Opinions from (older) brunettes please

[Maydup]

I'm a middle aged brunette, lucky enough to have only a few grey hairs behind the ears. My colour is so rich that I've never needed or wanted to dye it, just had a few highlights here and there for an occasional change.

Now the grey is a little more widespread and I can't decide whether to grow old and grey gracefully or to start dying my hair to cover it.

Do older brunettes with hair dyed to their original colour look younger than their years or does it look unatural?

Which do you do?

[nungate]

It looks unnatural, as you get older your hair colour fades so it's better to make your hair colour lighter, it's what I have done, I used to be a very dark brown and am now a light brown with a few blonde streaks. Though I never colour it myself, always having it done at the hairdresser.

[sherrardk]

I was going to post a very similar question - mine is going grey at a rate of knots. I also have a dilemma over leaving it shoulder length (although it's always in a plait) or cutting it.

[nungate]

I started going grey at nineteen btw.

[Prudie]

This will be very subjective but I think women who allow their hair to go fully grey look older than their years. I also have dark brown hair but it's quite long (below shoulder blades). if I left the grey alone I'd have to cut my hair I think and couldn't handle that. Personally I just colour the roots so it fades as it grows down and looks natural. I've never dared put a permanent block colour all over.

[Maydup]

Me too Sherr. I cut mine to shoulder length but always feel happier when its longer again. I haven't had it cut for 4 months now.

If I were to begin dying it, I would have it done professionally, but that would mean going regulalry. But one day, if either I change my mind or couldn't for whatever reason have it done, I think I'd be agonising over growing it out.

The more i think about it, the more I think I should let it do what it wants to and get used to it gradually. Maybe once its all grey it will feel better shorter too, but at the moment I continue to enjoy its length.

[JoolsTwo]

I have been using a a wella product called shaders, which left my hair looking like I had red highlights where the grey was. Unfortunatley, Wella have stopped making it. I am at the moment hunting for something to replace it. I used to wash my hair in the shower with one application of shampoo the wash with one of the shader and leave it while I showered then wased it out and used conditioner as usual. This worked well, I have just found a product called Colour Effects in SuperDrug, I haven't tried it yet though.

[nungate]

If it's only a few greys at the moment, why not try semi permanent? which will fade with time? I started off using henna and progressed to the semi permanents but now it's so bad that I go for the full monty as it were, but I also have blonde streaks put in at the same time which disguises a lot of the regrowth, extending the time between dye jobs, but as you say you need to keep it "topped" up.

[rockyracoon]

I'm 45 and always dye back to my original colour, saying that, it's dark brown and always has been, no fading. I always get compliments on the colour when I do it (every 4 bloody weeks), and am always told I look younger than I am.

[rockyracoon]

nungate, It's a struggle to find a semi that will properly cover grey, that's always been my experience.

[pdust]

I have a few grey hairs but not many, i dye mine with a colour slightly darker than my own or sometimes with one thats called red/black ....they look unnatural to start with but after a couple of washes and the dye tones down a bit it doesnt look any different. the red/black one is really dark to start with but fades rather than grows out so it goes through a whole lot of different nice shades.... Not sure if it makes me look younger, older or the same as not many people see my hair to comment .....

[RobertaMary]

im 47 & get the odd pure white hair that seem to appear overnight. I just use a semi perminent dye ...whatevers on offer about every 4 months. I think im lucky & its prob in my genes as my mum who is in her mid 70`s pretty much does the same. I only use a colour thats the same as my original as it never looks right if i use anything with a red tinge, it just adds depth to the colur i have & makes it glossy which always helps.......i like it for that anti aging quality. My hubby has the opinion that "older" & yes the sod does class me as that.well he says older ladies should never have long hair...hence ive grown mine from very short lol...cant have the OLD man telling me how to have my hair can i !?!

[Maydup]

Rocky - Do you see yourself continuing with your colour? eg when you're 70 do you think you will you be the same shade?

Mine's not faded either, both sides of the family had dark hair and went grey very late in life. But my gran was still dying her hair a dark brown into her old age and I just can't decide whether to start or not.

[tamborine]

I find grey too ageing; my bus pass photograph has me as chestnut with blonde hilites.

My tints change seasonally & I prefer warm tones in winter & vibrant reds with hilites in summer. While I can afford to, I'm tinting.

[Maydup]

Which semi p do you use Roberta? My hair sound much like yours and I'm not keen on the red look either. Given the option I'd refer caramel over red tints.

[rockyracoon]

Maidup, I'll carry on using it till the grey overtakes the dark, then I'll concede defeat and go lighter. My mum went grey before 45 and had been blonde for donkeys, I seem to be getting along OK at the mo, the grey is unfortunately concentrated round the hairline so I've just had a whispy fringe cut in so it doesn't show too much. I'll rue the day when I have to lighten my hair, my eyebrows are really dark so I'll have to do something about them too. Getting older sucks.

[shoota]

Grey is the new brunette..........natural is best!

[grasscarp]

I looked in on this thread as it said opinions from older brunettes and I qualify. However, I have so few grey hairs - I pull them out if I ever see one - that I cannot comment on what to do. I am in my seventh decade btw.

[Maydup]

Woohoo grasscarp - good for you, what's your secret?

[tamborine]

Andrew Neil on BBC News this morning. Red tint with hair transplant. Even men are not giving in to grey.

[RobertaMary]

I like Superdrugs own brand best, they do a good old "dark brown" which seems fine. Its pretty much on special most of time too & easy to use. I cant stand runny or drippy dye so it suits me. Ive tried those horrid foam/mousse sorts too....dont even go there......very messy!