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Grey hair - embrace it or dye it?

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Community Manager

Grey hair - embrace it or dye it?

When do you decide to let it go grey?  There is a new trend for a grey ombre for younger people, which is funny since we all avoid the grey as we age.  When did you stop coloring or will you ever stop?

 

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AARPTeri
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Newbie

I will be 74 years young in May and don't look my age . My grey just started to come in on the sides and a little in the front, just like my Mother's did . I have been asked over many years what color hair dye do I use and when I say I don't dye my hair people don't beleive me. My hair is very dark, almost black . I also have decided to embrace my grey, I have earned it , as they say " To each his own " Whatever makes you happy you should do for yourself, not for anyone else .

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Periodic Contributor

Try purple or magenta -- you get tons of compliments on those colors which will boost your confidence.  Magenta is neat because it fades to pink. 

 

It's great on grey streaked hair because I get all sorts of gradiations of color.

 

(I use an easy home coloring product I get on Amazon, no peroxide, one step...don't suppose I can post a product name here but it's P---y Color.)

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Contributor

My first grey hair didn't bother me at all.  Waiting for it all to turn grey (I am about 75% gret now) as I like the color of grey that I have.  I have earned every grey hair on my head & proud of it!

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Bronze Conversationalist

@c191366800 You can try those hair colors that wash out in one washing. I've seen them at Target. Then if you don't like it, you can change it.
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I embrace it.  I once tried a rinse to see what I thought but it was messy with dye getting on my towels with each hair washing.  I just didn't feel it was worth the time and effort.  I'll be 75 this coming April and fortunate to have inherited my grandmother's good genes with only the fringes around my face, nape of neck and a small portion of my crown turning white.  The rest of my hair has stayed brown.  My hair is cut every four or five weeks keeping it short and manageable.  It works for me!

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Contributor

I have pretty much ignored it.  For a while people were asking who did my hair color because they loved my shimmering platinum highlights.  I helped my mother with her hair when I was a young girl and vowed never to get caught up in that.  

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Super Contributor

I'm 57. I've been coloring my hair for years. I'm a natural dull brown, but I've been dying it darker because I think it's prettier. Gray hairs appear...   a lot of them & of course the darker my hair is, the more obvious the grays are. I'm thinking I should do gray highlights & then just let nature take its course.

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Having been a hairstylist for many years, I colored my hair.  It turned into every 4 to 5 weeks I was coloring to hide the roots. When I turned 64 I realized what a waste of time and money it was.  I had it highlighted and let it go.  The single best thing I have ever done for myself.  I should have quit coloring many years before.  I love this a lot.  No fuss at all.

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I'm 68 now, and about 2-3 years ago, got tired of coloring and then seeing roots within 2 weeks.  I decided to have it highlighted to help blend the process and let it turn whatever.  To my surprise it is a very light gray, even white around my face.  When I saw my daughter-in-law, who is a beautician, at Christmas, she said "you have the color everyone wants right now".  So glad I did it!

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I'm 63 and would love to stop coloring my hair, but so far haven't had the guts to do it.
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I colored my hair for over 40 years - expensive, not always the color I wanted.  I just got a new haircut and told the stylist that I'd like to quit coloring and let it go gray! I LOVE it. Saves me time and money and the color is nice. Good luck!

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Super Contributor

I started coloring my hair about the time I started showing gray which was about 45.  I kept it up because I was still working at the time, until I decided I couldn't be bothered with it any longer.  Because my hair was brown it required far more maintenance than someone who was a blonde.  I used to do it myself because I could not afford the cost of the upkeep at a salon. It would have cost somewhere between $700 - $1000 a year and to me I've got better things to spend my money on than hair color.  Finally I just said no more.  I was 66 at the time; 71 now.  I have never been one to be vain nor do I care about anyone's opinion as to why don't I color my hair.  If they don't like me because I chose to keep it white, then their loss.

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Regular Contributor

My 11 year old granddaughter just told me on Sunday that I could not let my hair go gray until I was at least 70.  I am almost 65, and am battling the grey every few weeks.  I'm contemplating doing highlights to let the gray emerge gradually. 

