Grey hair - embrace it or dye it?

[AARPTeri]

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?

Share your story.

[mh2479739]

I embraced my grey hair that begin to show around my temples.  My family doesn't grey very fast, but the grey around my temples will not be dyed. I feel that you should just grow old gracefully.  Now some grey hair is dull, yellowish and lifeless, so if that's you, you may want to try a rinse vs dye just to add to the luster of your hair.  There are many products out there that is just for grey hair, shampoos, conditioners, etc. so that if you decide to let the grey fly, you can do so with confidence.  Me personally, I decided to grow old gracefully, grey hair and all.  Each year that God gives me is a blessing and I'm not going to waste any of it on stressing about grey hairs.  My plan is too keep eating healthy, to get some form of exercise and to minimize as much stress out of my life as possible and enjoy each day as a gift that God has given me.  Like I tell my family and friends at each birthday...."You're not getting older, you're just livng longer " 🐵

[mamanconi]

I started dying my hair because the hairline all around my forehead was white while all the rest of my hair was dark.  I did it for years and as more gray/white hair appeared, I was dying my hair every 3 weeks.  I was getting sick of it (and the cost was ridiculous), but I had no choice but to continue.  How was I going to grow it out!  Then I had to have this massive surgery and I would be house bound for months.  So I went to the hairdresseer and told her to cut my hair short because this was my chance to let my hair grow out.  Oh boy did she cut my hair.  I had about an inch of dark hair and the rest was gray and white.  Two hair cuts later and my hair was GERORGEOUS!!!!!!  Because of all that white in my hair, it looked like I dyed my hair gray and frosted it with white.  I got so many compliments I couldn't believe it.  AND what a perfect time to go gray!  Young people are dying their hair gray!  I won't lie, going gray is a bit of a shock.  You loose all color.  But you learn to change up your makeup to work with your new look.  I'm still experimenting on making my eyes pop and using lighter lipsticks.  Going gray was the best thing I did for myself!

[Epster]

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@mamanconi wrote:

 AND what a perfect time to go gray!  Young people are dying their hair gray!  I won't lie, going gray is a bit of a shock.  You loose all color.  But you learn to change up your makeup to work with your new look.  I'm still experimenting on making my eyes pop and using lighter lipsticks.  Going gray was the best thing I did for myself!

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@mamanconi  That's a really good point. 

My gray hair actually brings out the green in my hazel eyes. And I am able to more successfully wear colors I could not when my hair was red. Indeed, my wardrobe has changed considerably as has my makeup. 🙂

[NancyWL50]

I got my first grey hairs in my early twenties.  Not once in my life have I ever dyed it.  At age 67, I now am mostly grey but get many compliments on my long straight grey hair.  I don't believe women should hide their greys.  I had twin boys at age 18 and earned all my grey hairs.  My family also has a genetic tendency to go grey young.  I fully embrace it and am glad I never destroyed my hair with dyes and perms and other things people do.

[amcoffiebean]

I frost my hair at the salon to add more grey! My face and body look senior citizen, complete with wrinkles, padding and sag.  My family has been fortunate to have a gene that keeps the grey away for well into our 70s and 80s.  But when I don't frost my mousey dirty blonde, it looks like I am dyeing it to look younger.  Trust me, it just doesn't fit the rest of my  "outfit" when left natural.  I have some grey starting, but until it befits my looks, I'm adding it.

[2beingme]

I've been dying my hair since college, long before it ever started turning grey.  At 55, I have no plans to stop dying now or in the near future.  I suppose at some point I may go natural but I love the fact that I can have any color hair I want and have spent decades playing with my hair color.  It's just who I am and I love it.

[jshnov]

The question for me is will it turn all white, like my beard, before it all falls out.

[jmcatlover]

As an Asian American I have always looked at least 10 to 15 years younger than my real age. At the age of 21 I looked way younger then 21. This continued until I reached the of 28 when bartenders stopped carding me. For 7 years people didn't believe I was of age. It became a real drag to be asked for my ID card so because of that experience going gray or white haired was a relief though even today people are surprised to hear that I am 67 years old.

I still don't have much white hair among the black on my head. It is still mostly black. I have always looked forward to going white but it doesn't look like that will happen to me. Nearing 70 I'm never going to look like my age. It's unfortunate that my sister who is younger than me by 3 years colors her hair while I wish I had white hair but have very little white in my hair am doomed to never look my real age since I still have black hair even seen at a short distance from me.

