Going Gray (as gracefully as possible)

[Negin]

I'm on the fence as to whether to start dying my hair or not. I currently use Lush Henna (Caca Noir - black). At first, I was thrilled with the results. Now, a year later, I'm not as thrilled as I was initially. My hair gets quite frizzy. Obviously, the grays are the frizziest. I would love your opinions and thoughts as to whether I should dye my hair or not. As you can see from my profile picture, my hair is dark brown. It seems to me that blonds go gray/silver more beautifully than brunettes. 

 

My reasons for not wanting to dye my hair:

* possibly less damage from all the chemicals of dying over time. I knew a lady in her 80s who had the absolute most amazing hair. She told me that she never dyed it,/used chemicals on her hair and seldom used a blow dryer - her hair was thick and gorgeous. 

* as someone somewhere mentioned, "there is something odd looking when the look of a face or a neck is somewhere within the 5th or 6th decade of life and the hair is attempting to replicate a twenty-something. 

 

I have read these tips so far:

 

Mild Silver Shampoo - recommendations? I prefer to use sulfate-free shampoos. 

 

Using a yellowish-tinged shampoo or conditioner rather than a clear one may leave a yellowing cast on your hair.

 

Chlorine in water reacts with sunlight to give a yellow tinge.

 

Occasional color correction with a blue tinted hair product- to cancel yellowing - recommendations? 

 

If anyone has any more tips/resources on how to go gray as gracefully as possible, please share. :) And again, I'd love your thoughts as to whether I should eventually dye my hair or not. 

[Melissa in Australia]

I am going grey gracefully, And embracing the signs of my wisdom :coolgleamA:

 

I have long, hip length hair that I keep braided. The grey is clearly visible to anyone who wants to look.

 

I can only use the one type of shampoo which is basically a shampoo base with no added perfumes or anything else noice ( 'cause of my DH having MCS, I would rather sleep in the same bed and use the shampoo base than use nice shampoo and sleep alone)

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

I am never going to tell any woman she should dye her hair because I am too lazy to notice if I have grey hairs. If Melissa has grey hairs, I was too lazy to remember. I know she looks better than I do, so I clearly have some vanity.  :biggrinjester:

[Pawz4me]

I think whether you should dye your hair is totally up to you!  What do you think will make you feel better about yourself?

 

My story is that I started having mine dyed a long time ago.  I'm not even sure how long ago, but probably ten years or so.

 

I don't have much going for me looks wise except for my hair.  It has always been thick and shiny and healthy looking.  And when the grays started mixing in it started losing the shiny and healthy looking part.  Although I didn't have a lot of gray, the difference in texture kind of messed up my whole head.  And along with a few grays my natural color started getting more washed out looking.  It made me look tired.  And looking tired made me feel tired.  I know, it's probably a bit weird.  So I started having it dyed very close to what my natural color had been.  It just makes me feel better about myself.  And having it dyed makes my hair feel and look healthier.  Right after its done my hair is smoother and bouncier.  As the weeks go by it gets more frizzy and less bouncy.  As I get older my hair dresser tweaks the color a bit so that it looks natural.  We aren't trying to replicate what it looked like in my 20's.  I anticipate that at some point in the future I'll stop dying it.  Maybe when I have enough gray that it looks nice, and I can switch to special shampoos and other products for gray hair.

 

But I do think it's a very individual thing, and there's no right or wrong answer.  Do what makes you happy!

[Twigs]

Just do it. (stop coloring - you listed good reasons)

 

How often do you notice a yellowish cast to other's gray hair? Never, not once ever, have I ever noticed that!

 

I'm with Melissa, embrace the sign of your wisdom!

 

Best wishes.

[speedmom4]

I also knew a woman with the most beautiful silver hair! It was down almost to her waist and she kept it braided. It was gorgeous. No matter how untreated my hair was never that thick and beautiful.

 

I have been highlighting my hair for almost twenty years. I started going grey in my mid twenties but I have naturally dirty blond hair. I now have a lot of grey/silver (almost platinum) but I'm too afraid to make that plunge. My biggest deterrent is that my husband looks super young and I would DIE if someone thought I was older than him even though he's older than me by two and half years.

 

But I admire women who have the courage to be natural.

