Shall I stop dyeing...what to do

I stopped dyeing my hair well before lockdown and put up with the two tone look before getting it cut very short. It was so liberating getting away from the tyranny of dyeing every few weeks. Other people don’t really bother what colour hair you have. It’s you they care about. A couple of friends have gone down the lockdown grey route and to be honest they look so much better with the new grey colour as it’s more natural and suits their skin tone. Thinking that it will look the wrong colour is purely your own perception until you get used to it.
What ever you choose to do it should feel right for you!

I stopped having my hair dyed years ago. My mother said "good, you're now growing old gracefully"!

Embrace your natural colour.

No mine is still dyed dark brown and it looks natural, it doesn't fade between dying either. I too use the spray on the roots but find it makes my head itch. I know you're supposed to go lighter as you age but it just doesn't suit my colouring. Also I think it depends on how even the grey is, mine is very patchy and still quite dark. I do have short hair when I can get to a hairdresser so if I chose to go grey could do it quite quickly without the need for it to grow out but I'm not ready to do that yet.

seacliff You say the dark brown is too dark for you now but do not want to go grey. I am in the same boat until I too found the dark colour ageing. Now I have a dark brown base with highlights and the effect is just right, very softening. As someone who has kept away from hairdressers for most of my life, this is quite a step, but when things are more normal, I recommend a visit to the hairdresser for highlights.

Five of us old work colleagues meet up occasionally. We had a socially distanced outdoor tea party back in August when we were allowed to meet up. It was interesting that only one of us was still colouring her hair.

I stopped colouring mine about 18 months ago. My hairdresser wasn’t keen (£?), but I quite like the colour it is, a sort of pewter.

There comes a time when it just doesn’t seem sensible to fake it.

I’m not going grey yet, I look and feel much better with cooured hair. When I went to my hairdresser last, she said the mistake most people make when they home dye is to leave the dye on for much too long, which is why it always looks darker than on the box.
I’ve followed her advice this last lockdown, and coloured my roots with a slightly lighter colour than I have before, and only left it on for 30 minutes, and it’s worked much better. I agree with hollysteers that highlights look better than one colour as well, but can’t do that myself unfortunately, will have to wait for a top up at the hairdressers..

Since I developed a sensitive scalp I no longer colour my hair. I only ever used a colour very similar to my own though because I have very fine hair and I had discovered that colouring it gave it some body.
However, I put common sense over vanity and decided to grow grey gracefully. The sunny weather last year - remember that??? - did give me some highlights naturally and with the few grey ones I do have some tones - I'd have probably paid a small fortune at the hairdressers for this effect! ?.

I love the colour of my grey hair it has whites and greys It sparkles. Love the natural colour.

I would let it grow out and have a flattering cut that's suits you.

I have grown my colour out and I gets lots of comments saying how nice it looks. I can’t get used to it being white. Originally a red head and then always had honey blonde colour put on. It just makes me feel old. I spoke to my hairdresser about colouring and she said ‘if we keep having lockdowns, the roots will keep coming through and you’ll be back to square one. I should leave it’.

I was a dark brown, and dyed my hair for years. I gradually lightened it to a golden brown, but I found it faded in the summer sunlight to almost blonde and I wasn't comfortable with it. I went with an ashy light brown and that seemed to suit me better. I do think our complexion changes as we age, and we just cannot be that same dark brown colour we we were when we were 25!

Last year I let mine go grey, and went from March to June without any colour. Then we had a bit of easing of restrictions and were allowed to go to the hairdressers again, and my hairdresser gave me a good cut, some blonder streaks to ease the transition. It looked quite nice, and now I have just the slightest colour at the ends. I am at ease with my steely grey shorter cut.

Thanks Holly, I have only had highlights once and that wasn't very successful, depends on the skill of the hairdresser I guess. Normally the cost would put me off, but I might go mad after lockdown and treat myself to try it one more time.

I like grey or silver hair on many people, but it seems to drain me and make me look older.

I have decided the golden blonde from my early 20s still suits me best and everyone I have asked agrees. I use a 9.3 which gives me strands of gold in the sunlight. Never go for an ash blonde, that is so drab and unnatural looking.
I am getting two boxes for £12 at the moment and that does me for 4 colouring sessions.

