Covering up the grey

I did this a few years ago. Couple of hours every six weeks and no change out of £100 just to keep the dark roots at bay. Going completely blonde is a complicated business.
DH retired and we could no longer afford this so I went cold turkey. I've had many compliments and questions about my "highlights" which are purely natural grey's.
Why not try a few blonde highlights?

Just to make you think it’s actually quite the ‘thing’ now to let your grey come in naturally. I did it long ago and it’s liberating not to have to dye it anymore so much so that my eldest daughter who is only early 50s is 5 mths into no dye and her hair looks like hilights too she can’t wait till the colour still in her hair grows out.

I had my hair highlighted for years. When the hairdressers closed the grey started to come through and now I prefer it. Looks like ash blonde streaks. Having your hair bleached would require a lot of maintenance, you’d probably find you needed the roots done at least once a month. Personally I think blonde hair on an older lady can be very ageing. As tanith said, grey is fashionable now and I think I look younger, and certainly more natural now. My hair is long, long hair on a 70 year old like me is fine but I felt long and coloured just didn’t feel right any more.

PS I think trying to do it yourself Allsorts could be a big mistake, it might turn out anything but the shade on the box and get into bad condition. I did that once, many years ago. Never again! Totally false economy, had to get the hairdresser to sort it out!

Blonde highlights are the way to go, I only have mine done about every 8 months, so easy to maintain.
It does all depend on what your natural base colour is though.
If it’s just a shade of brown ( not dark) with grey, then blonde highlights works.If it’s a darker shade then have mid caramel highlights, just to break up the grey look.

I have had my hair coloured every 6 weeks by my hairdresser until covid and my hair became very porous and woukdnt hold it’s colour especially if I was in the sun. Even though I pay less as she comes here, it’s still very expensive to keep up.

Since then she hasn’t coloured my hair at all and I use a wash in beige blond which lasts for up to 8 washes from Superdrug £1.99, and find it tones with my grey and white and darker bits very well. I use it maybe every second wash and it’s lasted fir ages. I bought two and still haven't started the second lot.
They have similar in Wilco. Have a look fir a smaller than usual box. Just leave it in fir 5 minutes and rinse.
If you don’t like it no harm is done.

I’m fed up with colouring my hair and want to leave it grey (or white in my case). What’s the best way to do that without looking older? My hair is really fine so I always keep it short. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

farmor51

I’m fed up with colouring my hair and want to leave it grey (or white in my case). What’s the best way to do that without looking older? My hair is really fine so I always keep it short. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

It’s not just down to your hair though- so I would suggest a look at what you are wearing, the colours which look best with grey/silver/ash hair ( probably not beige, fawns ,brown or orange) Choosing “edgier” outfits, bright colours, trendier shoes -like white trainers - and maybe revamping your make up.
Also if you wear glasses consider Prue Leith-type bolder frames and striking necklaces or earrings.

I used a copper shampoo to disguise white patches which appeared in stages all over my hair. My DD and DIL told me it looked patchy. So I stopped putting the shampoo on my hair and left it. Instead of being the foxy red that I naturally was I am now a snowy vixen. It surprising how many people say my hair looks nice now I have gone blonde?

farmor51 why worry about looking older as long you are happy leaving off dyeing it you’ll be surprised how many people will say I wish I was brave enough and how nice it looks.

Thanks tanith you’re right of course. I will proudly wear my silver crown

My DH dyes my hair for me, I go white blond and then put a pale pink colour shampoo on I get a lot of nice comments, and having someone do it for me means it doesn't look patchy

I have always had dark streaks in my original colour put in as I have gone greyer. I have managed to persuade my hairdresser to start putting in less so I gradually reduce it to leave just the light grey I now have underneath.

We are both happy with this. Except for DH who, when I told him I have an appointment this Friday, told me she should "make it darker". Shall I do as he asks or follow my and my hairdresser's plan?

To answer the OP, six weeks is quite a long gap between hairdresser visits, isn't it? My mother used to go every 2 weeks.

I get my hair cut every 6 weeks and had it coloured every third visit for £25. More if I also got a few meshes.
After the start of Covid I started doing it myself using Nice n Easy medium blonde and it was very successful. £6 every couple of months and very simple to do, taking half an hour.
It has different tones and looks very natural. I plan to continue indefinitely.

I've coloured my own hair blonde for years - using a box colour. During the first lock down I decided to leave my natural colour to grow out. It was okay to start with but as it got longer there was still a lot of dark hair underneath and the grey just drained my complexion. I tried to put streaks of blonde through it, but in the end went completely blonde again. I feel like a new woman. I do it every 8-10 weeks.

JackyB

To answer the OP, six weeks is quite a long gap between hairdresser visits, isn't it? My mother used to go every 2 weeks.

Is it?
I only go once a year, if that!

Thank you everyone. I did like the grey but now I find it very drab. I will try the Nice and Easy route, if it looks dreadful I will always have the grey waiting, that won’t go anywhere.

Hello Allsorts
I’ve been dying my own hair for thirty years! If you are careful you will be fine.
I have recently started using eSalon stuff (I was getting loads of adverts for it on here). I highly recommend it.

I get mine dyed blonde every 6 to 8 weeks, just the roots redone. Hairdresser does it, I would be sure to splash dye on something if I tried it at home. During lockdown the grey really showed through and it looked so aging on me, so blonde it will stay. I certainly admire those who can do it successfully at home!

I have blonde highlights put in, with a few lowlights now and again, so it doesn’t get too Boris Johnson-y!

It’s fine to say accept going grey but mine is just white around the face the rest has gone very dark. Not a pretty sight, so I have blond streaks every couple of months.

I’ve red hair all my own not out of a box and greys are coming through. At min looks like highlights. I was wondering if to dye or not. I’m 56 but my mum who is 85 dyes hers she says I should but I’m undecided. Because last time cost a 100 and started to come through again within weeks. I’ve still got long hair but my mum has had short hair as long has I can remember.

Yes, I grew mine out a couple of years ago, I used a silver shampoo, which is bright purple when you tip it out of the bottle.
However, once you've done it you realise this could be your colour for life and it does look drab on Winter days.
In our psychology blonde hair is associated with beach days and sun, which is more cheering.
And this may sound shallow, but sadly is true if you are still working you need to project a youngish image.
So.....during lockdown I tried a box colour to do fine highlights. Bought a plastic cap online, spent a lot of time pulling through fine streaks, then applied the colour.
Pleased with the result I have now.