When to stop dyeing your hair?

I started dyeing my hair when I was 18. First auburn red-brown, then I went brunette, then to "black cherry" reddish-purple. I'm 45 now and still dyeing. I've tried to do funky colored streaks but they won't take. I can't wait for my white hair to grow in so I can do that (my hairdresser - who I've been with since I was 18 and is the ONLY person who has ever dyed my hair - says it will be easier to do when it's white).

I did have to stop dyeing when I finally got pregnant via IVF; the doctors didn't want to chance anything, so I wasn't given clearance until I was about 5 months along. Some of my silver-white did grow in, but it was just a few here and there. Not enough to let it go. I now have more silver-whites than I did then, but still not even an eighth of my head. I really wish it would - it's expensive to keep doing this, I love white hair, and I look forward to being that old lady with the young-looking-face with the purple and turquoise streaks in her hair ;)
 
I colored my hair various shades of red since my first grays in my early 20s. I stopped completely a few years ago, let my hair grow, and got all the color cut off.

Then, in August and November last year, I used a temperament green. When that washed out, I coincidentally encountered a permanent emerald color. As long as the shade stays available, I'm a dyer for life.
I don't mean to intrude - but can you put a picture up of that? I can't begin to figure out what an emerald hair color looks like.
 
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.
First time in my twenties. Chopped my hair off one night to about a half inch and then listened to various guys call me "sir" for about 2 weeks (the pizza guy, taxi drivers, etc). Sooo to annoy them that much more I stripped the colour and dyed it blonde:lmao:. Was occasionally mistaken for Nona Hendryx during her Labelle period.

In my 40s allowed my stylist to streak my hair with 3 shades of caramel brown. Looked very nice but was too much maintenance so after a few years went back to whatever nature provided.

Always knew I'd grey since it runs in the family (maternal grandmother's hair completely turned in her 20's). Now I have a huge section of grey in the center of my head on one side and I can't wait until more comes in the same color. Would love to sport a Cruella Deville look.
 
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What brand of at home color do you all use?
I tried one from wholefoods but it dried my hair out so much after using it for about 6 months my hair looked like hay, so dry.
I’m at the salon again, I don’t like paying for it every 4-5 weeks.
Is there an at home color that won’t dry out my hair?
I like Excellence by Loreal.
 


What brand of at home color do you all use?
I tried one from wholefoods but it dried my hair out so much after using it for about 6 months my hair looked like hay, so dry.
I’m at the salon again, I don’t like paying for it every 4-5 weeks.
Is there an at home color that won’t dry out my hair?
I only did salon, I wasn't willing to take a chance.
 
I was in my 40s when I first got highlights, still am getting them just for fun, haven't seen any real grey hairs yet. My mom started turning grey in her teens - seriously we have pictures to prove it and my brother started turning grey in his early 20s and had a full head of grey hair before he was 30. 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.
I'm going to be like your mom, I'm sure. My own mother was. We even had the funeral home touch up her roots when she died at 99 after a long convalescence. :goodvibes
 


My hair is naturally dark brown, almost black. I got my first grey when I was 15. By the time I was 30, I had a major "bride of frankenstein" stripe going on.

My MIL and mother both started making comments about how I needed to start coloring my hair. I finally did when I was around 25. (My MIL did not seem to notice that I had gotten it done. I finally pointed it out and she said "Oh, I noticed, but I thought it would be rude to say so." Apparently it's rude to mention that you notice someone has colored their hair, but NOT rude to tell them they need to color it. She's actually a pretty OK MIL, but that was not one of her finest moments.

I'd really like to stop coloring it. My stylist says that it's at least 75% grey in the front now (but a lot less so in the back, apparently). The roots show VERY quickly now, and I'm cheap. I don't want to keep paying to dye it. I mentioned that to my mother recently (she is 78 and still dyes hers) and she about had a conniption. She said I could *not* stop -- at least not till my youngest is out of high school. And honestly, I will probably keep coloring it till I retire, but I hate doing it.
 
I started coloring my hair when I was 15. Back then the style was "frosted" tips. Then, when I outgrew that phase, I started coloring it a reddish brown. I have had medium/dark brown hair, high lights, low lights, and everything in between. I have had wI aist length hair, permed hair, bleached hair, very short hair (which my husband does not like) and if I don't like it, I always say "It will grow out and it's just hair"

I will have my hair colored until I die. I don't even know what my "natural" color is. I am 50 and when the grays pop up then I call my hair stylist (unless I am already on the books).
 
I'm 55 and plucked the first grey hair from my head at age 19.

Been home dying every 5 weeks since early 30's. Never intend to stop. My hair is dark brown so looks horrid when my roots start to show. Also never cutting my hair short. It will be long and brown until I die.

I use cheap $2.97 hair color. I would have to check the bathroom cabinet for the brand. I buy it on auto-pilot.

ETA: It's Revlon Colorsilk - Dark Soft Brown. If they ever change the model on the box, I'll be in trouble, since that's how I find it now.
 
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I never started. I was a teenager when my first few grays appeared. By the time I was 25, I had a handful. Then I went from a handful to a noticeable amount during the course of my first pregnancy. Noticeable to the point that my first week back to work after having the baby, my boss's boss stepped into an elevator with me, said "Oh, Lissa, you're back!", followed by "Wow, you're getting gray!" LOL!

I just had no interest in dying my hair from age 25 to when I died. Zippo. The women in my family have made a point of living a darn long time. And a possible 60+ years of hair dying and root touch-ups; 60+ years of time; 60+ years of expense to continually try to hide something that every person fortunate enough to live far enough into adulthood also has just didn't appeal to me at all. And I keep my hair long, so the idea of having to grow out the dyed hair some day if I started and then wanted to stop didn't sound fun, either.

These days the back of my hair looks like it belongs to a different person than the front, LOL, but it's mine and I'm still fine leaving it be. I'm actually kind of hoping it will hurry on and just be all silver or white---I've seen some photos of ladies rocking those colors and I want to try, too! :D

I get why others choose to dye, and I have friends and relatives that are still dying in their 70s and beyond with no intention of stopping. It just isn't what I personally choose to do. :)
 
I lightly highlighted in a salon a few times in my 20s, but I have not chemically treated my hair in any capacity for over 20 years. Chemo at 39, and hair grew back same medium brown as before but more fine. I started having a few gray hairs a couple years ago; hairdressers always say it is no big deal. I can really see it when I wear my hair in a headband or pony, but no one else is commenting yet. I hope to gray well as did my father and grandmother, so that I never have to consider dying. I have babied my hair so much to try to keep it strong and healthy, I worry what color would do.

I have lived in towns with meticulously coiffed blonde haired “Stepfords“ (literally—where they filmed original and Nicole Kidman reboot) and now where nearly everyone has home bleached blonde. It is not my look nor ever has been, but I have always wished for auburn...
 
I'm 46 and haven't started yet. I have some grey strands but I'm trying to hold of dyeing as long as I can because I feel like once I start I won't be able to stop.
 
44 here and I've never colored my hair, and don't ever plan to do so. I would say my hair is about 10 - 20% gray and I have dark brown hair so it's very noticeable. Not only do I love the gray, but I love the freedom (time and expense wise) of not coloring, though I totally understand why women do it. There are many people in my life who give me a hard time about it (directly and indirectly) but it's ok, to each their own.
 
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 started going gray in my early 20s (thanks Mom). Been coloring my hair since. I'm 44 now, but I still can't imagine walking around with a head full of gray hair.
 
I've been dyeing my hair off and on since 16 to help cover any grays. (Found my first gray hair at 6...) I've been saying that Ill dye it until my eyebrows go gray.
 

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