 

Elise in NC

[DawnM]

I have colored since I was about 28, when I started going gray.

 

I have auburn/red hair and with my skin tone, gray looks sallow and washes me out.  

 

I will continue to color as long as I am able.  

[Halftime Hope]

I have refused to hop on the coloring wagon as I'm too lazy to do the maintenance.  That said, until recently, I kept a really neatly done, trimmed,  bouncy bob, as I didn't want to look unkempt.  Hubby wants me to try growing it longer, so that's going on right now.  (I'm not thrilled.)  It's salt and pepper, darker around my face and grayer at the crown.

 

Surprisingly, I've had a couple people come up and tell me how beautiful my gray hair is (while it was in a longer bob.)  (!!!)  I've never had remarkable hair in my life. 

 

I think that enough people are liking the idea of naturally graying hair, that when they see someone going gray naturally, they make a point of encouraging others.  I'm betting this will happen with you.

 

I still think a good trim is essential.  I need to go soon and get it neatened again.

[regentrude]

I have chosen to go grey. I do not want to be forced to keep up with regular dyeing, and I find grey roots in dyed hair look unkempt and tacky.

 

I do nothing. No special shampoos or blue tinges. The number of grey hairs on my head increases every year. As it did in my mom's hair. And my grandma's. I know many women who look very good with grey hair. No, people would not think they are in their twenties. But they look classy.

[Night Elf]

I didn't even know there were special shampoos for greying hair. I also didn't know that sometimes it gets a yellowish tint. I hope my grey doesn't do that. I love my grey hair. I wish my whole head would hurry up and become one color.

[ozarkmom]

I'm a Ginger and began coloring my hair when it faded to a drab dark reddish brown in my 40's. My kids would get asked where they got all their red hair.

 

I quit coloring it 2 yrs ago when I turned 50 (very liberating, I might add B) ), and the silver-ish gray is showing up all around my head. Although some red-copperish color continues to show up, especially if I get out in the sun a lot, but I now have natural highlights.

 

My mother, a 72 yr, old Ginger, has never turned completely silver/gray...it's still mixed with dark gray and light silver. It's quite pretty.  Her hair is straight and she keeps it short. I keep my hair a little longer than hers, because I have natural curly hair.

 

I've learned to embrace my gray-ing hair color. :001_cool:

[barnwife]

Well, I have had gray hair since I was in high school. I spent a few years in my twenties dyeing it. I gave that up when I met DH. (He wanted to see it natural.) So I've been going gray ever since. I have no idea if the transition is graceful or not.

What I know is that for me personally, I don't like the look of twenty-something hair on someone who is well out of their twenties. My mom still completely dyes her hair. I think it looks ridiculous. I mean, no one could possibly think she's anything but gray at this point. But she likes and that's all that matters.

So that's to say, this is such an individual decision that there is no right or wrong. 
 

[Laurie4b]

I couldn't do temporary rinses which is what I initially tried. My hair absorbed them as if they were permanent. so I let it grow out and have been natural since. You c an counter the yellow tones by using a certain shampoo occasionally that has a bit of purple tint to it. There are many brand names. I would just go into a beauty supply store and ask for it. I use it every once in a while. Normally, I use a very natural shampoo.

[mom31257]

I don't plan on coloring mine. My mom had beautiful gray hair, so I hope I'll take after her. I like going against the grain, though, when it comes to modern feminine expectations. I remember a professor's wife who had shoulder-length silver hair, and it was gorgeous. Also, I don't want to spend the money or time on doing it. 

 

My dh is almost completely gray, and he likes my gray streaks. I have a lot around my temples. 

[MFG]

I have never colored my hair. It is about 50/50 now. I use this shampoo from Sally Beauty Supply. http://www.sallybeauty.com/Conditioning-Shampoo/SBS-539151,default,pd.html I just checked my bottle and it does contain sulfates.

I have also used Silver Expressions from Pantene.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pantene-Pro-V-Silver-Expressions-Shampoo-13-fl-oz/22253947

[Bambam]

Having a mom that dyed her hair for many years so that it was obviously dyed, I decided I didn't want to go down that road.

 

Unfortunately, just like mom, I started graying early. It wasn't so bad since it looked like highlights for a little while. Now, though, not so much.

 

The problem I had was the gray hair was a different texture than the rest - drier and tougher.

