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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I would do highlights as you transition. If you don't want to go to a pro (and, honestly, I do it better on my own) I'd suggest something like Revlon's frost and glow. It comes with a cap. Poke out holes before putting it on your head and it's pretty simple. Of course, always strand test.
Alternatively, you could do a warm/neutral (as opposed to ash) demi permanent (that washes out in a few months) and choose a shade between the two shades (the gray and the auburn). As your gray grows in, get regular trims and eventually let the demi wash out. This might appear to be a more natural transition as the color will wash out gradually.
I have short hair which has been dyed light brown for years. I've not had the roots touched up in over 3 months but have had reverse highlights put in. My stylist uses the foil method.
Not only does it look very natural but my husband had yet to notice that I'm going gray. My plan is to keep the lowlights indefinitely as I'm not ready to go entirely gray.
I'm still very conflicted about this. On the one hand I would like to stop coloring my hair and let it go gray. On the other hand I look young for my age and having gray hair will change that. I feel young on the inside and don't want to look in the mirror and realize I'm now considered a senior citizen. My almost 8 year old granddaughter recently saw a picture of me from the last time I went gray and she told me "you look like an old lady". Many people think she is my daughter, not my granddaughter when we are out and about. That will change as it did in the past when I let it go gray. Folks just assumed I was her grandmother then.
We live in a very youth conscious society plus I live in Florida with a lot of seniors. I don't want to be lumped into the category of "old woman". When you see a woman in front of you with gray or white hair you are going to assume it is someone quite old aren't you? She may turn around and you see a rather young looking face but the first thought is "old". I just don't know if I can do this yet especially since my mom and sister have so little gray. Is it vanity? Of course it is - does anybody want to make themselves look older than they are?
I'm still very conflicted about this. On the one hand I would like to stop coloring my hair and let it go gray. On the other hand I look young for my age and having gray hair will change that. I feel young on the inside and don't want to look in the mirror and realize I'm now considered a senior citizen. My almost 8 year old granddaughter recently saw a picture of me from the last time I went gray and she told me "you look like an old lady". Many people think she is my daughter, not my granddaughter when we are out and about. That will change as it did in the past when I let it go gray. Folks just assumed I was her grandmother then.
We live in a very youth conscious society plus I live in Florida with a lot of seniors. I don't want to be lumped into the category of "old woman". When you see a woman in front of you with gray or white hair you are going to assume it is someone quite old aren't you? She may turn around and you see a rather young looking face but the first thought is "old". I just don't know if I can do this yet especially since my mom and sister have so little gray. Is it vanity? Of course it is - does anybody want to make themselves look older than they are?
Well, I am the OP. It's been a year and I am rocking the ombre look now (I posted a pic on previous page I believe). I don't think it makes me look any older. In fact people seem to love it. I have gotten compliments from guys even! I will never put hard core chemicals again, that cancer scare on my scalp cured me of that. Plus, the virgen hair growing out is SO much softer, shinier and healthier. Once it is all grown out, I may put a few highlights in myself, perhaps a gentle toner if I want to enhance the brightness. There are many subtle things one can do without doing a hard-core dye job.
You might be surprised how much you like it, even if you didn't like it before. Or grow it out and put a couple of fun "streaks" in it to break up the gray/silver/white. By the way, I live in Florida as well, with a lot of other women my age, most of whom rock their natural hair and look fantastic because they keep themselves in shape through exercise, yoga, and proper diet (as do I.) No one likes to feel they are getting older, but the fact is we ARE (if we are lucky) so it is important to work on acceptance of that. I don't perceive people as "old" unless they "act old", shuffling along, dour attitude, no sense of humour or joy, etc. If someone is young and vibrant and takes care of themselves, hair color (or no hair even) doesn't make much difference.
One last thing; once you have roots showing every two weeks you will be killing your scalp with the dye, especially since gray is color resistant. You absorb all those chemicals and they are very toxic. It is especially bad with the dark colors. Anyway, just trying to encourage you to give it a try, if you hate it you can always go back to coloring.
I'm still very conflicted about this. On the one hand I would like to stop coloring my hair and let it go gray. On the other hand I look young for my age and having gray hair will change that. I feel young on the inside and don't want to look in the mirror and realize I'm now considered a senior citizen. My almost 8 year old granddaughter recently saw a picture of me from the last time I went gray and she told me "you look like an old lady". Many people think she is my daughter, not my granddaughter when we are out and about. That will change as it did in the past when I let it go gray. Folks just assumed I was her grandmother then.
