To stay gray or not, that is the question

Discussion in Health & Beauty started by koko • Jul 14, 2012.

  1. koko

    kokoBanned

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    Ok, I am only 43 and already getting a lot of salt and pepper in my hair and I really am not liking it LOL I actually got my first gray hair when I was in my 20's and I am not sure of the link to stress but I do know that once I went off on disability I started graying quicker. I have had people tell me it is distinguishing, sexy and natural; I have had people tell me they would never go gray. So my question is this, do you let your hair stay natural or dye it at the first sign of gray? What is your preferred dye?
     
  2. Farrah

    FarrahActive Member

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    I have been grey since my 20's and I started highlighting to hide it. I am 47 and 98% grey. I am also blonde now instead of the highlights lol. I tried to do my own roots about 6 months ago. My all one length hair was about an inch past my shoulders, has been reduced to the ugliest mullet you ever saw,because I tried to do my own roots about 6 months ago. Since there is so much damage I decided to give my hair a total break so it could get healthy again. I am also hiding it under a full sew in weave.... LOL thats right white lady with a weave. Everyone thinks its my hair because I cut it in my same hair style. I may never dye my real hair again. This is way healthier and I can flat iron as much as I want.
     
  3. Jennifer

    JenniferActive Member

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    It seems once you discover your first strand of grey hair they seem to multiply at an amazing rate. I have to colour my hair to hide them. Unfortunately because I have dark hair my grey strands are more noticeable, and it seems the older I get the more often I have to colour my hair. I have my hair dyed at a hair salon and fortunately the product that they use doubles up as a hair treatment as well so it leaves my hair in a good condition. Should the day arrive when I can no longer afford to have it done, I will then use one of those home kits but no grey hairs for me thanks.
     
  4. Sandra Piddock

    Sandra PiddockExpert

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    I inherited my good hair genes from my mother's side of the family, and until just over a year ago, I didn't have any grey at all. I'm 60 now, so work it out. My two daughters in law both had more grey than me, which they covered with a colourant.

    I always said I would never cover my grey, as my mother, aunts and grandmother all went a lovely shiny silver colour, which looked fantastic. However, when I did start to go grey, it wasn't in odd strands all over my head - I had two white patches in front of my ears which seemed to draw the colour from my face and aged me by 10 years. I hated it, so I decided to cover it.

    I bought a colourant from Poundland in the UK for a first practice try, as I've never coloured my hair before. It was just £1, and it was close to my own shade of deep reddish brown. The colour was fantastic, it looked really natural, and my hair was really silky and shiny, so I've stuck with it. I reapply it about once every 3 months, and I'll continue to do so until I like my natural look. I'm hoping I'll develop the fantastic shiny silver colour my relatives had.
     
  5. theaaa

    theaaaNew Member

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    I have some friends with gray hair and they have it dyed. They either have it done at the salon or do it at home. When they do it at home, they use Loreal or Revlon.
    I don't have any gray hairs yet but I've tried coloring my hair. I've used L'oreal and the results look nice -- most people couldn't tell that I did it myself. And Loreal doesn't dry my hair out too.
     
  6. classicnyer

    classicnyerActive Member

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    I'm relatively young and not gray at all yet, but I'd like to think I wouldn't dye. I remember when my mother first started going gray, she wore it as a mark of distinction. She claimed "I earned these gray hairs." I'd like to think I would have the same attitude when I get older, but of course, it's hard for me to predict that now.
     
  7. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I wrestle with this question everyday. I had my first strands at 16 and now, I completely gray or silver. It's stubborn too. It's hard to color and the color doesn't last very long. When I did color it, my hairline began to thin. That was unacceptable. Now, I wear a wig. I'm have being thinking about wearing my natural color, but I don't want to look old since I look 10 years younger than I am.
     
  8. Lena51

    Lena51Active Member

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    Just color your hair if you don't like what you see in the mirror but the best thing to do would be to leave your hair alone before it starts to thin and come out. Just be your natural self and you are beautiful that way and don't worry about what no one says and don't you worry about it either. Life is to short for all the worrying and just live your life happy.
     
