Going blonde to cover gray?

[verge1116]

I have had dark brown hair my whole life (I'm 41). I have been going gray for quite awhile now and I color my hair at home to cover it up. In the last few months, the roots are now coming in white, and the contrast with my dark hair is very noticeable. I can barely make it 3 weeks before the roots are showing. I am considering going to a salon and going lighter if it would make my white hair less noticeable. I have never colored at a salon so I have no idea what to expect. Would I just be getting highlights, or would it be color and highlights? Also, I am very fair with freckles, blue eyes and dark eyebrows, so I don't even know if I would look good lighter. What's your experience with covering gray?

 

[wilma-bride]

I do exactly this, I have dark hair with a lot of gray, so my salon now colours it with a dark/deep red (black cherry) all over colour, with blond highlights, concentrating the colour mainly at the top/front where the grey roots show through first. The result is not blonde, as such (with my dark colouring I could not carry off full blonde) but lighter and more able to disguise the grey. I usually have to have it coloured every 8-10 weeks nonetheless.

There are some pictures in my trip reports (links in my signature) if you are interested to see what it looked like before and looks like now.

 

[Minniesgal]

I colour mine as close as possible to my natural colour to get as much time as possible before I have to redo. I always use my salon but it is getting it needs done very 3 weeks. Going lighter is really hard as highlights strip the condition out of your hair so it can make grey hair look like straw.

 

[mnrose]

I do full highlights on mine in a darker blonde shade (I am naturally a brunette...but now naturally a grey). Anyway, with all over highlights, the grey is hidden for a good long while. 7-8 weeks.

It was recommended by my stylist (in contrast to all over color....which tends to show the grey faster). She does a fantastic job, and charges me a very reasonable price....less than all over, single process color at most salons.

 

[ez]

I am in my early 50s with some gray, my hair is medium mousy brown naturally. Every 6 months I get blonde color and highlights. In between I do my roots at home, I go to sally beauty supply and get light ash blonde color and level 30 developer it only cost a few bucks. I just dont want to spend that much money going to salon every six weeks. I have long hair and cut my own bangs. My hair "pulls red" according to my hairdresser of 25 years, so thats why I have to go with an ash color to get a blond that isnt too red. Good luck!!

 

[Christine]

I also am a natural mousey brown. Fair skin, dark eyebrows, hazel eyes. As a child I was very blonde, then light brown, so it's not totally unnatural for me to be a blonde.

The best coverage will be to highlight. I am lighter now than I have been but I wouldn't describe myself as blonde. I have a lot of dark blonde highlights and my stylist puts in light brown low lights so I get some "separation" of the colors and it takes a long time to notice that my roots (with gray) are growing out. Ideally, I do a highlight and cut, wait 5 weeks, get a trim, wait 5 weeks and go back for the highlights. However, depending on how things are going, I might highlight, cut twice, then highlight. I have short hair and layered. This has a better "grow out" effect than hair that is all one length. Very easy to see the roots with that type of hairstyle.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I'd be all gray if it were not for my stylist. My hair just grows fast so there really isn't any other choice but to get my hair done every 4 weeks. My hair is shorter so I can cover my part some for a few days but I've just resigned myself that I will just have to get my hair done that often until I feel old enough to be all gray--but that is many years off yet. I would have been all gray at about age 40...not happening.

 

[verge1116]

Thanks everyone. I think I will bit the bullet and make an appointment and see what my stylist says. Maybe start off with some highlights and gradually get a little lighter from there.

Darn aging!

 

[Disneychick75]

Gosh, I have to color my hair every 7-10 days because it grows so quickly. It's probably 99% gray and with my hair naturally dark, the roots are very noticeable. I have gone the blonde route but with my dark Irish coloring, I didn't like it. Ten years ago, in my 40's, I let my hair go gray. People still tell me they're happy that I back to brown. I play with the idea of going gray again because coloring is 1. expensive and 2. time consuming.

