Going grey from darkish brown - not sure what to do

I’m another one who went the colour stripper then bleach route. Had to do several colour strippers as my hair was dyed red, which is apparently harder to remove. The bleach was a 9 level lift one.
My hair is now very very light white-blonde and I use silver shampoo. My new undyed hair growing through is silver white and really soft.
I have no regrets at all, I love my new hair colour and I am no more enslaved by hair dye, root concealer, etc. I keep my eyebrows dark as I don’t want grey brows though!

Could try the semi permanent going a shade lighter every time with regular trims.
Or maybe just go natural and keep it well conditioned.
I always hate the way that dyed ends lighten over time and the coverage over my grey side bits is rubbish. After leaving it the hair growing isn’t that grey everywhere else.

I died my hair from when I started work at 15 (black) then went to dark brown and finally used a reddish brown wash out colour. I didn't have any grey roots but was grey around the front and side. I decided to let it wash out and, for the first time, received compliments on my hair - it's brown with grey highlights. I never imagined not clouring my hair but love it now.

Hair dye is very toxic to the body, if you could have lighter foils put in and over time a few more that could help the change.
Foils are less toxic as the dye/bleach is not in so much contact with the skin.

This is my first post , so be kind.I’ve been going grey since my early 20’s. My natural colour was dark brown. After years of spending a fortune dying my hair, a mixture of doing it myself ( badly) and expensive sessions in the hairdressers ( much better results but harder on my pocket) last year I finally took the plunge to go grey. A hard decision as I was only 49, I just didn’t want to face the horror of growing out the colour.
My answer to the problem was to shave my head for a charity. It solved the problem of growing out my colour and also raised a large amount of money. To be honest it was the best decision ever. I love my grey hair and have kept the short look. Everyone comments on how great my hair is. I’ll never go back to dying my hair again.

I had very dark brown hair and started going grey in my early 20s. By my mid 30s it was very noticeable so went down the route of highlights. My hairdresser used the same no-foil technique which JackieB mentioned creating very fine natural looking streaks in several shades. Gradually over the years my overall colour changed through all the brown tones to a lovely warm blonde. Eventually I no longer had any idea what my natural colour was! So I asked my hairdresser to strip the dyed colour out. To my surprise I was a lovely silver grey with a bit of natural dark hair at the nape. I decided to leave it like that. My hair is now snow white with a bit of silver at the back. I LOVE it! It's so liberating. I now wear lots of colours I would have avoided before and I'm saving a fortune on colouring. Sometimes I use wash-out spray colours to add fine streaks or tips to match an outfit for a special occasion - red for Christmas, blue and turquoise for a wedding - DH was a bit surprised but my GC love it and tell me about all the latest hair products. Be brave, grey/white hair is fun!

I have a half head of highlights every 12 weeks or so in the same colour as my own hair ie dark brown. It ha Des the grey really well with no roots to deal with.

But I am pondering about letting my hair go grey now, I can afford the highlights, quite like going to the hairdresser but maybe it is time to be more natural?

I had very, very dark brown hair and started going grey when I was 16 (Mediterranean colouring)! At one time I used to have it dyed blonde (my skin tone had lightened by then but I had to have my dark eyebrows dyed light brown as they were still black), however I eventually let that fade and now my hair is pure silver. Every now and then I go shocking pink!

I found a hairdresser who I trust, after all, she has the know how so that must be first on your list. Find a good stylist.
Next, go through the colour chart with her/him to see what (s)he suggests as a base colour and ask for flashes woven through.
I suggest delicate strands of a lighter colour, maybe toffee or a slighly copper shade (no, not red or ginger)
around the front and sides. Just a hint, which will warm your face.
As you get older, pale colours wash you out and dark colours make you look hard as do block colours.
Blonde flashes go like straw, believe me, I've done the lot and it looked like one of those thatched beach umbrellas when I washed and dried it myself...really
My own hair is medium brown going grey at sides and front but still brown at the back and I used to dye it myself 'Deep Reddish Brown' as my normal brown hair tends to have reddish tones. It went darker and darker.
Now I have it a warm conker brown with copper flashes blended in on top sides and front which look entirely natural. I have the back layered from the crown and into the nape to give fullness and the rest is over to one side and pushed behind my ears, just ear lobe level.
I would never have chosen the colour on my own and yes, it is an expense but it's my treat every 5 weeks. Cut, roots or flashes, wash and hair masque and dry. It cost about £54 with the 20% off January special.
I haven't been so pleased in years.
Do take the plunge and good luck.
Let us know how you get on.
I'll post a photo when I have mine done again in 2 weeks.

I'm lucky - depending on how you look at it - just a silvery grey Cruella de Ville type flash across my right side of fairly thick, short brown hair. Very proud of it, as its completely natural, like my mum had. I'm in my mid 60's and as long as my hair is well cut (vital in my book) and looks tidy I'll take whatever comes.

My point is be thankful for what you have, be proud of it and keep it natural! Works for me, but good luck whatever you decide.

I kept dying my hair grey.... As you have been dying your hair brown that colour will gradually fade. So get one of the gorgeous grey dyes there are out there and use that. It worked for me. I still dye my hair metallic silver...love it.

That sounds lovely Gabriella, yes please post a photo. I am out in the sticks and good hairdressers are not near by. Norwich is my nearest big city, about 1.5 hours.

Kazzie your hair looks good blond, nice condition and I can see the grey would easily blend in.

