Beauty

[Quinny]

I'm 99% sure I'm ready to do away with monthly salon trips to have my gray/white roots colored brown.

The big 1% thing holding me back is walking around with half of my hair gray/white and the other half medium brown. I have never been comfortable with my "beauty", the half and half look seems terrifying.

I think the one thing I have in my favor is my short haircut, at least I'm not looking at a shoulder-length grow-out. Nonetheless, the half and half period will still occur. 

I have entertained the thought of having my already short hair cut even shorter, asking my stylist to bleach the heck out of what's left and coloring that a silver/gray/white color until I'm all grown out.

A workable plan?  Yay? Nay?  I beg your suggestions or stories of how you lived through the half and half nightmare.

[On It]

I have been growing out my gray hair for almost a year and a half. It isn't a fast process and especially difficult for me since I wear an undercut that ranges from chin to shoulder length depending on my mood. It is worth the hassle. I have a Toni Brattin wig that I pop on if I want to have a uniform color otherwise I ignore the reddish brown in back and the silver that frames my face. Go for it. You will be glad you did!

[mspatmac]

@Quinny   I started the transition about 2 months ago.  I had about 2 in of white showings.  My wonderful hairdresser cut and layered my hair to just barely below my ears.  She then heavily highlighted my hair as light as she could without it looking brassy to blend into roots.  It took about 30 min to do the highlighting. I love it and it blends beautifully.  I will continue to have hair trimmed and when needed freshen up the highlights.  My hair was originally colored a light brown with some highlights.  Transition is going well and I'm happy I finally made the decision.  Good luck

[Shanus]

@Quinny   I did my silver hair transition the "chicken way". I had colored my hair dark for almost 40 yrs...mostly silver in my 30's. My stylist had me grow it out about 1"-2". Then she put a bunch of foils in...hardly any hair left out. Then bleached the heck out of it. It went to a pale yellow and then she applied the bleach again and I sat under the dryer until the shade was so light that she could tone it with purple toner to match my silver roots. I was there for almost 8 hrs.!!! 

My hair was in it's usual long pixie and when she finished she trimmed off the ends and I was silver all over. After several of my frequent short haircuts, the bleached hair was gone and what I had was my own silver hair.

The very back stayed a light salt/pepper which I hear happens to many people.  

[itsmagic]

Before I decided to go gray, I spoke to my hairdresser and she mentioned that she could do lowlights to help with the transition but since my hair is a short pixie style she felt it would be an easy transition without doing anything other than trimming it every four weeks.  And she was right - it ended up being an easy transition and only took 3-4 months. 

[Dusty1]

@Quinny I was surprised by how easy the process was.

I had dark reddish brown hair & when I went in & told her I was ready to go grey.

My stylist did ashy highlights for a few appointments & then we just stopped.

My hair is between chin & shoulder length.

My sister went grey, also. She keeps her hair short. She ended up with silvery white hair.

I got ashy hair.

I went from $120 every 6 weeks (with grey roots showing from week 2.) to $26 every 7-8 weeks. I could go longer, but my sister & I go together & she can't go that long.

[ALRATIBA]

Two years ago - I got a pixie cut and just let it grow out.  

I'm naturally brown - but had lightened it to beige blonde.  The gray/white growth blended with the blonde ends - so it was a painless process.

I had my hair cut and shaped every six weeks. 

[aubnwa01]

I started with having my hairdresser try to match my roots as closely as possible, so they weren't as noticeable between salon visits for awhile & eventually just got a short pixie cut & let it grow out until I got all that cut off & was done with it.

[Jk9]

Glad to see this discussion.  Thinking of going gray soon but I am concerned about my scalp showing thru as I have a lot of thinning on the top of my head.  And I don't think I will have a pretty shade of gray.  I bought a gray wig to accustom my self to seeing gray before I make the plunge.  My mother had black hair and she went all in when she decided to go gray and we almost fainted to suddenly see her with white hair.  She did have lovely white hair and it looked good on her.

[Katcat1]

@Quinny    I went gray in my mid/late 50's.  I wear my hair but I had it cut a little shorter.  I was salt & pepper in weeks.  My hair grows fast.  So glad I am not a slave to color anymore.