 

[verge1116]

OP here. I went to the salon over the weekend and did highlights/color. I am so happy with how it turned out, my stylist did a wonderful job. The highlights are very natural looking. I will have to see how it looks in a few weeks when the regrowth starts showing, but right now I am super pleased and will likely keep going back.

 

[lauradis]

I'd be all gray if it were not for my stylist. My hair just grows fast so there really isn't any other choice but to get my hair done every 4 weeks. My hair is shorter so I can cover my part some for a few days but I've just resigned myself that I will just have to get my hair done that often until I feel old enough to be all gray--but that is many years off yet. I would have been all gray at about age 40...not happening.

Oh, I would be so happy for all gray.

I have dark brown hair and cant wait for it to all turn gray/sliver.

I'm dieing it all purple.

 

[crz4mm2]

I have had dark brown hair my whole life (I'm 41). I have been going gray for quite awhile now and I color my hair at home to cover it up. In the last few months, the roots are now coming in white, and the contrast with my dark hair is very noticeable. I can barely make it 3 weeks before the roots are showing. I am considering going to a salon and going lighter if it would make my white hair less noticeable. I have never colored at a salon so I have no idea what to expect. Would I just be getting highlights, or would it be color and highlights? Also, I am very fair with freckles, blue eyes and dark eyebrows, so I don't even know if I would look good lighter. What's your experience with covering gray?

I tried this recently. To say it was an epic fail is an understatement! It made me look completely washed out and OLD.
I went back to VERY dark

 

[HannaBelle]

OP I am glad to hear you love your new look!

Has anyone tried to add dark "highlights" to just over all darken their hair? I am a natural redhead and my hair just keeps getting lighter and lighter. I do not want to do a full on color, but could I just add some darker red streaks? Is that a thing?

I have never colored my hair and I am more than a bit nervous to try something...

 

[Christine]

I tried this recently. To say it was an epic fail is an understatement! It made me look completely washed out and OLD.
I went back to VERY dark

My mother is having a similar issue. She always had VERY dark brown hair. Now it's predominantly grey. It doesn't want to seem to hold the dark brown color at all for very long so they have moved to mainly highlights with some color. It's really just too light on her and makes her look washed out. She's much better staying very dark.

I think it really depends on your coloring, though. I am a natural brunette (medium brown) but was blonde as a young child. I actually look better if I go lighter.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

OP, I had the same problem. I was so tired of just getting my hair colored, and in a couple of weeks seeing those roots! I did not want to let my hair go natural because my Mom and oldest DSis had that kind of dark, steel gray hair and I knew I would hate it! Finally my stylist did several months of semi-permanent color so my hair could grow out some, and it is a lovely silver! I haven't colored in over a year and am very happy with the silver....even DH has said he really likes it!

 

[tvguy]

Or just let it go all gray. I was struck at a Christmas choir last night by how becoming the women were who had let their hair color got natural.

 

[JediBonas]

OP I am glad to hear you love your new look!

Has anyone tried to add dark "highlights" to just over all darken their hair? I am a natural redhead and my hair just keeps getting lighter and lighter. I do not want to do a full on color, but could I just add some darker red streaks? Is that a thing?

I have never colored my hair and I am more than a bit nervous to try something...

I don't have streaks but I have kind of a layer in the middle of very rich dark red. So the top layer is auburn, then the richer red, then a brownish red and I love it!

 

[goofyintoronto]

im with the OP on this. If i had grey hair, there's no way I would ever let the grey hair grow out. Never in a million years. That would add 100 years to my age. I would definitely get highlights just like the OP has done.

OP, glad it worked out for you! Can we see a before and after pic?

 

[IDoDis]

I am debating on getting highlights, too! I am naturally blonde with the outside layer being much blonder than the inside layers. The white hair is not that noticeable right now, but I can really see it underneath where my hair is darker. I'm 50 years old and people are surprised when they find out my age, probably because they can't see my white (grey) hair. I avoid the sun or wear a cap to cover my face, so I don't have a ton of wrinkles yet.

So it's an advantage to be blonde, but the white hair is slowly creeping in. Not sure what to do...