Color the Gray? Yes or No?

In my late teens and early 20s, my hair was bleached blond. It started turning gray mid-30s. Decided I liked it just fine and never colored or bleached it...until about six-eight months ago when I decided that it was time for something different. By that time, it was salt and pepper but mostly salt. My DGD has spent the last couple of years coloring her hair in whatever shade suited her at the moment, and I wanted to try it but figured I was too old. Hey! Wait. If not now, when? It's not like I'm going to get younger, and besides, it washes out after being shampooed a few times. So. Now my hair is blue. Yup. Blue. I'm a blue-haired old lady, and I LOVE IT! You'd be surprised how many people stop me on the street, in stores, wherever to compliment (and congratulate!) me on the blue hair. Heck, why not? YOLO!
 

Got my first gray at 16. Started getting comments about the grays right after undergrad so started coloring around 21 years old. Still coloring a little lighter than my natural red at 52 though I'm completely white now. Have just started thinking of stopping the color, but really don't want to lose my identity as a red head!
 
I color my hair because when I don’t it’s all wired and ugly. I guess I’m still vain LOL!
 

I stopped coloring my hair in May. I'm keeping it one length for now as the top layer sort of covers the dark color underneath. I have about 3 1/2 " of grow out. I'm using purple shampoo to keep the blonde toned down.
I just decided one day that I would not put one more drop of color on my head after 30 years of coloring.
I'm bitting the bullet and just letting it go until it gets to a point that I can layer it without too many different colors going on at one time.
I work mostly with other seniors and they tell me Ill be so glad when I am done with it for good!
So far it looks Ok. I am making sure I keep it styled well to help.
It's kind of a rite of passage I think.
 
Thanks for that. I'm sure it makes me look a little older than it does dyed, but what the heck.
No way. You look f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s with grey hair.
I stopped colouring my hair 4 years ago last August but I still have a bit of hennaed hair at the very bottom and I happen to like this reverse ombré look.

The most unusual thing is that I actually have naturally red hair that matches my henna so it actually looks like a grew out my natural colour.
I doubt I’ll add a picture of my grey hair but I might.

At the moment my bangs:fringe is bright pink 🥰
 
I stopped coloring my hair in May. I'm keeping it one length for now as the top layer sort of covers the dark color underneath. I have about 3 1/2 " of grow out. I'm using purple shampoo to keep the blonde toned down.
I just decided one day that I would not put one more drop of color on my head after 30 years of coloring.
I'm bitting the bullet and just letting it go until it gets to a point that I can layer it without too many different colors going on at one time.
I work mostly with other seniors and they tell me Ill be so glad when I am done with it for good!
So far it looks Ok. I am making sure I keep it styled well to help.
It's kind of a rite of passage I think.
That purple shampoo really works great for toning down the blonde so they aren’t clashing. My girlfriend used it after she got streaks that were to warm against her grey and it truly looked incredible afterwards so good choice.

Good perseverance. It takes guts to be your true self. Luckily the coloured roots look is in as is silver so we’re actually hugely in style . 😬👍lol
 
I went grey very early, in my 20s, and dyed it for many years. Then stopped when I was 50. It is a silver white color. I really like it. The texture is too fine, but it is what it is.
 
Thanks for that. I'm sure it makes me look a little older than it does dyed, but what the heck.

Your hair is gorgeous and you look beautiful!

A little analogy about what you said, if you'll indulge me:

Back in the mid 70s, I worked for a company that made plus-size women's apparel. This was a breakout company, a true pioneer in that market; ours was among the first to offer bold, vivid prints and bright colors to the size 34-52 set.

The sales manager, an insightful woman in her 50s whose body happened to fall in that large size range, often waxed poetic about her passion in this area, our company's philosophy, and the terrible lack of clothing choices available to plus-size set women at that time. Lane Bryant, Woman's World and their ilk carried dresses and suits in black, dark brown and navy. Blouses were dark solids or had subtle vertical stripes, prints with very small flowers, etc. Nothing too flashy. Nothing that made them appear larger. Slimming styles and colors. Heavy women always looked like they were in mourning.