We live in a very youth conscious society plus I live in Florida with a lot of seniors. I don't want to be lumped into the category of "old woman". When you see a woman in front of you with gray or white hair you are going to assume it is someone quite old aren't you? She may turn around and you see a rather young looking face but the first thought is "old". I just don't know if I can do this yet especially since my mom and sister have so little gray. Is it vanity? Of course it is - does anybody want to make themselves look older than they are?
"old woman" is more about what you project than how you look. when you are happy, smile and look presentable you are not going to project "old" no matter what color your hair.
many of us look our age or close to our age anyway and dyed hair doesn't change that fact, sometimes it just looks like we dye our hair and it really doesn't make us look young at all. in that case, grey hair is the better choice.
one of the things besides resenting the time every few months I spent in the chair getting my hair colored was the fact that my husband was totally grey. I certainly wasn't fooling anyone that I was younger when I was around him.
I would tell anyone tired of the grind of hair color to grow your hair out, get a great cut and see how you like it. if you don't it doesn't take much to cover it again with a color. the most important thing is to feel good about yourself.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,936,007 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiluvr1228
I'm still very conflicted about this. On the one hand I would like to stop coloring my hair and let it go gray. On the other hand I look young for my age and having gray hair will change that. I feel young on the inside and don't want to look in the mirror and realize I'm now considered a senior citizen. My almost 8 year old granddaughter recently saw a picture of me from the last time I went gray and she told me "you look like an old lady". Many people think she is my daughter, not my granddaughter when we are out and about. That will change as it did in the past when I let it go gray. Folks just assumed I was her grandmother then.
We live in a very youth conscious society plus I live in Florida with a lot of seniors. I don't want to be lumped into the category of "old woman". When you see a woman in front of you with gray or white hair you are going to assume it is someone quite old aren't you? She may turn around and you see a rather young looking face but the first thought is "old". I just don't know if I can do this yet especially since my mom and sister have so little gray. Is it vanity? Of course it is - does anybody want to make themselves look older than they are?
I really appreciate the honesty of this post. I think alot of us relate to everything you've written.
I love playing with haircolor and always have. If I reduce gray hair to just a color, I just don't like the color of gray/white hair on me at all--not flattering.
I'm comfortable with my age, but I don't feel like I need to go gray to make that statement, particularly when going gray makes most of us look older than our actual age.
It's sad that something so natural, which is nothing to be ashamed of, has such a negative connotation in our society... FOR WOMEN ONLY. But only women taking a courageous stand against societal pressure to dye will ever change that perception.
Okay so I got all my stuff ready to do my touch-up and then changed my mind. I have lost weight and started back to the gym in May so I'm feeling and looking better than I have in years. I have had breast & thyroid cancer and I don't love the idea of putting chemicals in my body especially since I quit smoking last October.
I don't have an old lady haircut so I think I will stick with the plan. What's the worst that can happen? I might look fabulous like you ladies who posted your "silver goddess" look or I will hate it and then decide what to do then.
Okay so I got all my stuff ready to do my touch-up and then changed my mind. I have lost weight and started back to the gym in May so I'm feeling and looking better than I have in years. I have had breast & thyroid cancer and I don't love the idea of putting chemicals in my body especially since I quit smoking last October.
I don't have an old lady haircut so I think I will stick with the plan. What's the worst that can happen? I might look fabulous like you ladies who posted your "silver goddess" look or I will hate it and then decide what to do then.
Thank you all for your support and suggestions!
I had colored my hair, ash blonde short, for a bazillion years and at the bazillionth went to the stylist and had her hi-lite it all over with no added color. So it blended in quite nicely with the blonde and looked great. It was very easy to get used to that, it looked great, got tons of compliments, and then within a few months it had grown out (kept getting it cut of course), and voila ! silver goddess. That was about a year ago, and I've never looked back.
Get a perky haircut and you'll feel great about yourself. Use the best products that you can afford, and make your hair shine. You might want to change your lipstick color and blush. Have fun !
Okay so I got all my stuff ready to do my touch-up and then changed my mind. I have lost weight and started back to the gym in May so I'm feeling and looking better than I have in years. I have had breast & thyroid cancer and I don't love the idea of putting chemicals in my body especially since I quit smoking last October.
I don't have an old lady haircut so I think I will stick with the plan. What's the worst that can happen? I might look fabulous like you ladies who posted your "silver goddess" look or I will hate it and then decide what to do then.
Thank you all for your support and suggestions!
Good for you! Like I said, you might be suprised at all the compliments you receive! And it is really liberating.
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That was about a year ago, and I've never looked back. 