 

So, I quit using shampoo and started using shampoo bars (specifically alternating Carrot Milk & Honey and Coconut Milk from http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/for-the-hair/shampoo-bars/). I use a diluted vinegar rinse 3-4 times a week, and a coconut oil based condition twice a week. My hair, gray and normal color, are now softer and more likely to cooperate than ever before.

 

I'm still somewhat bothered by the color, and really bothered when I have other women tell me all about coloring their hair and how easy it is, but I'm not willing to put in the time and effort to dye. My hair is short, soft, and fine by me, so I go on. 

 

[texasmama]

My family grays early.  My hair is one of my best features.  I choose to dye and highlight at this point.  I am about 50% gray at 47.  My hair is long (bra strap in the middle of my back length).  I highlighted only for 10-15 years to blend in the emerging gray and then reached a tipping point at which this was impractical due to the percentage of gray growing and growing.  I go to a professional hairdresser every other month or so and dye the visible roots in the meantime on my own.  In some places, like the crown of my head, I am almost 100% gray so I must keep up the root dyeing about every three weeks.  I buy an inexpensive $6 kit. 

 

I have thought about going gray, but I do not think I have the best coloring for this.  If my hair is short, it would be a short process of transition.  I know there are ways to have a colorist help you go gray without having a huge line of demarcation.  I think nothing of seeing gray on other people.  In fact, I think it can be quite attractive.  I can't imagine what I would look like with long, gray hair.  In addition, my hair is curly and not of the best texture.  It is unruly and frizzy even though I try to do all that the curly girl method recommends.  I have a love hate relationship with my hair.

 

Coloring one's hair or not coloring it is a very personal and individual decision and not a moral one.  To each his own.  I do think if one has lighter hair (blondish), it is easier to go gray because you will still have light hair.  My hair is now a medium brown...that which is not gray.

[texasmama]

I want to see pictures of everyone's hair now!

[Stacia]

Negin, I'm sure you would look gorgeous with gray hair!  :)  And, I think brunettes go gray just as gracefully as blondes & redheads. (I sure hope so because I'm brunette & am getting some gray! :laugh: ) 

 

My dh & his entire family went gray early. His sister (my age) is entirely gray (she was a redhead). My mil had very dark, dark hair, but was also gray in her 40s. I didn't know her then, but from photos, she looked gorgeous as she went gray & I know she looks gorgeous now (at age 80). My fil looks like a hair model because he has thick, gorgeous gray hair. My grandfather had the cool gray stripe in his very dark hair; I wish that my gray was coming in as a stripe like his instead of a random assortment. 

 

I think part of carrying it off is attitude & style. I don't want to color my hair, but if I ever did, I'd be tempted to do blue or pink rather than just covering over the gray. Have you considered a new haircut or style instead of coloring it? 

 

So, I guess my tips are: let it go gray without worrying about coloring, love it & yourself, maybe consider a new haircut/style instead. Let it be & enjoy the self-confidence & freedoms that come with being this age. If that doesn't work, remember you can always tell your dh that you are gray because of him; I do that with my dh, but then he always points out that he's entirely gray.  ;)  :p  (I just tell him that he knew he was getting a firecracker when he married me in the first place. Ha!) You are gorgeous, Negin -- dark hair, gray hair, or no hair -- you rock!

[Heather in OK]

My maternal grandmother was completely gray in her 20s.  I'm 38 and when my roots show, I'm about 90% gray.  I am absolutely not comfortable being a brunette/gray in my 30s!!  When I'm in my mid-50 or 60s…absolutely!!!  And my hairdresser can help me make the transition so it doesn't look ridiculous.  ;)  
 

 

[KungFuPanda]

I dread this decision. I've been too lazy to use any kind of chemicals or effort on my hair. However, my red hair is the only color I have! When it starts to whiten, I'll be a ghost. Also, when you have red hair it becomes part of your identity. I'm sure I'll be complaining to you guys in the not so distant future since I'm 42 now. My grandmother has beautiful silver hair, but she's not a redhead :-/ My mom is auburn, but without my pale skin and she still dyes. Men have it so easy.

