Beauty

[Krimpette]

I did mine at home for years.  I always used L'Oreal Excellence.  I continued to color it in the early days of the Covid quarantine, then I realized how ridiculous that was.  Pretty much nobody was seeing me, so why was I bothering.  I'm now quite satisfied with my gray hair.  

[beach-mom]

@Duckncover - My mom went gray in her 30's. She was at a playground with me and someone told her what an adorable "grand"daughter she had. She said she went home and told my dad she was going to color her hair! She had beautiful blue-black hair most of her life. When she got older it was more of a lighter brown.

And she always did it herself.

I'm the opposite. I got my dad's coloring and grew up with honey blonde hair. I used to get it highlighted, then one day I saw my stylist examining my roots. I said, "It's time, isn't it." He said we could try it and see what I thought. I still have the same stylist and I just went to every 6 weeks instead of every 9-10 weeks. 

This is one indulgence I will keep, even though as everywhere, the prices have gone up. 

I have friends who started doing their own hair during the pandemic, and are still doing it. I never did. With my blonde hair, the roots weren't that noticeable.

 I would be very careful about using any peroxide solution though. Your highlights might come out orange!   

[Icegoddess]

I've been coloring at home for years.  Never used box color though.  Started out with Torrids from Sally's, but eventually discovered places I could get pro color and now I use Goldwell color.  I mix the colors to get my shade and to cover the gray.  I would never, however, try to highlight my hair.  Just coloring it is difficult enough without trying to do that.  And, I'm lucky that my closet doors are full-length mirrors that I can open so that I can see the back of my head in my vanity mirror.  

If I lost the ability to get the pro color, I would probably go back to Sally colors, but I wouldn't be happy.  With the rate my hair grows and the fact that I'm mostly grey, I have to color about every 5 weeks.  No way I could afford my hairdresser to do that.  It's expensive enough just for a cut every 6 weeks, and I dry my own hair.

[shoesnbags]

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@Love my grandkids wrote:

@Duckncover I just turned 74 and colored my hair myself for many years and it always turned out great.

In 2017 I started chemo and coloring my hair just took energy I didn't have so I quit. I've never looked back and my hair is STILL mostly light brown with strands of silver. The gal who has cut my hair for years is surprised that it still has so much color!

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@Love my grandkids 

I'm 73 and like you I'm light brown with just some individual strands of silver mixed in.  It's not enough to show without examining my scalp in a magnifying mirror.  And not enough to change my hair color - still looks light brown. 

My maternal grandfather's hair stayed mostly light brown until he died in his early 80s, so I assume I inherited his genes. Did you have any relatives who didn't turn gray? Just curious because I'm the only one I know who hasn't turned gray.

[Duckncover]

I have very little grey yet, but my dark blonde hair is looking mousy and flat. Am wondering if all I need is highlights now. The grey seems to be revving up but nothing ever seems to cover it, so stylist said highlights would blend it in...but way too much $$$. My mother passed at age 89 and she had " salt and pepper" hair. She didn't get any gray until she was in her 80's. One of my brothers is 75 and he has no grey at all. DH turned silver grey when he was 45. We are all different, but it does seem to run in families, like baldness. 

[Duckncover]

My stylist of many years finally raised her prices when the salon owner did  a huge remodel of the building. To pay for it, he jacked up the prices for each vendor. Now the clients are paying for the higher rent. Now it's $145 plus tip for a shampoo, cut, and dry. $10 extra for conditioner. 

[Natureluvr]

I color my own hair at home with Wella Koleston (order online) but get highlights done at the salon. I just get them done sparingly and only a little lighter than my hair color so I don’t have such obvious roots when they grow out.

[BoopOMatic]

 I do my own hair - I never liked going to salons.

[Roscoe the Rascal]

I always went and had my hair done.  When covid hit I had my daughter color for me and she has done for me ever since.  Cheaper and faster than going to the salon.  My hair does not come out so dark either.  I also let it grow longer.  Does not last as long but I like the color much butter.  Also looks like I have highlights because my gray  is hard to color.  

I would have tried going gray but I worked the whole time and just not me.  Maybe when I retire.  Four of my friends went gray and three of us are still hanging on.  3 of the 4 are retired.  

[gidgetgh]

I have colored my hair at home for years and years.  I  use L'Oreal Crème Excellence #6.