I spent quite a bit on my hair trying highlights etc the other year, paid extra for Olaplex treatments, and never liked it on me, and yes the hair did go straw like eventually. It was a local hairdressers though.

I think warm golds and coppers as highlights especially round my face, would suit me.

I imagine I would look washed out all grey and I would have to rethink clothes and makeup. I have never liked wearing lipstick, all I ever use is some Vaseline. I can't wear eye make up (have dry eye and get infections). I do use a little blusher.

I don't know if this is applicable, not knowing what kind of job you have, but would dyeing your hair some shocking colour (pink, turquoise, green) or just henna red be an option? Pink etc can be tried out in the kind of colour that washes out quickly, henna lasts far longer and you have the same trouble with roots as with any other dye.

If you can afford it, a good hairdresser would be my advice.

If you decide to go grey naturally, check that your clothes suit your new colouring and your make-up as well. As just going on using the colours and shades that suited you formerly usually is not a very good idea,

I decided just before Christmas to stop with the faff of dyeing my hair - I am brown haired too and going white/grey. I got a shortish pixie cut (think Judy Dench) style and gold through silver ash highlights added - people have said how much it suits me. I think I will keep it in this style until I can see just how much grey (my hairdresser, bless her, says to call it Silver Ash ) there is - she doesn't think there is a great deal at the moment. The highlights only need doing every three months with a trim in between so not expensive to maintain. The relief of not having to dye it brown (almost always went much darker than I wanted it to) and faddle around with the roots and retouching because the white/grey hair at my ears would always lose the colour within a few washes, is wonderful! There are several free 'try this hairstyle' type sites on the Internet, you use a current photo and can get a good idea of which styles would suit you or not - I'd try one with some of the short hair styles and you might find one you like!

I use a permanent hair dye (Nice and Easy by Clairol) once a month in a shade a few shades lighter than my usual colour as even your natural dark colour gets lighter as we age and our skin tones generally don’t take it so we can look washed out with really dark dyed hair. Only around £5 a box, simple to use (like a 30 minute shampoo, just pop it in all over but comes out multi tonal with the different shades in your hair and I do it alone as it’s as simple as shampoo). Why not give it a try before you go to the hairdresser as you have only lost £5 if you don’t like it?
Personally (and I’m not here to insult anyone or start a row) I think you have to have a very modern cut/style and lots of attitude to rock a grey colour and have seen so many women with grey, unkempt hair that ages then considerably so it’s not the easy answer for everyone.

My mum dyed her hair very dark for years but had no idea what was going on underneath. She went for the total bleach then had a semi permanent beigy colour on the top while her hair grew out. In fact she was a very pretty shade of grey all over and didn't need to use the semi permanent for long.
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I would just like some hair - don't really mind the colour!
I’ve tried everything with no success and instead of the glorious dark chestnut mane I used to have, I am now in possession of sparse, rust-coloured fluff.
I am trying to pluck up the courage to buy a wig, but I’m finding it very worrying.
When I finally take the plunge, I’ll probably go for silvery grey - unless I’m having a mad day in which case it’ll be shocking pink!

I have medium brown hair and the grey comes through at the front which looks like highlights. I colour with semi permanent dark blond which sort of just colours the grey leaving rest of hair looking similar to own colour and as washes out the grey seems to appear in strips (looking like highlights ) rather than the roots in a stripe. My hairdresser thinks I'm lucky that my hair is going grey the way it is important just not ready to leave it grey at the moment

Maybe short hair would suite you more than you think, give it a try and get rid of the problem quicker.I have short silvery hair and get compliments, especially from my hairdresser who says "never colour your hair its lovely" couldnt get better than that!

I had my first grey hairs at 16,coloured it for most of my life,used to use the wash in,wash out in a week colour just along my parting to keep the hair the same colour but hit my 5's and got really fed up with that. So I went to the hairdresser,started off with lowlights,then decided to get a home highlighting kit and do it myself. Gradually went blond although the hair at the back is still pretty dark. Now I put crazy colours on,depending on my mood and my outfit.So far have been bright red,pink,green,electric blue,turquoise and purple. Have had loads of compliments,mainly from young people who say they love it. Older ladies just tell me I'm brave and that they couldn't do it. I do my hair the way I like it,not to please anyone else. My hubby just smiles when he comes in and my hair is a totally different colour from what it was in the morning. Go with whatever you feel comfortable with .BTW I'm 65.

That should say 50's not 5's

I'm 62 and still dyeing my hair, which is naturally about 60% medium brown, 40% grey. Very torn about the whole thing - I'd love to stop but my hair is very long and I really don't want to cut it. This year my hairdresser is trying to ease me closer to my roots with fine highlights - hope the transition works.

Find a good hairdresser you can trust and ask expert opinion. I went lighter with highlights and a toner to give a more ashy effect. No white roots / dark dyed hair horrors. I now have a few lowlights to give bit of interest to the grey every couple of months. Sometimes put a wash in /wash out rinse - maybe violet or pink which again lifts the colour. Very low maintenance.

Am early 60s and coloured my brown hair for a long time. It was time consuming and a real ‘faddle’. About 3 years ago I got my hair cut shorter than normal while the colour grew out (interesting how hair grows at different rates on one’s head). Now have salt and pepper hair, much darker at the back than front but have gone back to original style and length and feel wonderfully liberated - ps. I don’t feel old either!! Go for it!

I don't know anyone who has embraced the grey who regrets it Caro57. Like you I find it liberating.