[mommymilkies]

I'm the only one in my family (other than my daughter, poor thing) with premature graying.  And not beautiful silver-we're talking wiry, stick out, white mad scientist hairs.  I pluck them right now but was about to try Mountain Rose henna to help subdue them even if it doesn't cover them.  I'm hoping that and Amla will help with the texture.  But I know henna doesn't always cover grays well.  Would a good herbal rinse like with nettle help?  I'm not sure about the tinting.  I have naturally brass colored hair and my white hairs are stark white.

[PrincessMommy]

I'd love to see some hair pics too!  Esp. the grey.

 

I color my hair because I look washed out and tired when I go grey.  I don't necessarily want to continue greying throughout my 50s and beyond, but for now I like the way it looks colored.  Since I'm probably more than 50% grey, it acts like a highlight in my colored hair so my hair isn't flat one color.

 

Actually, I've always wished I'd had more guts to do the skunk look - I always liked that. 

 

You should do what you like best... but you may also want to consider that the product you are using is causing some of the frizziness.  It may be too harsh on your hair.  And, greying hair will make your hair frizzy too... and that won't change when you stop coloring it.  The only way to get the soft sleek look is to blow dry it out with a good brush or using a straightener.  Also, good conditioners are helpful...and adding some Argon oil to your hair occasionally (too much will make it limp). 

 

These are all questions I had for my stylist (who is a friend) because I noticed that my once sleek hair was looking dryer and frizzier as time went on.

 

This is what I use, and it's worth it:

 

http://www.sallybeauty.com/repair-conditioner/SBS-539404,default,pd.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=ONEONL&sz=60&viewAllProducts=true&start=42

 

Their hair oil is also quite good.

 

 

 

 

[Peach]

I agree, whatever makes you feel better. If you do decide to color, you can do it without it looking fake and harsh. I don't equate non-gray with hair that looks too young for your age either. The women in my family gray very late, if at all. Mom just turned 80 and only has a few white hairs at the temple, so few you can count them on one hand. I am 51 and still no grey. I hope it continues. On my father's side though, his mother was snow white at 40 and it was gorgeous. I see women like Emmylou Harris and Helen Mirren and think they look awesome :)

[laughing lioness]

I've had blond highlights for a while but just don't have the time to sit and get it done these days. The top of my hair was looking blech- darker and drab with gray while the bottom had leftover highlights. It didn't look hideous but I hated it. I cut about 3" off and put in a foam color- light brown, which is actually my regular color. No-one noticed it but I love it. More even, less drab and the curls bounce again. I liked the foam application  but I did notice that it didn't actually do a terrific job of coloring the gray. 

[alisoncooks]

LOL! I opened this thread, thinking I'd responded but was then confused when I couldn't find my reply.

Then I realized that you (Negin) asked this on the other forum that we both frequent...and I had replied there. :D

[Tammi K]

One day when my youngest (Whom I hold personally responsible for giving me every one of my grey hairs ) was about 6 he commented that it, "Doesn't look like grey. It looks like beautiful fairy silver."  Awwwww, how can you cover up beautiful fairy silver?

 

Don't look at yourself and see grey - see silver instead!

[MFG]

How is this?

[Jenny in Florida]

I had to search through my blog, but I did find a picture of me on it. (Most of the pictures in our blog are of the kids. Usually I'm the one taking the picture!)

 

There's a picture of me toward the end of this blog post. Keep in mind I had spent the entire day in Death Valley, and I was quite sweaty and dusty by the time this picture was taken. (LOL)

 

http://coach-and-six.blogspot.com/2014/03/death-valley.html?m=1

 

 

That is very much what I would like mine to look like! I would like some variation in the grey and for mine to look nice and healthy.

 

Unfortunately, mine is naturally curly/frizzy, and the grey and white hairs only get more that way. For a while, I was dyeing most of my hair a shade a bit lighter than what used to be my natural color and intentionally leaving some strands or streaks of grey strategically all over my head. But I dye mine at home (because I'm cheap and picky about products), and I kept putting off the process until I was mostly grey again. So, I kept it for a few months, until I caught sight of myself in a mirror standing next to some other women and remembered how washed out the white hair makes me look.