I stopped having highlights just before first lockdown so it has totally grown out now. I don't know what you would call it now. Half and half? I think that it's ok. I wonder if you try using a grey shampoo - they are supposed to give more shine. Using a good shampoo makes all the difference, for me at any rate, I'm currently using Ouai which is £20ish. I'm saving a fortune on highlights -£70 every 3 months, and that's with a discount. Plus I don't have to make endless small talk. Also so much quicker, just having a trim every 6 weeks - those were the days!

Yes seacliff, I do agree that grey doesn't suit everyone, it very much depends on your skin tone. Having blue/grey eyes will help but skin tone is the most important thing. Highlights in a skin flattering colour is probably the best bet but unfortunately that's not an option at the moment ☹️.

Can I recommend getting a virtual consult with E Salon? They will create a dye especially designed for you, so no one fits all colour, and then it will be on file when you need to buy top ups. www.esalon.co.uk/personal-colorist-online-offer?otm_ld=www.esalon.co.uk&nogeoip=1&otm_lp=SN-NBHCCUSTOM_S-557_PR-1&otm_pb=CA-GG&otm_ad=AD-ES_RG-8_LG-3_PD-1_PF-M&gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W0sxVR-GNCwjUPEmXeOh9EzTc6oYhvGpooqQKwAxVZTjCSh5HB2osRoCNLQQAvD_BwE

I still do a little hairdressing from home for friends, and I’ve recommended this service to them until I’m able to see them again.

Highlights can be very helpful if you don’t fancy just leaving it. I did it for a while and I felt better. It also looks more natural than an overall block colour.

A trip to a good hairdresser after lockdown may give you a bit of a lift. I fancy the E-Salon, so thank you Tillythegardener

When I turned 70 I decided my body wan't keeping up with my mid brown hair, so got my hairdresser to put in highlights until you couldn't see the difference - no probs. I now embrace my grey hair!

I vividly remember my mother having jet black hair and eventually letting it grow out. It was horrendous! I do not dye my hair and have black hair with grey highlights! I'm happy with it.

I started to dye my hair in mid my mid 30's when I started to go grey. At the age of 60 I'd been doing the roots every 3 weeks at the hairdressers. I'd been dark auburn and doing the roots thoroughly wasn't easy.
I agree with MrsA. Skin tone matters. It changes as we get older. My dyed auburn colour was making my skin look paler than it was. I was told I looked ill.

Decided when I retired to grow it out. What I did, needs a hairdressers help. Chin length with layers. Lots of highlights. I had those done about six more times with less each time.

I'm now a mixture of white and many shades of grey and love it.

I feel just the same, Gingster! My natural hair is now white not grey and although I had many positive comments when I had it cut short between lockdowns, I couldn't help wondering who that old woman was when I saw my reflection anywhere. At best, I saw my mother, at worst, I thought I looked 10 years older!!!
I've now gone back to colouring it. I use either Nutrisse or Nice & Easy, both by Clairol. I first used Nice &Easy about 50(!) years ago and it's great. It does come out darker than the colour on the box ( perhaps I leave it on too long) but it's more normal by the first or second wash. It also lasts well & I find that keeping to blonde shades, it gradually keeps lightening, although it still looks blonde, but you can barely see the grey root growth coming back. I'm not being paid by them, by the way! ? I am, in fact, sat here whilst writing this and waiting to see what the new colour will look like when I wash it out in 5mins time!

seacliff, please see my message above to Gingster. I also have a fat face which I feel doesn't look good with really short hair. I am also naturally curly, so the shorter it goes, the more it curls, and the more I look like my mums' generation who used to have permed grey hair put in rollers every week at the hairdressers to keep the curls tight, so all her age group looked exactly that same! Scarey!
The colour by Clairol is just a wash in type and really easy to use. I usually buy 2 or 3 when I see them on special offer! Perhaps you could start with the palest blonde and work your way up until you get to the shade you like? Good luck!

Hair... I'm someone that if my hairs a mess it makes me miserable ( I know how shallow am I) but like most of you, it drives me mad not going to the hairdressers. I was always told you go lighter as you get older. A good hairdresser can high and low light your hair, to match your skin tone. But meanwhile have a look at Joss Wood colour on line. The gloss application, give shine and a subtle colour for about 6 weeks. From greys to browns. they have other products, that can help with lockdown. Apparently Joss Wood was the main colourist at Wella .
I find it's keeping my highlights /colour fresh and it should help the condition of your hair..
It's a minefield! Best of luck