So for me I have nevered colored my hair. Please don't tell me I'm so lucky because of those 7 years of of not being entitled to drink without an ID & sometimes nearly denied the right to drink the thought of always being assumed younger than what I was soured the whole experience for me. 

[marlenehope]

I have toying with the idea of letting my hair go grey. The problem is my hair will not be grey, it will be totally white, as my Mother's hair had been since she was in her 50's. She died at 97 with beautiful white hair. It's in the family. I am 67 and want to still work, so letting go white may be a deterament for me at this point. People tell me I don't look my age (67) and I am afraid going all white would be a real heart stopping shock. I have colored my hair since my first grey started at 34.

[VerneH232681]

I had the same situation as Marlene getting white hair early in life but with an unexpected outcome. As a boy I had kinky auburn hair, and a classmate in the ninth grade nicknamed me "copper wire." My maternal grandmother was remembered for her beautiful white hair, and as early as my teens, my mother would point out little white hairs among the copper. At age thirty-three I received the trophy at a class reunion for "Most Gray Hair," even though it was white instead of gray. A few years later I moved to New York City and for years spent a lot of money to have a professional color over the white every three weeks. Once I asked him what I would look like if I let it grow out, and he wrapped a white towel around my head and said, "Like this." Scary. Eventually I started using Just for Men once a week and did so until after my sixtieth birthday. One day while in the barbershop, the young man who cuts my hair suggested that I let it grow out just to see how it looked. I credit him with changing my life. When it became white and I would walk into a room, heads would turn. For the first time in my life, I felt like a handsome man. Now my smile and my white hair attract a lot of attention, which is a new experience for someone who grew up as a four-eyed carrot top. I am grateful for my white hair.

[iloveromance]

I like looking a lot younger than I am and my grandmother (who lived to be 80) dyed her hair red every week at the hairdresser's so I do the same thing. I don't do it every week, but every six months or so. I just wish that red didn't fade faster than other colors. I'm not a big fan of grey hair on women (particularly myself) but it looks good on some men (think Richard Gere! ❤️

[SAHDad]

My facial hair is getting grey and it's coming in on my mop as well! My wife is getting a lot of grey and i absolutely love it! I personally find grey as sexy on a lady, but that's just how i feel. Ladies don't think going grey is bad,as i said it's a very sexy and beautiful thing!! 

[Amy1993]

.No way in hell will I ever let my hair go grey. I am married to a man 20 years my junior for 24 years.  My sons are 20 and twins who are 18. I will not go gentle into this goodnight.

[s166280s]

Epster, I wish I could have some way to see myself with platuim hair.  I think it is so pretty.  My hubby told me to just go do it and have it touched up every 2 weeks like I do with my nails.  He is just to good to me!!  I might just jump in there.  I really don't have that much grey but MAYBE!!!  Who know 2 years ago I would never of had acrylic nails either.  I might be just a little ol G-MA with new nails and a new do too.  I am going to get it cut soon.  I love the PIXIE.  This is my new phase.  LOL

[Epster]

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@s166280s wrote:

Epster, I wish I could have some way to see myself with platuim hair.  I think it is so pretty.  My hubby told me to just go do it and have it touched up every 2 weeks like I do with my nails.  He is just to good to me!!  I might just jump in there.  I really don't have that much grey but MAYBE!!!  Who know 2 years ago I would never of had acrylic nails either.  I might be just a little ol G-MA with new nails and a new do too.  I am going to get it cut soon.  I love the PIXIE.  This is my new phase.  LOL

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@s166280s  I wish you great joy no matter what you decide. 🙂

[j112242s]

Ten years ago I decided to let my hair grow in naturally and I have never looked back. Having dyed my hair for over thirty years with chemicals and the added expense I decided enough was enough.. Embrace your age and live chemical free.

[Amr4shane]

I dyed my hair for years to hide the gray.  I finally decided last year to stop coloring my hair.   It was hard at first seeing the gray come in and the dark roots but I didn't want to go back to coloring my hair.  Now my hair is a silver gray.  A few friends even asked if I was coloring it to get that shade of gray.  When I replied that I was letting the gray take over, they complimented me on it.  I keep it short and embrace my gray hair.  On the up side, I no longer have to say I am a senior citizen at the store, now they just assume I am because of my gray hair.  