 

This last time, I bought two boxes, one roughly the shade I've been using and another "Swedish blonde," which looked pretty much grey on the box. I mixed half of each box, then did most of my hair with the slightly darker shade and brushed the lighter one on the parts of my hair that are naturally whiter than the rest. It turned out fine, but it's more work than I'm willing to do regularly. I'm thinking when this starts to grow out, I'll use the other half of the box of lighter shade to touch up the roots, then keep doing that for a while and see how it goes. I'm hoping I can transition to a natural-looking but more flattering shade of grey.

 

Yours is gorgeous, Kinsa!

[texasmama]

Ok, you ladies have nice hair! Someone with long graying hair has to post pics. :)

[Reefgazer]

Visit a professional stylist and tell them your concerns; there may be other dye out there that is not quite as harsh on your hair.

[gardenmom5]

I'm blonde.  we do not go gray more 'beautifully'.   though it might take longer to notice - it DOES get noticed.

I felt it really made a depressing color and was very unflattering.  I never thought I'd be one of those who colors to hide gray - but here I am.  because visually, the gray just really dragged down my appearance due to the color itself.

 

eta: because of how thick my hair is, and the fact it is resistant, I have it professionally done.  we do a three color foil that does a good job of hiding the gray.  because it is a foil, roots really don't get noticed between appointments.

one shade is lighter and two shades are darker.

[redsquirrel]

Negin, do what you want. I would hope no one would judge you for not colouring and I would hope no one would judge you for colouring it. I don't think you are brave if you don't colour it and I don't think you are being vain if you do. It's your hair and you get to chose without being judged either way.

 

But I do want to warn you that I have been told you cannot put dye on top of henna. If you do decide to use anything other than henna on your hair you need to let the henna part grow out.  I have heard henna and hair dyes mixed together can cause some pretty wild colours. I could be wrong, I am obviously not a beautician, I am just telling you what I have been told. So you might want to ask someone who would be in a better position to know.

 

Once the henna has grown out, you can always try a temporary hair colour and see what you think. There are lots of options, such as temporary and semi-permanent. Temporary last a couple weeks and is a coating on  your hair. Semi-permanent does require a developer, but it is half the strength of permanent hair colour.

 

My MIL has been silver since her early 20s and now that she doesn't colour it, she does use a shampoo specific to grey/silver hair. She says her hair will get a yellowish cast due to natural human hair oils.  I guess we all have it, but it shows up on white hair? She she uses a special shampoo once a week to keep it sparkling white. I think there are a number of them on the market. And yes, I have seen white or grey hair that is yellowish at the roots. I see it all the time at church, lol.

 

And yes, grey and greying hair can be frizzy. Our hair changes as we age. My hair has gone from silky straight (people would ask me if I used a flat iron on it) to a head full of crazy waves and corkscrew curls. I look like a middle aged Merida, lol.  It is a wild curly mop now. My remedy has been to embrace the curly girl lifestyle. It has taken me the better part of a year to get it down, but I am finally at peace with my new curly hair. I have had to learn a whole new way to wash and style it but I am finally  happy with it. I also had to find a new stylist who specifically cuts curly hair. I have rejected the 'frizzy' label and prefer to think it looks romantic. I have a head of long wild curly red hair...I could be traipsing around the moors, right?  Right? :lol:

[Excelsior! Academy]

I dread this decision. I've been too lazy to use any kind of chemicals or effort on my hair. However, my red hair is the only color I have! When it starts to whiten, I'll be a ghost. Also, when you have red hair it becomes part of your identity. I'm sure I'll be complaining to you guys in the not so distant future since I'm 42 now. My grandmother has beautiful silver hair, but she's not a redhead :-/ My mom is auburn, but without my pale skin and she still dyes. Men have it so easy.

 

Have hope. My red-haired momma is in her early 60's and still not gray. She has a lovely gray streak near the front of her hair. You can see it only when she parts on one side. People ask her all the time about her lovely highlight. Lol.

[gardenmom5]

Have hope. My red-haired momma is in her early 60's and still not gray. She has a lovely gray streak near the front of her hair. You can see it only when she parts on one side. People ask her all the time about her lovely highlight. Lol.

dh's red has faded (and thinned)  - but he only has a little bit of gray near his temples and side burns.  he's in his mid 60's.

my understanding is redheads are the last to go gray.  I was going gray in my 30's - and I finally started having it professionally done in my 40's.  My dad was gray at his wedding.  he was 25.

