To dye or not to dye….a question for ladies of a certain age!
Do you dye your hair? Have you dyed your hair? When and how did you stop….and was it very painful?
I guess this is something that we all have to deal with at some point in time. I’m going grey. Not a lot – more like silver threads with a bit more round the temples. I’ve always had my hair coloured – well, highlighted to be exact, but there are so many highlights that they have all run into each other and as a result I’m a sort of golden blond – probably today a fair bit lighter than I look in my profile picture, because my hair is also a good bit longer.
So, here is my quandry. I’m sick of spending hours and hours and lots of money at the hairdresser. It feels like my hair looks great for approximately ooh, a week before I start being annoyed by my roots. The roots aren’t dire really, as I’m naturally a mousy dark blond…with grey.., but I’m still always conscious of them. I think constantly how wonderful it would be to just not have that issue at all – superficial I know, but there you go. I guess I’m not the only one who thinks like this.
I also do natural about everything except my hair – organic food, natural cosmetics, don’t drink, smoke any substances whatsoever, exercise and try to leave a clean and healthy life. And then I let the hairdresser put toxic chemicals on my hair. It doesn’t really make sense.
Last week I met up with an old (and formerly blond) friend, who I hadn’t seen for years. She’s a bit of a hippy and has stopped dying and gone au naturel – and you know what, she looked great. Older for sure, but kind of interesting. ‘I’m sure of who I am and I like myself’ kind of interesting. She struck me as a woman who is totally happy in her own skin.
I guess I’m rather envious. I’m actually very happy in my own skin too – but something about me is really stopping me making such a blatant statement. The biggest part is probably the feeling that I don’t want to look 65 when I’m only 47. Still, I’m quite intrigued as to what I would look like – maybe with a natty cut I would look devilishly sophisticated. Maybe the grey hairs will be strong and curly and way better than what I’ve been dealing with up till now. Maybe I won’t look old, just kind of cool…
Am I brave enough to take the plunge – and how can I do so without months/years of looking utterly dreadful growing the blond out?
Or is it all just a VERY BAD IDEA? I mean I don’t want to be mistaken for anybody’s granny quite yet!
Help! What would you do?
Helen
November 13th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
I’m about half grey now, at 50. I’ve only dyed my hair twice when in my late 30’s. I decided that I couldn’t bothered with the constant dying myself and I can’t afford to have it done by a hairdresser so au naturel it is. I think you tell how old a woman is by her skin condition, not her hair colour. I would say stop! life is so much easier and cheaper!
November 13th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
Oh my Helen, that is a dilemma – I highlighted my hair for years and when it started going grey I started dying it – didn’t have to do it too often as I stuck to a colour that was very close to my “mousy brown”. I finally got tired of spending money and time and decided to go “au naturel” and everyone (including my hair dresser) loves the results. Of course I’ve got a few years on you and don’t mind being mistaken for a granny. Why not look for a tint that is as close to your own colour as possible and see how the grey mixes in – it might just look like natural streaks.
November 14th, 2011 at 1:05 am
I only started highlighting my hair when i was 48. I still do, ( and I am 57 now) but sporadically. If you have quite a few different shades for highlighting, why not try cutting them down to say, 2 , and see how you like the look? I have 3 colours and they sort of blend with my own colour and I can live with that. Roots are not a great issue, because I prefer streaks of highlights rather than over all stuff. Is this making any sense??
November 14th, 2011 at 1:36 am
I say just go with the flow. I started to turn grey at the very young age of 35. And now I have a head full of grey at the age of almost, well, nevermind. Let’s just say that was over twenty years ago. I’ve NEVER colored it. And I am just fine with that.
November 14th, 2011 at 2:14 am
Helen, you sound like you really want to go ‘au naturel’ but the leap just seems too great. There are a number of temporary or semi-permanent hair dyes out there that might hide your transitions and fade away over time. You could ask your hair stylist for more information. I have a number of friends who have done this very same thing after getting tired of dying their hair for so many years, and I must say they all look fantastic in their natural state. Good luck with it all.
November 14th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Give it a try! You can always go back to the dye!
I’ve started highlighting my hair but I’m 36 and have decided that I can’t go grey until after I’ve had children I can blame it on!
November 14th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
I think you look very young and fit, Helen.
I agree with Wendy above. I think you should give it a good long time – maybe a year? And just live with your own hair color, perhaps getting a new style or cut that you like. And if you think after a year that you really hate it, then you can try something new, color-wise.
Two people that come to mind (who are much older than you are) who look really good and seem comfortable with their grey/silver hair, are Joan Baez and Helen Mirren. Mirren does go blonde sometimes, but if you google both of them you’ll see how great they look with their grey.
Now the question is….should I take my own advice? :O
November 15th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
I’ve had a few highlights in my hair back in Ireland, but never dyed the lot. Red hair just sort of fades … My Nan dyed her hair bright orange when it went grey and I’ve always told the kids I’d do the same thing. However, these days I’m thinking more of pink or blue or something outrageous when the time comes. I intend to grow old disgracefully!
November 15th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I think you have to do what you feel happy with, whether it is dyeing or not dyeing. But you could have it dyed (or of course do it yourself) to a shade as close to yours as possible so you don’t have a tideline as it grows out, and see how you like it.
If you don’t like toxic chemicals, what about henna? there used to be a blonde/light brown one and of course it makes your hair great and glossy and is deliciously natural (I’m not on commission, honest!). You do of course look like you have a cow pat on your head when you are doing it, but hey, we don’t have to see that!
November 18th, 2011 at 6:40 am
So funny that you should write this when I am having the very same dilemma! I’m nearly 10 years older than you and I’m thinking that it’s time to stop spending nearly $600 every year on dying my hair. So – I’m growing it into a bob and for now my hairdresser is just streaking instead of dying the roots. She thinks I am about 40% grey and with the longer cut it will blend together. I think you are right in thinking a good cut is important, especially during the transition. I hope you – and I – are happy with the end results 🙂
November 18th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
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November 21st, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I’ve never dyed mine and now at 50+ am completely grey. However, people say it suits me and the irony of it is that some people thinks it’s out of a bottle!