[s166280s]

to let my hair color get me down.  If only I had all white instead of some what comig in!!  I had an Aunt who's hair seemed to go total white grey over night.  My mom (poor mom) had what I call skunk pee grey, it looked like it  was yellow.  Now if mine gets lke that I am done!!  I wll  color it so fast you won't even know what wizzed by you.  My hubby being the sweet man he is, told me that he liked the grey streaks on the sides of my hair.  Let there be PLATINUM Hair ye in my future!!

[Epster]

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@s166280s wrote:

to let my hair color get me down.  If only I had all white instead of some what comig in!!  I had an Aunt who's hair seemed to go total white grey over night.  My mom (poor mom) had what I call skunk pee grey, it looked like it  was yellow.  Now if mine gets lke that I am done!!  I wll  color it so fast you won't even know what wizzed by you.  My hubby being the sweet man he is, told me that he liked the grey streaks on the sides of my hair.  Let there be PLATINUM Hair ye in my future!!

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@s166280s  May I suggest that you keep your (eventual) white hair white with a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide in your shower? (Available at Walmart for less than a buck a bottle) Once a month I wet my hair, then squirt some peroxide on it (keep the peroxide out of your eyes) and let it sit while I shower. Then I rinse out the peroxide and shampoo as usual. This keeps that yellowing from happening. I understand that the yellowing is from hand oil and such. 

Another trick for keeping a brilliant white head of hair is to use a shampoo and conditioner that is purple. (Check this out: https://softerhair.com/six-purple-toning-shampoos-for-gray-hair/)

[scleland]

The year I retired, I got high lights on my all-over-blond hair color and started to grow my gray out.  It took 3 years and I was surprised and pleased, not only with my natural blond-gray color, but the added benefits of healthier hair and money savings for hair appts!!  I encourage all my baby boomer pals to embrace their natural gray and love it!!  I do!!

[lindaw403203]

I think everyone should do what they are comfortable with.  My hair is short and gray/silver and I like it.  My hairdresser says "we've earned every gray hair on our heads!"  

[melindao456279]

Before my first grey hair I said I would never color my hair as I wanted to be "natural."  My first grey hair changed that belief.  I went running to a stylist and continued to color my hair until I retired.  Upon retirement I again tried to go "natural."  That lasted 9 months.  My hair was not the beautiful grey I admire on many women but a dull mottle of brown and grey.  I ran back to my stylist and have colored ever since.  

[ks60584231]

I found my first two gray hairs at 26 and I had a field day pulling them out, checking every day for new ones and then bleaching my hair for the next twenty five years.  Now I look at how all the gray frames my wrinkled face and am in total acceptance of it.  It shows my age, my love and worry for my family, and that I’ve made it this long on a fabulous journey you only get to go on once.

[InsertCleverNameHere]

Do not care.  Those vain individuals who show up suddenly with jet-black hair are not fooling anyone.  My kids will tell you that I earned every one of my grey hairs.

[sb66297763]

you could be bald so gray is better

[ip3285]

My mother colored her hair for as long as I can remember.    I never did know what color her hair really was except for her telling me she "thought" it was originally brown.  When she was about 78 she decided to stop coloring her hair, and she found that it was black. About a year later the gray started showing, and her hair turned a beautiful "salt and pepper" gray, which is how it remained until she died at age 81 (probably from almost 60 years of smoking a pack a day).  I knew I'd never color my hair after seeing how she hid hers.  I'm now 78 with still mostly dark brown hair with one really "cute" streak of gray along one side.  I like it.  

[gh2819]

At 65, my brown hair is about 1/3rd grey, resulting in a rather muddy color that doesn't look good next to my skin.  Inspired by how terrific my grandmother looked when she used to get extra blue tint in her white hair, resulting in lovely sky blue locks, I decided to go purple, then blue, and now green -- all of which have been more fun and have looked much better than the brown/grey blah that did nothing for me.  Looking forward to getting much more grey so I can experiment with pastels, especially pink.

[js6058]

You go girl!!!! I really want Lavendar hair. My own hair is dishwater brown, mousy with dull gray, except for the front around my face which is platinum. I have the rest dyed an ash color and like it pretty well. Really, really want shiny beautiful gray with strands of lavendar. I envy thouse with beautiful white hair like my dad and brother have. 

[cl91366800]

I wish I had the nerve to try a funky color.

[catwoman500]

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@cl91366800 wrote:
I wish I had the nerve to try a funky color.

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@cl91366800, You can experiment with clip in streaks! They are relatively inexpensive and you can cut them to whatever length you want. I got pink ones on Amazon and I use them during October for Breast Cancer awareness. month. It's fun and funky!