

I had coloured all my adult life. At first darker and then bleach blonde when the grey parting started to show. A couple of years ago I decided to save myself a fortune and see what was underneath. I am now light brown with natural highlights. I am 54, my hair is in the best condition ever and my purse is fuller!

I have two shades of blonde highlights put in about two to three times a year, which keeps it looking blonde rather than grey, but the highlights are a more natural look than an all over colour, and the roots hardly notice.

I thought this was a lovely story of a woman embracing her grey and becoming a model:

youtu.be/3-N1zrjucGY

I'm 59 and had all over colour for years. Last few years I've just had lowlights in to match my previous natural colour, so I'm a mixture of white, grey & dark brown. Intend having progressively less colour the older I get so will never have a problem with growing it out.

Maybe when you are confident?
I’ve gone grey, it wasn’t that difficult and I seem to have the unwelcome kind. White at the front and darker at the back it is cut well though.
I’m quite slim, dress in smart, casual style and IMO look FABULOUS, well ok maybe that’s a little over the top but I think I can hold my own. A friend of mine goes for the imaginative colours but I feel they are so hard to live up to. If your hair is blue or pink you really do have to look fabulous.

I noticed the first smattering of grey hairs in my very dark brown hair in my middle twenties. As the grey began to take over I coloured it to maintain the colour but gradually went lighter until I was an ash blonde. Two years ago I decided to give up colouring it, far too expensive now. At 65 years of age I am now sparkling silver grey and I love it. I have a soft perm every 3 months to make my style more manageable, and all colours of clothes seem to go well with silver hair.

Haven't got the courage to go grey gracefully, mid 60's. Have a high and low light done every 16 weeks.

I started colouring mine when it began to look very thin, and the grey hairs made it look even thinner. Now the roots grow through so it needs a regrowth colour touch every five weeks. Quite expensive.
Last time it went very light and I did not like it. Made me look washed out and very much older. So I went for a darker colour, too dark in fact.
I am not sure what to do, yet I do not think grey/ mousey hair suits me and is very ageing.
I do like proper silver hair though.

Update! I am now totally natural! A sort of silver colour, and absolutely loving it! (BTW, will be 60 in August, but having been battling the grey for many years, see previous posts)

Apart from no longer being a slave to the dreaded "roots" (my hair grows like a weed!) I am suddenly able to wear colours of clothes that previously would have been completely out of the question with red hair.

I now have a lovely mustard coloured tunic sort of jumper and a violet long line sweatshirt, both of with would have been a definite "NO" with my previous red hair!

Yes, after many years of the dye bottle, I have embraced the grey, now just have to come to terms with the cellulite and wrinkles

There’s no set ‘age’, it depends on your own hair.

As you can read from this thread there are some who start going grey in their 50s or earlier and some with hardly any in their 70s. If you’re block colouring your hair then the grey roots are going to look obvious. If you highlight then they blend in more and can even become part of the highlighting - the natural part.

I have my roots done every 7_8 weeks which takes a couple of hours max . I hate the expense but in my opinion grey hair is so ageing and at 66 I am not ready for the granny look . I can`t imagine a time when I will be grey ! I am light red naturally so may just go blonde if it comes to it . If grey /white hair suits you then go for it but I don`t think there is a `time` to go grey when we have so many alternatives available to us unlike our grans .

Marydoll I too had red hair and at the age of 62 have not yet ever had a colour on..like you I have had compliments over the years(not many these days lol) and asked if I had had highlights in. Mt grey is about 50% now..I wonder if it is something to do with having red hair,mine went a sort of salt n pepper colour.

Lately though I have been thinking of having a go at colouring it but hate the thought of starting something that I would have to do every month or 6 weeks etc .Also hate going to the hairdressers m couldnt afford to have it coloured there so would so it myself.

Hi phoenix, thanks for the positive update. My first grey hairs appeared when I was in my early 30's. I'm still liking my natural hair colour, silver at the front with darker bits towards the back. It is definitely liberating to embrace the changes that come with ageing. I do wish the increase in waist size wasn't one of them. Maybe it wouldn't be if I cut down on treats.

If its cost there are always hairdressing courses at local fe colleges, they always need outside models of all ages and are highly supervised. They come up with style suggestions and are very cheap. I have used them and our local college also does beauty treatments too, also very inexpensive.

I keep colouring my hair because the grey hairs among my dark brown just make it look very dull. I know the colour I use is probably too dark for me but GS2 says "I like your purple hair Granny" so at least two of us are happy!