When to stop dyeing your hair?

[Sabeking]

I started in my mid forty’s. I have used chromatics by Redkin but as of recent finally decided to bite the bullet and have it professionally done. Wow what a difference that makes!! It looks better and feels better. My hair was getting so wirey!! I have a friend that is my same age; 51 and she is completely gray. She looks stunning with grey hair...not in a million years would I look that good grey!

 

[J'aime Paris]

I will dye until I die!

 

[piccolopat]

What color is your hair?

Medium-dark brown when you don't count the grey! I usually use #5 medium brown. My husband does it for me and I usually only color 2-3 times a year, right after I get a trim. I wear my hair below my shoulders and it is easier to color when there is a little less length.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I last dyed my hair in August. After badly breaking my arm, I had other stuff to worry about and never got around to it again. I got a haircut yesterday and the last of almost forty years of dye jobs was finally cut off, and I found my dark brown hair was shot through with silver, about 50%. I bought a box of dye because I was a little horrified, but then I decided I kind of liked it and to own the silver and keep it...for now at least.

My questions are- when did you stop dying your hair? Have you stopped, or are you going to dye until you die? And how old were you when you had your first dye job?

I was fifteen and dyed my hair red to look like Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles.

I was in my mid 20s when I started going from a mousy brown with light red highlights to a deeper brown with deeper red highlights. From there to various shades of red; never went black or blonde or unusual shades.

Stopped because the last time I dyed I noticed there was some silver/white/grey and it was NOT taking the color; so its been about 3 years. I have a fair amount of silver/grey/white on my temples and around my face, and it's starting to shoot through the rest of my hair. I'm about to have to start checking another box on those survey forms, and I figure at almost a half century, I can look like my natural self and like it.

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

I found my first gray hair at 18 and plucked until I turned 30. At that point, I was afraid I would go bald, so I treated myself to a hair color in a salon. It was terrible! I decided to dye at home and did so until I turned 50. I always dyed my hair back to my natural color of dark brown. Since I had shoulder length hair, it felt like it would take forever to grown out the brown and, oddly, when I had about 6-8 inches of gray/silver and 4-5 inches of dyed brown, I got the most compliments from young women. They seemed to be fascinated by how I accomplished my unique ombre look. LOL. It took almost 2 years and cutting shorter and shorter to go completely gray. I still get compliments from women my age and older. I think I lucked out and got a nice combination of my natural brown and white hair that looks silver. People think I have gotten it done in a salon, but it's just the luck of the draw that it looks pretty good all natural with all the colors streaking together.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I'm just glad mine is coming in silver and not dishwater. I'm imagining myself with a head full of sparkly silver and white hair, and I'm kind of digging the idea. I've been researching into how to keep it looking bright and not yellowish.

When I was dying it, I used Feria, various shades of burgundy/wine. I had forgotten how dark my natural hair was.

 

[disneychrista]

I do it when I feel like, not because of grays or anything.

The first time I got highlights (or frosted, I guess) I think I was 16. My mom didn't like that my hair was darker than it was as a kid. I hated it. I finally got her to let me go back to my natural dark brown hair color. I have done different dyes over the years "for fun." The last time was in May and I did one that was a dark purple-ish.

 

[starry_solo]

Medium-dark brown when you don't count the grey! I usually use #5 medium brown. My husband does it for me and I usually only color 2-3 times a year, right after I get a trim. I wear my hair below my shoulders and it is easier to color when there is a little less length.

I use a color called Bigen Speedy Conditioning Color by Hoyu. I get it at the Asian market. I think it's $8-10 a bottle. It doesn't dry my hair out.

 

[SG131]

Anywho - mom has been dying her hair since her teens and still does and is in her late 70s - she just asked if she should go natural and then laughed it off and said nah, not yet.

My mom is 70 and just said she's done. So the hair dresser is slowly lightening it and blending in the grays. She's said a few times that she thinks she's changed her mind, but she keeps going down the road and is almost all blond/gray now from her previous dark brown.