 

[Melissa in Australia]

I am never going to tell any woman she should dye her hair because I am too lazy to notice if I have grey hairs. If Melissa has grey hairs, I was too lazy to remember. I know she looks better than I do, so I clearly have some vanity.  :biggrinjester:

 

Ow shuck Rosie

 

[Laura Corin]

My hair is very dark and I am enjoying the grey.  I invested in silver/white gold jewellery some years ago and I'm going with the silver.  I spend money on a good hair cut and tend to wear classic clothes.  My father (similar hair) went to a good iron grey, a silver then white.

 

L

[redsquirrel]

dh's red has faded (and thinned)  - but he only has a little bit of gray near his temples and side burns.  he's in his mid 60's.

my understanding is redheads are the last to go gray.  I was going gray in my 30's - and I finally started having it professionally done in my 40's.  My dad was gray at his wedding.  he was 25.

 

I don't have much grey, but my red hair turned an ashy brown/dark blonde colour and that spurred me to dye it. That was less about hiding grey and more about ... maintaining an identity? It just felt weird no longer being counted in with the redheads any longer. 

 

One thing I have noticed in my personal life is that the women who don't dye their hair definitely have hair of a certain type. They all have hair that is greying but not changing much in texture.  My sister is one. Her hair is going grey in big swaths but the texture of her hair remains similar. Her hair was already slightly wavy and she says she hasn't noticed any increases in frizz or waves. Another friend has always had thick straight hair in a bob and as she goes grey it remains glossy and smooth. My old bosses hair just went more and more grey without getting all frizzy.

 

Someone upthread says she would look like a 'mad herbalist grandma' with her grey hair, and I would be the same.

[texasmama]

Add me to the mad herbalist grandma list.

 

I reread my first post and cracked myself up that I describe my hair as one of my best features and then go on to describe it as frizzy and wild and all that.  lol  Doesn't sound like my best feature.

 

I gave up straightening it for a long time to do the curly girl method, like a year.  I've taken to straightening it more lately because I cannot get a predictable result with it curly.  Life is hard enough without unpredictable, wild hair.

[texasmama]

Also, OP, there is a huge difference for me and my fussy, curly, dry, long hair in how it feels with salon dyes and how it feels with dyes you do at home.  I fried my poor hair and  made it broken off and frizzy and unhealthy trying to do it at home.  I know many people who dye at home and it goes just fine, but I am not one of them.  I suspect that there is a subset of people with crazy hair like mine which must have professional help.  My hair needs professional help or it's all down hill!

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't have much grey, but my red hair turned an ashy brown/dark blonde colour and that spurred me to dye it. That was less about hiding grey and more about ... maintaining an identity? It just felt weird no longer being counted in with the redheads any longer. 

 

One thing I have noticed in my personal life is that the women who don't dye their hair definitely have hair of a certain type. They all have hair that is greying but not changing much in texture.  My sister is one. Her hair is going grey in big swaths but the texture of her hair remains similar. Her hair was already slightly wavy and she says she hasn't noticed any increases in frizz or waves. Another friend has always had thick straight hair in a bob and as she goes grey it remains glossy and smooth. My old bosses hair just went more and more grey without getting all frizzy.

 

Someone upthread says she would look like a 'mad herbalist grandma' with her grey hair, and I would be the same.

 

Not here! My grey hair is thick and wiry, whereas my older hair is soft and flyaway.  

[Negin]

Thank you all so much for your wonderful replies :D. 

 

How often do you notice a yellowish cast to other's gray hair? 

 

Not often at all. I only read about it and thought it was something I must have missed. 

 

Negin, I'm sure you would look gorgeous with gray hair!  

 

I don't want to color my hair, but if I ever did, I'd be tempted to do blue or pink rather than just covering over the gray. Have you considered a new haircut or style instead of coloring it? 

 

Stacia, thank you  :grouphug:. You would look lovely with gray hair also :). 

I'm at a a bit of a rut when it comes to style. Color: blue and pink sound like such fun. I also LOVE purple! The problem with purple is that dark hair like mine would need to be bleached first. Too many chemicals don't appeal to me. But I really love purple. 

 

you may also want to consider that the product you are using is causing some of the frizziness. 

