I've been grey since I was in my early 20's. I color it every 5 weeks like clockwork. I use the cheap junk - Clairol Nice 'n Easy. My hair is fairly consistently the same color time after time. I do screw it up with a shade change every now and then and have to go to a professional to mix it correctly and get it back. So, 20 years, 10 times a year is like 200 times. My hair is still healthy and intact. I wish I had a pretty silver-grey, but mine is more like a yucky brownish-pukish-greyish yuck!
Have an appt tomorrow to get rid of those roots! I love the look of the beautiful silver head of hair, but NOT in my early 40's!! Maybe 60....we'll see. I used to color my own, but my grays got so resistent that I had to resort to having it done. Thankful I have a friend who runs a shop out of her basement who charges about half of anyone else.
I started with highlights, then went to all over color and highlights. Now I do partial highlights and then the next time I do just the roots (it is getting grayer so needs done more often). I need my hair cut every 4-5 weeks to maintain my style (otherwise my bangs go real flat) so it isn't a huge amount more to color it, and my lady does a great job.
My sister has been trying to get me to do highlights for a long time. I am now WAY past highlights! Ugh. I just feel like I'm signing onto a huge, lifelong commitment...
Yes, but you're starting that commitment a lot later than some of us!! If you later decide to let the grey grow in naturally, I'm sure you're sister can help you with transitional colouring. I started colouring my hair in my early 20's and like other posters have no idea what my natural colour is. Nor do I have a desire to find out. Recently, I had to switch to a different brand because the one I was using didn't adequately cover the grey long enough.
Just got back from having mine done at the salon. I don't color it myself - not that brave! It was awfully coarse and stringy. She colored it all over, took about 2" off and shaped it up. Not only is the grey gone, it gives me a new burst of energy to have freshly colored hair!
Color it--natural is not a good reason to do or not do anything. I get hair cuts, wear makeup, and clothes and shoes, have air conditioning--none of this is "natural." I have indoor plumbing and refrigeration. So if you want to color your hair, or dye a shirt or paint your nails, I wouldn't worry about any perceived politics behind it. It's just hair--go for it.
I started going grey at 16 so it seems normal to me - my hair is almost totally gray now and I'm 47 - it has been that way awhile though. I color it myself - and sometimes let it grow out gray. The store brand works well - I like it better than the time the stylist colored it for me and it was WAY less expensive (it is crazy expensive to have the salon do it - at least my salon which seems average prices for around here). I like Nutrisse and it covers all the gray perfectly - for about $8.
The last time I tried to do mine at home the white (not gray) turned orange I have had it done at a salon a couple of times in the last year --went blonde and it worked well. Problem is the back of my head the hair is still brown.. It is so expensive that I finally just left it. I earned every darn one of those white hairs and I am proud of them. By the way I am probably older than any of you. Old enough to be most of your mothers.
My "grey" is white, and when I have a head full of it, I'll let it go. For now, I'm with Karla on the Natural Instincts bandwagon. I don't mind looking my age, but the interspersed white hair adds years that I don't care to claim. I have very delicate hair, and the Natural Instincts doesn't harm it much at all.
I had a patch of grey in the front since I was 16. I started highlighting my hair when I was about 25, then when I got pregnant, I stopped. To my horror, I went salt and pepper and it was not at all attractive on me. Went back to highlighting every 10 weeks. Now, I've grown my hair out and we found that highlights aren't cutting it anymore. Every 6 weeks now I get a full color and in the winter I add low lights to it. My hair is my big splurge. I'm embarrassed to say I will not go grey gracefully like all of you, I unfortunately will have to be dragged kicking and screaming!
Silver hair here - I like it, get many compliments. It depends on your hair and your coloring I think. It helps if you have young'ish looking skin and a good cut ... got to have a good cut with silver hair.
Although I still refer to myself as blonde, I know in my heart of hearts that it is in fact grey! Sometimes I feel the need to colour it, so I do a home jobby with a supermarket bought hair dye- something like Natural Instincts... But most times I really don't care. I have earned every single darn grey on my head. It tells a story, just like every single wrinkle on my face. They are my battle scars! I am what I am.
I say color it - I color mine - I just feel better without the gray - there are enough things in my life right now that make me feel and look worn out and tired sometimes. I don't need gray hairs helping. I can't afford to do it at the salon anymore so I do it at home. I have to switch between a couple of colors because the red absorbs more than the brown on my hair. I recently tried the root touch up you can get for inbetween to stretch out your color and I really liked it - much easier. I will definitely try that again....probably switch every other time between it and full color.
Don't have tooooo much grey yet Does coloring settle down the crazy, white hair around the hairline? I look a bit like a mad scientist when my hair is pulled back.
According to my youngest , my hair is not grey, it is "sparkly" - I go to the salon every 2 months to get de-sparkled....
