[chowder]

I have made up my mind to stop dying my hair.I am 61 and my hair is grey,dyed burgandy red, and am thinking it is time to get rid of this ritual.I read that while the roots are growing out you should wear a hat or scarf to hide the roots,and when they have grown in a few inches then get a very short haircut.This is the part I dont like as when my hair is very short it tends to stick up.Has anyone done this and if so,do you have any tips.Thanks

 

[nodmicks]

We do corrective color when people want to go back to natural. That involves streaking the burgundy red with gray ( or white depending on what shade of gray you are) and very lightly streaking the roots with a bit of the burgundy red. That way you get a highlighted effect that is lovely but makes the growing out phase look great. It does cost though of course. However if you have a talented friend you can at least highlight the gray roots with the red you use as you slowly cut off the red ends over time.

 

[savvy_sniper]

Yes! I am 57 and I used to color my hair a dark vivid red. I wore my hair fairly short and it grows very fast. So I just bit the bullet, let it grow out some and they cut it off VERY short. Speak to your hairdresser about possible styles while it is growing out. Personally I go with the standing up hair and use hair putty to make it stay standing up.

It is SO much easier to deal with now - no roots, touch ups, fading, etc.

 

[CookieLee]

I stopped two years ago. I have long hair which is now "ombre" - a very trendy look.

 

[Rosebudget1]

I tried to but could not stand how faded out I looked. I am 63. I was also having breast cancer treatments and felt that was the only pick me up I had!

 

[josantoro]

Can you use a temporary color until the permanent part grows out?

 

[chowder]

Thanks so much for all your advice.I guess the first thing I should do is talk to my hairdresser.I like the idea of the freedom from all the work and I am finding that my scalp dries out fast now,thinking not coloring could cure that problem.

 

[Megareader]

I'm opposite of you...I've been thinking about STARTING to color my hair! Well, I'm 55 and my once natural red hair is getting lots of white hairs showing up. Not sure I'm thrilled with that.

 

[onencgirl]

I'm 60, always been a natural blonde. So, now with about 50-60% gray it looks like highlights.

 

[Frugal Nurse]

I hope that I don't have to dye my hair - because I thought there was concern for cancer (what else is new.. right?) with hair dyes.
Hair Dyes and Cancer Risk - National Cancer Institute


Anyway - I like the idea of the temporary stuff until your hair grows out. It gently washes out - so you're not suddenly gray/white one day.

A stark short haircut - might be shocking if you're not used to such short length. But the good news.. it does grow.
Let us know your decision.


Cheers!

 

[Megareader]

Oh dear...if there is a chance hair dye can cause cancer then I'm not going to do it. I'll just let it go white, gray, or whatever.

 

[Brat]

I used so silver shampoos as the color started to come out...It wasn't long until it was white all over again..

 

[sunshine]

I did the same thing several years ago . . . I'm Native American and had VERY dark hair with several "Bride of Frankenstein" stipes of gray. . . I colored my hair for years, then decided to stop. My hair dresser did a dark base color, added in caramel, brown and blonde highlights. . . . as we cut off the dark, she added more blonde highlights over the brown and caramel, and let the gray grow in. . . no one even noticed as it got lighter and lighter and finally all natural.

 

[telephus]

I've considered not dying it. I'm about 25% grey already and I'm only 34. Part of it is that I just don't feel ready to look "old" and part of it is that I've always felt like a redhead.

 

[sunshine]

Oh, I have to tell this story though . . . one of my grand daughter's lives in FL, so we don't get to see very often. . . we went to visit, and she was facinated with my long hair. . . wanted to brush it, etc. . . one afternoon she was brushing my hair and she says "Grandma, your hair is spooky". . . when I asked why, it was because it was white. . . so now we all joke about my spooky hair.

 

[nuisance26]

~Like Telephus, I'm about 25% gray and I have never and will never dye it. I have zero desire to try to appear young. I think gray is beautiful. Age is beautiful. Wisdom and experience are beautiful.
My mom uses baking soda to rinse her hair in the shower. It does an incredible job of keeping wiry hair from spiking out all over. ~

 

[nodmicks]

As far as I know and hope there is no definitive proof on hair coloring causing cancer. If there ever is I shall be doomed I guess. Prettily doomed but doomed none the less. Besides having my hands in it at work, breathing the fumes etc. I change the color of my hair frequently and have for many years. I have zero gray maybe a gray steak would be fun to have or chalk. I just think it is fun to be varying shades from blonde, red to funky blue steaks. I hope it doesn't cause cancer!

 

[chowder]

Well my hairdresser says there are things that they can do,but it involves more chemicals and money.I think I will just let it grow and then see how it goes.I dont go out much and I can always wear a hat.My hair does grow fast,roots are showing a week after coloring.I dont know the exact color my hair naturally is,might find that I still have some original color left.I will either like it or not but I will not use permanent color again.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

well i'm 51 and let mine go to "see" and I'm about 50% gray w/ white streaks. I started getting grays at 24 and couldnt keep up w/ plucking by early thirties. I find nothing pretty about it. I look harsh and tired as well as washed out. And I do feel people treat me diff. when I let it go. As soon as I can get it cut,I will be dying again.

 

[forHISglory]

I'm almost 64 and have let my hair go natural since i was about 56. My husband loves it. I'm not white (wish I was), but more of a frosted platinum. Really wasn't sure what color it would be after the years of coloring.

I eased it in myself, using the root coloring kits that have a little brush. I got a shade that I thought looked closest to the new growth, and then used the brush to gently frost that color over my dyed hair. I only did this to the top layer of hair, and not the hair underneath. It remained the darker color. My hair was not dyed a drastically different color, so that helped. I went from being a dark blonde to this platinum. And then I just kept cutting it to get the old color off. I never went very short.