She looked at me (a 24 year old size 10) and said, "If you wear solid black or navy you might look 5 pounds slimmer. If I wear black or navy, it'll also take off 5 pounds. The difference is that you'd look noticeably thinner but I'd still appear 40 pounds overweight. I'd rather wear something fun and pretty even at the risk that it adds 5 pounds to my appearance."

My point - and I do have one: When deciding to let my hair transition into grey (adding grey streaks and having my stylist color less of it brown as time goes on), I thought of this woman's wisdom. Truth is, if I continue to color my hair brown, it might take off a decade (at the very most), but that would still set me squarely in my late 50s. It's not like I'm 45 going for 35.

I'm tired of chasing roots. Besides which, if at any time I decide I don't like the grey, my stylist will be more than happy to do her magic and bring back the brown. For now, I'm following Faydean's advice in a gradual way. It's time to let my freak flag fly a little.
 
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Your hair is gorgeous and you look beautiful!

A little analogy about what you said, if you'll indulge me:

Back in the mid 70s, I worked for a company that made plus-size women's apparel. This was a breakout company, a true pioneer in that market; ours was among the first to offer bold, vivid prints and bright colors to the size 34-52 set.

The sales manager, an insightful woman in her 50s whose body happened to fall in that large size range, often waxed poetic about her passion in this area, our company's philosophy, and the terrible lack of clothing choices available to plus-size set women at that time. Lane Bryant, Woman's World and their ilk carried dresses and suits in black, dark brown and navy. Blouses were dark solids or had subtle vertical stripes, prints with very small flowers, etc. Nothing too flashy. Nothing that made them appear larger. Slimming styles and colors. Heavy women always looked like they were in mourning.

She looked at me (a 24 year old size 10) and said, "If you wear solid black or navy you might look 5 pounds slimmer. If I wear black or navy, it'll also take off 5 pounds. The difference is that you'd look noticeably thinner but I'd stilll appear 40 pounds overweight. I'd rather wear something fun and pretty even at the risk that it adds 5 pounds to my appearance."

My point - and I do have one: When deciding to let my hair transition into grey (adding grey streaks and having my stylist color less of it brown as time goes on), I thought of this woman's wisdom. Truth is, if I continue to color my hair brown, it might take off a decade (at the very most), but that would still set me squarely in my late 50s. It's not like I'm 45 going for 35.

I'm tired of chasing roots. Besides which, if at any time I decide I don't like the grey, my stylist will be more than happy to do her magic and bring back the brown. For now, I'm following Faydean's advice in a gradual way. It's time to let my freak flag fly a little.
Very well said!! Thanks for that!
 
No No No...….. I'm vain....I see a gray spot and I get that spot with hair color....Sometimes I'll go to the Hair Dresser....
She is now charging 78 dollars and I give her a 15 dollar tip....I haven't gone to her in 4 months...I'm doing my own hair coloring....
I'll show her...Humph!!!!!:LOL:
 
I’m assuming I’m vain also but apparently more lazy than vain. When I had to colour my roots every 7 to 10 days, it got to be too much work.

Growing it out was a total nightmare though especially the first 8 or 9 months. After all I have bright cherry cola henna red while my natural colour was silver.
 
I moved on in the opposite direction Radish. I colored it for years, was never happy with the blondish color I kept getting (looked nothing like the gorgeous model on the box) 😁 and finally decided it was time to let it go gray. It's a nice, silvery white now, and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. Certainly a lot easier than bothering with the color!
 
Got lots of grays but still color only the roots and use touch-up sticks inbetween on the temples to match my auburn brown coloring...still looks good but I almost ditched it all last month....was seriously thinking of letting it all grow in...salt and pepper is the look I would have...
 


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