 

 

I don't think it's the products that I'm using. I've switched to Pureology shampoo and conditioner and Argan Oil. My hair has just been getting more and more frizzy as I get older. The grays are obviously the most frizzy. I use a straightening iron for special occasions, but otherwise, I don't do much to it at all. Thanks for the link for the Argan Oil conditioner. Looking into it right now. :)

[rieshy]

Negin- I was a very very dark brunette- when my gray first started (30's). It was fuzzier and more wiry than the rest. It drove me crazy. However now that I am more than 60% silver my hair texture has completely changed and is very curly. I had to change the kinds if shampoos and products I use to be for curly hair.

 

So if the texture makes you nuts experiment with anti frizz products.

 

I love my gray- it brings out the silver in my eyes. I am more careful about keeping it trimmed well- so that it doesn't make me tired lookin. When I decided to ditch the color I did highlights for a while to blend then I cut it really really short. Now I wear it shoulder length. My girls all hope to go gray too:)

[The Girls' Mom]

I'm graying naturally too.  I fall in the too lazy to maintain a color camp.  I have found that it looks more up kept when I have it cut shorter, as I have curly hair that gets pretty frizzy when long.  I use a natural shampoo bar with no coloring in it, and my gray is gray/white, not yellow.  My dad has very yellow gray hair, but he was also a smoker. I'm reaching the tipping point with my gray now, where it is becoming very noticeable.  I have a cool stripe going too :)

 

 

[The Girls' Mom]

Not the best photo, but a pic of my gray.

[LostSurprise]

I don't have any advice on to dye or not to dye. I'm too lazy to dye myself. I call them 'my sparklies,' but I reserve a day when I feel differently. 

 

From what I've read henna is usually good for 'frizzy' hair. Unlike dye it permeates the strand itself and strengthens it. Some people complain of losing some of their curl or waviness with straight henna. Perhaps you had a bad batch or you need to look for a different mix? A black/brown is not straight henna. It's usually a mix of henna and indigo (in greater or lesser proportion), but can be a lot of things. Perhaps you need a different mix.  

[Negin]

Thank you all again :). 

 

 

photogray.JPG Not the best photo, but a pic of my gray.

Your hair is lovely. Thank you for sharing your picture.

 

now that I am more than 60% silver my hair texture has completely changed and is very curly. I had to change the kinds if shampoos and products I use to be for curly hair.
So if the texture makes you nuts experiment with anti frizz products.
I love my gray- it brings out the silver in my eyes. I am more careful about keeping it trimmed well- so that it doesn't make me tired lookin. When I decided to ditch the color I did highlights for a while to blend then I cut it really really short. Now I wear it shoulder length. My girls all hope to go gray too:)

This is very encouraging :). Yes, good products and regular trims are essential.  

 

From what I've read henna is usually good for 'frizzy' hair. Unlike dye it permeates the strand itself and strengthens it. Some people complain of losing some of their curl or waviness with straight henna. Perhaps you had a bad batch or you need to look for a different mix? A black/brown is not straight henna. It's usually a mix of henna and indigo (in greater or lesser proportion), but can be a lot of things. Perhaps you need a different mix.  

Yes, I've been considering using straight henna rather than the one from Lush. I need to do some research. I'm only familiar with the Lush henna. 

[mom31257]

Double Post

 

 

 

 

[mom31257]

Here is a picture of me. I have gray mostly around my face with a little throughout. Unless I pull my hair behind my ears, you don't see most of what's on the sides. I do pull it behind them a lot to keep it out of my face. I just realized my hair has grown a lot since June. 

 

 

 

 

 

[nwmama]

Thank you all again :). 

 

Your hair is lovely. Thank you for sharing your picture.

 

This is very encouraging :). Yes, good products and regular trims are essential.  

 

Yes, I've been considering using straight henna rather than the one from Lush. I need to do some research. I'm only familiar with the Lush henna. 

 

I'm so glad you posted this! I've been trying to decide what to do myself about this. I haven't dyed my hair for 10 years but I was thinking about using Lush Henna because I've heard such wonderful things about it. But I also love that grey hair is in and that women are feeling more comfortable going natural. I'm not thinking about using the henna to covers greys but because I just want a change. I've also thought about getting some hair chalks to experiment with colors... I'm thinking turquoise or purple tips, maybe even pink.