  9. sandooch

    sandoochActive Member

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    I think some women look awesome with gray/white hair and others it doesn't suit so much. I don't think I'm the type person that it would look good on. But at the same time I don't want to still be coloring my hair into my 80s and beyond, maybe earlier than that. There just comes a point when it looks a little ridiculous when you're 85 years old with jet black hair. ;)
     
  10. tjshort05

    tjshort05Active Member

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    I got my first white hairs in my early 20s. So I have been coloring it ever since. I'm so used to it now, I will probably color it for a long time. I do think there is a certain age that it does look better gray because it looks more natural. I think that is different for everyone though so it would depend on the person.
     
  11. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    I'm at the stage where I have 4 of 5 individual gray hairs. Right now I can just pull them out. When they start to really multiply, I'll probably start dyeing my hair for the first time and go for an alternative color like dark blue or purple. If I'm going to start dyeing my hair, I'm not going to limit myself to colors that occur in nature, I'm going to go for a fun color.
     
  12. BigBigFan

    BigBigFanMember

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    Embrace your grays as they are 100% natural and the chemicals we use to conceal them certainly aren't!

    I say that even though I have occasionally hidden mine a few times. I have to say that people expect a "young but mature" appearance in certain business settings and that being "too gray" may cause people to treat you as over the hill. Aside from very specific employment related situations however let them show and don't worry about it (or you'll make more!).
     
  13. Ich bin Gia

    Ich bin GiaMember

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    My hair is naturally black, and black hair tends to grey faster than other colors. My stylist used to dye it every 4 weeks and charged me $50 dollars. The problem is that my hair would grey at the roots within 5 days of of coloring it! Now I just get my mom to die it for me and purchase Nice & Easy by Cairol for $10 or $5.99 when it is on sale. My mom does a way better job than the stylist and does not charge me a dime :D Grey hair does really make one look older, so my advice would be to get a friend or a relative to do it for you. It is much more economical that way.
     
  14. Lena51

    Lena51Active Member

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    It sure is cheaper for a relative or friend to do it for you than to pay all that money for a hair dye by a salon. I always do my own hair, just as you said black hair grays faster than any other color and I don't know why, but that's the way it is. I dye my hair sometimes and other times I just let it go and have the gray around the front and back and I say who cares, I look good anyway, I am happy.
     
  15. maddie

    maddieActive Member

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    Wow there are so many women here who have started to grey at twenty. I was one of those, 23 to be exact when I was working on my pre-doctoral thesis. The stress was so high and I had to go without sleep for weeks. Now I am 85 grey. I color my hair because I do not want my sons to be embarrassed. My younger boy was just six and I was almost 65% gray. People gave us strange looks as we played in the park and I started to color my hair. I have been doing this regularly now for a few years. Now, it looks like I may have to do this until I am sixty and then stop it gradually. I don't think I will color my hair endlessly, I have no patience for it, and yes, the darned things costs money.
     
  16. dorothymoreno

    dorothymorenoActive Member

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    I started to get grey hair in my late 40's and I have dyed my hair off and on since I was in my 20's just to try new colors. I stoped dying my hair about a year ago and decided to let my hair go grey! It's not so bad actually, I kinda of like the look, it looks like as if I had put streaks in my hair and kind of blends in, I am going to let it keep changing and if later I decide I don't like the way it looks anymore then I might go back to dying it. I usually use nice and easy or lorel.
     
  17. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

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    I am not old enough to have many issues with this yet. I think I will likely dye my hair for a while after I start to get a few grays here or there. Later on, I'm likely to leave it natural, though. I think salt and pepper hair can look really sexy still and not nearly as fake. I just don't know if I'll be ready to do that at the first signs, ya know?
     
  18. dashboardc33

    dashboardc33Active Member

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    I wouldn't dye at the very first sign of turning grey. I would allow a few greys to pop in there, but I would definitely dye if it became over powerful and too noticeable. On the other hand, not having any grey hair at a very old age, would be a little strange as well. I would probably only dye it every so often. I know a lot of older people who do dye their hair every 6 weeks or so.
     
  19. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

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    I have in the past colored my greys. The color did not stay in my hair for very long, I sweat in my hair so the color wore off quickly. Now that I have more grey and it is making me look older than I feel, I have considered giving it another try. I saw a lady that looked very good with her colored hair, so I think I will see if it is better now that my hair will be much shorter than before.
     
  20. olorien

    olorienActive Member

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    I am one of those who started graying early and just couldn't stand the thought of going gray as a twenty something. needless to say, I've been dying my hair for years, but have recently started thinking of letting nature take over. I have changed from brand name traditional dyes to a more natural dye called Herbatint, which I highly recommend if you are going to dye. It's much better and the results are great.