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I started getiing grey hair in my early fifties.  I asked my kids if they thought I should dye it because I've always had very long and blonde hair and they thought I should wait to see what it would look like.  It has gotten darker in color and the grey sure stands out now.  My oldest grandson asked what it was and I told him "This is Gods version of natural highlights!"  He thought it was funny and I believe it is awesome!  So far I like it!  Besides why pay the price of getting it dyed (over and over) when I know the greys will just keep coming back.  Live like you mean it!  Live life naturally, the way God intended! 

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Periodic Contributor

I started graying early, in my twenties.  I tried all sorts of ways to cover it as I did not want to be gray.  I was all over the color spectrum for years and it became more and more difficult to cover for long the increasing whiteness.  When I was 49 I experienced that terrible once in a lifetime headache, an aneurysm.  Surgery to repair it and save my life meant shaving my head.  I decided as I was rolled in to surgery that whatever grew back on my head is what color I would be.  As my

hair grew back friends either loved it ot hated it.  I liked it!  It was easy, it softened my features.  I am nearing 76 now and am almost fully white.  I get many compliments.

 

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Periodic Contributor

I started greying in my early 30's, about 31. As I  was a divorced mother, raising a teenager by myself (I married much too young and my ex was not responsible during or after our marriage), worked full-time in a high stress area on Wall Street, and was getting my Bachelor's degree at night, I wasn't surprised by the grey hairs. 

I also happen to be one of the rare women who hates going to the beauty parlor! I wore a simple hairdo that required a trim every six months. I was always the 1st appointment of the day, and only when I had a job related function, did I get my hair fixed fancy. 

As a young girl, watching my mother go every 2 weeks for a wash & set, and on the 6th week for hairdye, condition, trim, etc. , I made up my mind to let my hair grey and leave it alone. I kept that promise to myself! I will be 70 in 2 weeks and I've never tinted or dyed my hair. Maybe if my face skin had wrinkled a lot, I would have dyed to try and fool people about my age, but I'm relatively unwrinkled, no crows feet, forehead or mouth wrinkles. My hair is light grey in the front and mixed grey and dark brown in the back. I like it! 

Funny thing, my daughter dyes her hair! Partially due to her career performing in public, all of her personal and business friends do so, even the men! Different strokes for different folks, I always say! 

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I embrace my gray hair!!!! I love it !! Its all natural!!!! While some a adding gray strands and dye I have it naturally.๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ˜‡

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Contributor

I am with you the front of my hair is Silver and the back is dark brown and I have been asked if I dye it, no I do not.. I have been told that people dye their hair to look like mine.. I can't believe at 81 that the back is still dark..
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I embrace it I did is so liberating especially when you have to keep up with the maintenance of dyieng your hair almost every 3 weeks. Got a shirt pixie hair cut and I am loving it.

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Periodic Contributor

I look at it this way, I may have grey hair (not a lot yet, but getting there), but I have earned it!  I've done a lot of living. Working etc.  I am not worried about it.

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Periodic Contributor

I've done nothing I have them and embarrass them to me they are signs of wisdom 

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Regular Contributor

  • Embrace it! No doubt. My mother is 79 and still colors her hair regularly. I'm 61 and very gray. Different generations, I guess. We are only 18 years apart but have very different views of the world and our roles in it. I remember back when I was a teenager in the 70s. My mother kept trying to get me wear make up. It seemed strange to me since I had young, healthy skin. She has never left the house without her 'face on'...seemed a creepy way of saying it to me. I sometimes wear make up now but not regularly. I like my grey hair - as a mother myself and now a proud Nana, I've earned every one of these naturally grey strands and gleaming patches. How about you?
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Honored Social Butterfly

Here's a Pinterest page featuring the grey ombre trend:

 

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/grey-ombre-hair/

 

These are gorgeous! ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
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Honored Social Butterfly

@AARPTeri - Young people can afford to play with gray, silver & white streaks, because everyone can see that the rest of their appearance is young. I've lightened & highlighted my hair since I was a teenager, and it darkened from the blond it was when I was a child. I have no desire to go gray, and remove any doubt about how old I am! ๐Ÿ˜‰ I do think that highlighting is a softer way of retaining color, than going full blond or something else. I've known women who've colored their hair a jet black or bright red, well into their 80s, and it looked too harsh & unnatural.


