Is it time to go grey?

I pestered my hairdresser for about 18 months, after always having had it coloured since my twenties. I used to colour it myself when my family were small ( too expensive at a salon). Just before the first lockdown I did it, at the hairdressers. Four hours of my life I will never get back! To get my colour stripped off, but boy was I glad when COVID-19 struck, and we were in lockdown. It is now a lovely white/salt and pepper grey, I get loads of compliments, and all I need , when I get back to the hairdressers, is a toner, to brighten up the grey. Win win
I can wear lovely bright colours, new lip colour, if it’s good enough for Helen Mirren and Judy Dench it’s good enough for me!

I have let mine go grey after many years of colouring. It is quite a nice colour but I may well try some low lights or perhaps a semi-permanent colour when hairdressers are open again.

Thank you everyone who has commented. Its interesting that some of you say how your hair is in better condition, as that is my experience too. In lockdown nobody has perfect hair so having gone for what will be 4 months by the time my hairdresser opens I have decided to go gray and maybe have some highlights. As some of you said, can always have it dyed again if I dont like it!

It was around 5 years ago. I decided my body wasn't keeping up with my hair!! I got my hairdresser to just put highlights in my hair until you couldn't see the difference. If I see grey hair in the mirror, I don't believe it's me!!

I let my hair go from mousy brown to silver some years ago and I love my short silver look! Especially when I can get to a hairdresser... It has saved me time and money in regular colouring and I like to think that it makes a bold statement. I always use lipstick and eye make-up though. Without it I just look totally a drab and washed-
out pensioner...

I went grey/white after a bout of chemotherapy 16 years ago and never bothered to colour my hair again! I love the colour but I do think when people first see me they immediately think "old lady" just because of the colour of my hair. But to be honest I am 71 now so I guess I am an old lady and I wear my white hair with pride!

Rowsie, your hair is beautiful and that colour blue is perfect for you and your hair.

I meant the blue of your clothes not that I thought your hair looks blue,sorry!

I think that the cut is equally as important as the colour. What i dislike intensely is long grey hair. I have a friend whose hair is shoulder length and vari0us shade of grey and it looks horrible. A bit like my new dog's hair but he has black and white too, which livens it up.

Grey hair can look lovely but sadly not on me, it just doesn't suit my skin colour. Dying my hair is a pain so I'm quite envious of those of you who look good with grey hair, some of my friends look wonderful! I am all for doing what makes you feel good, I may be 72 but I still like to mess around with make up etc. My MIL died at the end of 2019 aged 101, she always greeted the day with tidy hair, a little makeup on her face and a huge smile topped up with some lipstick!

I started to go grey at 16! My fathers hair was white at 26, so obviously in the family.
I coloured my hair for years then 3 yrs ago decided to colour it very light blond and let it grow out gently with no harsh lines. I’m lucky that it’s a good silver tone, which I keep looking bright with a good silver shampoo. The secret is to have a good cut. I keep it shoulder length in a choppy style which gives it a bit of body. Also re-think about the shades of makeup you need to wear when having silver/ grey hair. I wear brighter colours nearer to my face now too- turquoise sharp pinks etc no drab colours near the neckline as it can make you looked washed out. I’d say go for it, but remember it’s not just about the hair colour, you need to change your whole look to accommodate it you want to look good!

This is a photo of my hair when it had its first cut after no dye left!

rowsie love your hair it looks fab and yours too geeb. My dear mother in law had that lovely silvery grey colour and she always looked amazing.

My hair started going grey at 24, I'm now 60 and it's really grey now with salt n peppery high lights . I really don't like it. My grandparents went completely white and both my parents are now completely white and I love that colour. My grandmother used have pink, violet and blue rinses on her hair and that looked really nice too. My own mother has left her home hire and it looks OK too. But I'm still grey, I was hoping I'd go white, but I don't think I ever will because my original hair colour was really dark brown looking almost black when I was young. So I colour it myself, and have done for years. I just wish I had the courage to grow it out to check if there is a chance that it might go completely white, but I dared'nt. At the moment it's still grey and I think grey looks "witchy".

Sorry about typos my phone changes the texts before I realise. Corrections.... My mother has left her hair white and it looks OK. My grandmother used to have violet ' pink and blue rinses.... I think that's the typos sorted. Sorry about that...

Geeb.. I like you hair colour. It's not that harsh salt n peppery grey its a soft grey I like it.

My natural hair colour is mouse. For many years pre lockdown I had short hair, dyed blonde from a box (thanks DH). During lockdown I had to let it grow obviously and was surprised to find it had a slight curl. I was determined to let the grey grow out but after a year I decided it didn't suit my complexion - it was a steel grey in parts, still brown in others. I was hoping for a gorgeous colour like DH or Geeb. I had a box of hair colour hiding in the back of a cupboard so have put blond streaks back in and feel I look much better. My hair is now almost to my shoulders and DH loves it. I'll have a trim asap to tidy it up but will continue to pop blonde into it.

Dinahmo.. I'm with you on the long grey look. It can look revolting if it's long and stalky looking, it gives off a really dry witchypoo look, it can make a person look quite evil and scruffy on the wrong head. Just because people like it, it doesn't mean it looks good on them. I think texture, shade and style has a lot to do with it... "Geeb" Is a perfect example of what grey hair should look like if your going to leave it as it is. Otherwise your going to look like a witch.

The colour you’re wearing is exactly what I mean about having bright sharp colours next to the face. It suits you beautifully Rowsie

Thank you Yorki, as I said, it does help if you use a good silver shampoo. I would recommend Matrix total results in oh so silver.

I agree twinnytwin, whatever helps and whatever makes you feel good is the way to go!

I am 63 and chose to let my hair go grey. It’s very fuzzy and grows upwards and I need to blow dry or use straighteners if I want to avoid the Einstein look. The heat has made the ends go yellow and despite trying every purple or blue “anti brassiness “ shampoo on the market it still looks awful. It accentuates discolouration on my skin. I feel and look worn out and tired. I can’t wait for hairdressers to open for a smart short cut and advice about a colour.

Well I don't intend to stop having mine professionally coloured. If I were to go to a grey 'colour' though, I would still have my hairdresser make it a sleek silver mane.?

Happilyretired123, I think it just depends on the tone of grey and whether you like it.

It made sense, for me, to stop dyeing the grey blonde - and dye the remaining blonde grey instead.

It's mostly silver anyway, so I've used 'Metallic silver' which has a purple hint to it.

Rowsie your cut and colour are very chic and the location makes me drool with envy, roll end of lockdown.

I’m blonde and have been colouring my grey regrowth with a Josh Wood touch up applicator. I don’t think I’ll suit going grey tbh. My personality is so blonde I can’t imagine being any other colour