LNC Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Has anyone looked into this? I have issues with autoimmune diseases - myasthenia gravis in my 20's, and now multiple sclerosis. I also have the lupus anticoagulant that caused a lot of miscarriages. My son has type 1 diabetes. SO, needless to say, I'm looking into all reasons why I'm having these problems. There is a new book out about the autoimmune "epidemic" that has a forward written by a physician at Johns Hopkins that I respect. Most researchers agree that there is a combo of genetic and environmental causes. The book implicates chemicals including hair dye- particularly dk. hair dye. A causal relationship with lupus in particular. I have been coloring my hair dk brown for 15 years! I'm 39 and my roots are 80% gray. My hair is 2 inches below my shoulders. It will be hard to go gray. I'm using a cane, and I'm overweight :( But, for the sake of my health I think I have to! I have to leave the dye on for 1hr bc my grays are so resistant to color - and I touch up every 3 weeks. Not good!! Help! Should I do this? Has anyone else done this? Maybe you can show me some pics of pretty gray haired 40 year old moms? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imeverywoman Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 that dark dye is worse for the body than lighter dyes. It caught my eye because I'm a brunette who dyes her straggly grays around the temple and brow area every couple of weeks. I leave it in for only twenty minutes and apply it with a toothbrush to avoid as much contact as possible with the scalp. Could that be why so many brunettes opt for blonde highlights.:confused: Bother.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRILLIUM Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Well I used henna this summer on my hair. One issue is the time needed to do the dying. I applied it in June, August and October. Now I have grey roots Well more than just roots. I woke up this morning and realized that I had enough time to dye my hair today. Only problem is that you need to prepare the henna ahead of time---like last night. Here is where I got my henna. http://www.hennaforhair.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I figure I earned my grey hairs and I was going to keep them.:D I'm not sure that pictures of pretty grey-haired women is the right approach, though. You need to be confident enough about your own body. If you think that you need to stop coloring your hair, by all means, stop.:) And don't take any grief from anyone about it. Remember: Grey hair is a sign of wisdom.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELaurie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I'm 42 and considering going gray, too. The last time I colored my hair, I used a dark blonde so I now have 1 1/2 inch of dark roots and gray roots with shoulder-length dark blonde. It looks awful! I'm considering coloring dark one last time so the growing out process isn't so ugly. That's the part I dread, growing it out. I cannot figure out how to do it without looking awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I figure I earned my grey hairs and I was going to keep them.:D I totally agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirsmommy Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 link Elaurie, Do you use this? Do you have stubborn grey? I am considering it but it seems so spendy I just want to be sure before I buy. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Do they every die hair gray? I've had so many folks complain about trying to go gray. Why not dye it gray--add streaks of your natural color to it if you need to. It would be a big change, but you wouldn't have to grow it out. ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Do they every die hair gray? I've had so many folks complain about trying to go gray. Why not dye it gray--add streaks of your natural color to it if you need to. It would be a big change, but you wouldn't have to grow it out. ??? Yes, but do they make gray hair dye??? I had thought about doing that, but I didn't think there was such a thing as gray hair dye. I've never seen it in a store! :o Off to search for gray hair dye... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 A good link to growing hair out Going Gray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Do they every die hair gray? I've had so many folks complain about trying to go gray. Why not dye it gray--add streaks of your natural color to it if you need to. It would be a big change, but you wouldn't have to grow it out. ??? The OP might want to check out NaturTint which is a vegetable based dye without ammonia. Someone told me gray dye was an option, but by the time I heard it, I was 1/2 through the process of growing out from dark gold to gray, so it seemed pointless to research it. I'll still be curious to find out what Frankie discovers. As for "not having to grow it out", my guess is there would still be a transition. Maybe not so obvious, but dye never totally matches natural hair color. Dyes in general, IMO, tend to leave hair one color. So, even a one color gray would differ from the real gray on someone's head...even more the salt and pepper thing that so many women have in their 40's. From experience I can say that it's easier to go lighter first, then to gray It happened for me that way kind of by accident because I had drifted to a more blonde color over the years. But the grow out has been so much less apparent than if I had gone from dark brown to gray. Doran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 she said I could try Waterworks powder - and mix it myself. It cuts down on the harsher chemicals and is ammonia free. I bought the stuff. I'll have to check the label with that book when it comes from the library to make sure it's safe. I'll also check into the ones some of you mentioned thanks! She also showed me a black hair crayon to cut down on how often I touch up my roots. It's pretty neat - just covers up the grays on my hairline and part. I also found out that to go gray I would get about 1-2 inches of roots grown out. The hair salon would match it after cutting off as much as possible of my dyed length. I think she would do a frosty type of match to the roots. The end result would be salt and pepper. I'll go that route if I can't find a safe product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 she said I could try Waterworks powder - and mix it myself. It cuts down on the harsher chemicals and is ammonia free. I bought the stuff. I'll have to check the label with that book when it comes from the library to make sure it's safe. I'll also check into the ones some of you mentioned thanks! She also showed me a black hair crayon to cut down on how often I touch up my roots. It's pretty neat - just covers up the grays on my hairline and part. I also found out that to go gray I would get about 1-2 inches of roots grown out. The hair salon would match it after cutting off as much as possible of my dyed length. I think she would do a frosty type of match to the roots. The end result would be salt and pepper. I'll go that route if I can't find a safe product. Wow, I've been looking online instead of getting work done. I think what I am going to do is a permanent color to get my hair closer to its normal color -- it's just too far from normal at this point. (Thanks, Jean, for the link) I will then buy Clairol Natural Instincts, which is supposed to last for 28 washings. I'll use that for a few months while the gray grows out. I have really struggled with this decision, because 42 seems so young to go gray -- but as others have said, I've earned those grays! It will then be one less thing to worry about. Thanks to LNC for bringing this up! It's been on my mind for about a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan Lyn Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Dear LNC, I understand somewhat. I say somewhat, as we all have individual journies with our health. To answer your question, you could go grey or white. I am 44 and have been very sick for 2 years now. I let it go, as part of my autoimmune stuff is chemical sensitivities and food intolerances. At first, I used a rosemary and sage tea mix to stain it. It takes patience and time..about a month to see a change and it is subtle. I found it too time consuming and as part of accepting all my changes, I just found it easier to give up! I try to look neat and nice in other ways. I'm so sorry that you are struggling with these issues. Are you currently homeschooling? It is hard, but the best for us, as it keeps the amount of illness and chemicals out of our home, thus keeping me weller and more able to be a mom and deal with things. Good luck with the hair decision! Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELaurie Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I do use it, and it works very well for me. I have short relatively hair, so I mix up only half at a time. I used a medium brown the first two times - it was a little darker than my natural color, but it lasted more than 6 months. The third time, I switched to a dark blond, which is a very close match for my hair color. I used it in early December, and am getting ready to do it again. It's easy to use, and I figure $7 every three months (I pay $14 for each kit) is a reasonable expense for my hair. My grey is mostly around my hairline at this point, not all over, so YMMV : ) I have a friend with very thick, long hair who tried it, and although it worked well for "touch ups" for her, she decided that she would still have hers dona at salon every other time, or every third time to get better coverage. Now, that seems a little spendy to me : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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