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
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@EveRH, I agree! Highlighting is my thing. I always feel so much fresher and brighter when the highlighting is done. I'm not due for another month or so, but I sure know when it's time. I hope my hairdresser never moves or retires because she knows exactly how to get it right. They always say to go lighter as you age because of the harshness the darker dyes bring to your skin color. I've always been a blonde, so I know no different. The gray coming in helps a little...we call it Mother Nature's highlights. Cat Very Happy

 

@nanaboss, good for you!Cat Very Happy I wish I was that brave. As for myself, I don't even gather the trash bins without hair done and make-up on. I must be like your mother. I call it "getting human!" Cat LOL Which I have to do soon as I have errands to run.

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Honored Social Butterfly


@catwoman500 wrote:

@EveRH, I agree! Highlighting is my thing. I always feel so much fresher and brighter when the highlighting is done. I'm not due for another month or so, but I sure know when it's time. I hope my hairdresser never moves or retires because she knows exactly how to get it right. They always say to go lighter as you age because of the harshness the darker dyes bring to your skin color. I've always been a blonde, so I know no different. The gray coming in helps a little...we call it Mother Nature's highlights. Cat Very Happy

 

@nanaboss, good for you!Cat Very Happy I wish I was that brave. As for myself, I don't even gather the trash bins without hair done and make-up on. I must be like your mother. I call it "getting human!" Cat LOL Which I have to do soon as I have errands to run.


Boy when you find a good hairdresser you hang on to them!  I have had the same great lady for many years..  it is so easy, she knows exactly how I like my hair and you get the same look and results.   

 

 

Life's a Journey, not a Destination" Aerosmith
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Honored Social Butterfly

Boy, I dunno about keeping the same look. I think that gets stale. I like to switch things up. Sometimes I wear red and orange tips. Other times I'll put in a blue, red, orange or purple streak. Sometimes I wear a pony tail or braid. Sometimes I wear curls; other times I straighten my hair.

 

Just last week I cut the bangs differently. This past summer I let my hair grow to just above the middle of my back, which is the longest I've ever worn it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
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Honored Social Butterfly

I saw grey ombre 'in the wild' yesterday. It was gorgeous!

 

 

grey-ombre-hair-25.jpg

 

 

I love gray hair.

 

So anyway, I decided to go find a YouTube tutorial for anyone here looking to mix it up with a grey ombre. ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
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Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - There's a big difference between someone young - like that model - changing their hair color as part of a fashion statement, like making the ends of your hair gray/white .. so everyone knows the roots are still dark, and having gray hair because it's no longer growing in the color you've been naturally the earlier part of your life.

 

Are you going to post a photo of yourself after your ombre experiment .. at least from the back?


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
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@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - There's a big difference between someone young - like that model - changing their hair color as part of a fashion statement, like making the ends of your hair gray/white .. so everyone knows the roots are still dark, and having gray hair because it's no longer growing in the color you've been naturally the earlier part of your life.

 

Are you going to post a photo of yourself after your ombre experiment .. at least from the back?


@EveRH  Sorry for the tardy reply. I didn't see your post.

 

So anyway, hey, I said it was beautiful, but never said I was gonna try ombre. I mean, I might, I guess, one day decide to do so, but sheesh, from what I've seen, the trend is dark on top and gray on the bottom. I'm now snow white on the top with a bit of amber/chestnut hair mixing in beginning at the ears and getting darker toward the nape of the neck (with white from on top covering that). So I'd have to dye the crown half of my head dark and bleach the lower half white to get the trendy look. 

 

Seeing as I have spent about 10 minutes in a beauty supply store in the past 10 years and less time than that in a beauty shop in the past 25, I think it's safe to say that I'm gonna let this trend pass me by.

 

I really enjoy my gray hair. And actually, I really like looking my age.

 

My two cents on aging/graying: it seems to me that women who try to hide their age are aiding and abetting ageism. Why should we hide gray hair? Why should we try not to age? Why should we take a year or two off our chronological age? If growing old is something to be ashamed of, frankly, I didn't get the memo. And I'm just not gonna do it. ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
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