 

[kimblebee]

I haven’t dyed my hair since I was about 23 and I’m 43 now, 44 in January. I have light brown hair with a ton of natural highlights and lowlights and get compliments all the time. Luckily, my greys (and there are a lot) blend in so I don’t think I’ll ever dye. My mom is..well, I can’t tell you..she’d murder me for even telling strangers, but she is at a grey hair age and doesn’t have more than a few pieces around her temples. She’s never dyed her hair. It’s funny because all of her first cousins from one aunt went grey early.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

My sister doesn't have a single gray hair. She takes after my Mom's dad, who had beautiful caramel colored hair until the day he died. Unfortunately, I take after *my* Dad, who was going rapidly silver up until he died at 46.

 

[ronandannette]

I haven’t dyed my hair since I was about 23 and I’m 43 now, 44 in January. I have light brown hair with a ton of natural highlights and lowlights and get compliments all the time. Luckily, my greys (and there are a lot) blend in so I don’t think I’ll ever dye. My mom is..well, I can’t tell you..she’d murder me for even telling strangers, but she is at a grey hair age and doesn’t have more than a few pieces around her temples. She’s never dyed her hair. It’s funny because all of her first cousins from one aunt went grey early.

The one BIG advantage to never dying is not having to go through the horrible stage of having stark roots grow out if you decide to stop. The grey doesn't come back in naturally - it's a distinct line. That's a major issue for those of us who do dye and I've got to re-do mine every 3 weeks.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I stopped using dye around March this year I think. I was never a regular user, so I don’t have grey roots. I slowly cut it shorter and shorter until a week ago when I got almost all of the color cut off. Thinking I can have it all cut out in a few more sessions. I don’t want it buzzed!

First time I dyed it I was 15 and I went for strawberry blonde. That was 1989.

I am so happy to embrace the grey! It’s streaking in and I love it.

 

[TCRAIG]

I’m 64 - medium brown hair - never dyed it - never will...Still very little gray though...

 

[leebee]

I don't remember when I started coloring my hair- probably in my mid-30s. I've always done it at home, using Colorsilk. I did it about every 2 months, even though it should have been done sooner. My hair has always been a light-to-medium brown, but when I use the closest color (ash brown or light ash brown) it comes out VERY dark, so I use a darker blonde shade (still too dark, but better). Last spring my friends convinced me to have it professionally colored for DD's wedding. I went to a friend's salon (friend's hair always looks terrific) and I HATED it. I tried a second salon a few months later and it was OK, but just recently I had the woman who does my nails do it and I LOVED it. It came out exactly the way I always hoped it would when I did it myself, only significantly more expensive, hahaha. I used Colorsilk at home, for $3 a box... professionally done, with highlights, lowlights, and basic color was $120 with tip, but it looks amazing. I am NOT sure I will continue to have it professionally done, though. Just too expensive. I don't know what my next choice will be, though; my hair is pretty much 100% grey (and I'm 63).

 

[descovy]

I’m 43, but I stopped dying my hair at 40. My first gray hairs came in at age 20. So at 40 I decided I had enough.

And when the 20 year olds were dying their hair silver, well I figured it was ok too.

I’m about 50% gray. I’ve found I have a few fun streaks in it.

I now get compliments on my hair... from strangers who don’t have to say nice things to me. A lot of people ask if it’s my real hair color.

OTOH my grandma passed away at 91. She always dyed her hair dark brown. Trust me, no one thought her dye job made her look youthful!

 

[kaytieeldr]

The Dis is great - learn something new every day, I never imagined there was a greenish hair color

The instructions say something about not to use on gray hair, so I called* - since I had already opened the box and all. The rep said that's because it ends up being really bright, which I can live with So far, no. It still looks more blue.

*Garnier has customer service even on Sundays

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I started when I was 26 I believe. I am 47 and I see no end in sight.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I've never dyed my hair, and I have no solid plans to start. I'm 38 and I have some gray at my temples, but I think I'm gonna go gray naturally. The weird thing is that my hair is a reddish brown color and naturally curly, but my grays seem to be straight and I feel like that might be a problem as I start to get more. I guess ill have to straighten my hair when I get more gray?

 

[Ellie008]

I have streaks of grey, but still mostly brown. I dye it when the urge strikes. I hadn't for many years until this past summer. I used a box color that was reddish and was supposed to wash out after a few weeks. I liked having the change, but the grey doesn't bother me, and I am not signing up to dye it every few weeks long term. I just don't care enough.

Now though, I am eyeing up that green someone posted above. It seems like a perfect christmas color. I may do that if I can find it.