Q: ? Gray Haired Ladies - Page 4

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@skittles2 wrote:
Hi, my natural color is a great mix of shades of blond, brown and light red. I started going white, mostly on one side- it went straight to white like my dad and grandma, gorgeous white.
I went to a great colorist, (close friend) we went through my options , decided to have white mixed in on the other side which is the mostly natural hair color. Afterward I was mostly white. It looked great on me when she blew it out.
  99% of the time I wear it natural which are loose ringlets. Wearing it natural made my already light skin look too light. I don't wear foundation, have naturally flush cheeks, but wearing it in it's natural state, my now mostly white hair color made me look very, very pale. It looked great if I put on foundation, but I rarely do that.

So I decided I wasn't quite ready for mostly white hair. I put color back into my hair
I don't have time to get my roots done every 3 weeks, nor do I really like keeping up my roots myself, so I'm sure at some point I'll decide to go totally go white, at least I know it's a pretty white, and I'll use a tinted moisturizer if I feel the need.

So, after reading this novel- sorry for the length- your skin color will be the determining factor if you like gray or white on yourself. White, gray do have undertones, that play together or against skin color.  I could have added a little rinse to my white hair to give my face a slight hue, but I didn't think of it, plus it would change the white hue which I loved.

I love the freedom of not worrying about roots, it really was a great feeling, and my hair stayed very soft. Maybe I needed to live with it longer than a month. I have no problem of trying it again.

It doesn't hurt to see what you look like with it, live with for a little while because change is a little shocking at first. if you don't think it's quite you yet- it's easy to change.

Good Luck

@skittles2 Don’t feel badly about long post....a lot of mine end up that way & I love that color green.

A possible solution to your problem from a white haired, fair skin friend: a little bronzer....

AngelPuppy1 · ‎03-13-2010

I was trying to let my hair go without coloring. I had every intention of just accepting the color it naturally was. Whatever that was --- because I've been coloring my hair since I was probably 17! Any how, it has a ton of gray in it. Not silver or white, which i think is gorgeous -- but a yucky, brownish, drab gray! I was born a blond and have colored my hair blond forever.

I thought -- o.k. -- this won't be so bad because my hair was never really dark to begin with.

OMG --- it was making me look so drab, drained and old! I couldn't take it! I began coloring again and was shocked at the difference it made. It really lit up my face!

So, as long as I am able to, I will color it! It's a pain, but it looks so much better!!!!

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin

jubilant · ‎06-10-2010

I think you have to like what you see in the mirror whether it's your face or your hair. I have let my hair go gray. It is probably 50% gray and 50% brown. I like the money it saves me and the convenience of it. When I used to do makeup on women with gray hair, I found that those who were willing to adjust their makeup a tad to go with the gray looked more fresh and vibrant. Even so, if you are confident with what you see in the mirror.... that's the important thing. I never wanted to make up a lady with something she was not comfortable with. For my own taste, I like to wear a little brighter lipstick than I used to or emphasize my eyes a bit more. One or the other. It brings back that youthful freshness to my face. Right now I like my hair. If I should feel differently in the future, I would color it!! No set rules.

tarsmom · ‎03-21-2010

I love gray hair - on others. My mother colored her hair all of her life until age 80. (She also wore wigs due to very thin hair). Her wigs were beautiful. One day, she asked me to take her to the wig shop and said she wanted a 'grey' wig. I thought "noooooo!!!" but I said ok. She tried on several and settled on a charcoal grey with silver. (her wigs had been a very light brown). Both the wig shop owner (adorable lady) and I told her it was a little dark but my mom insisted on it. Fast forward to a week later and my mom asked me to take her back to the shop. She finally saw it was not right for her. She ended up with a silvery white wig. It went perfectly with her skin tone (medium dark) and it lit up her face. She wore that style and color until she passed at age 93. It was age appropriate and very pretty.

I am 62, work with mostly millenials and although some of my friends and family have gone gray, my target age for that will be 80 if I'm lucky to make it that long.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@151949 funny I have the exact same story as you. At 25 grey streak on the right front of my head. Can never remember my father not having grey hair. I, fortunately have not had cancer but always said if I did, and lost my hair, that would be the end of coloring.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@panda1234 wrote:
@151949 funny I have the exact same story as you. At 25 grey streak on the right front of my head. Can never remember my father not having grey hair. I, fortunately have not had cancer but always said if I did, and lost my hair, that would be the end of coloring.

When my very very fine hair came back in it was so delicate I just couldn't put those harsh chemicals on it.I was afraid it would all fall out again.

When my Dad left for WW11 he was a flaming redhead - when he came home 3 years later he was almost completely bald and white as snow. Stress?

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@ALRATIBA wrote:
I started lightening my hair when I was about 50 and sharting to see stray white hairs. I went a couple of shades lighter and the white hair looked like natural blonde highlights in what was lightened to a champagne blonde.

I continued until I retired at 68 and thought I'd let it go natural ... light brown. I have short hair, so It took from August 2011 to the following March or April to grow out.

It looked horrible and the "natural" hair didn't go with the color of my clothes.

I'm back to champagne blonde (Feria #91) ... and expect to continue it to the day I die.

Think about your the colors in your wardrobe ...

@ALRATIBA I thought clothing color had more to do w/ skin tone than hair color. Since my hair went natural, I can wear all the same clothing colors as before w/ the exception of off white and beige, but those didn’t look so great on me before with my dark hair.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@Shanus wrote:
@ALRATIBA wrote:
I started lightening my hair when I was about 50 and sharting to see stray white hairs. I went a couple of shades lighter and the white hair looked like natural blonde highlights in what was lightened to a champagne blonde.

I continued until I retired at 68 and thought I'd let it go natural ... light brown. I have short hair, so It took from August 2011 to the following March or April to grow out.

It looked horrible and the "natural" hair didn't go with the color of my clothes.

I'm back to champagne blonde (Feria #91) ... and expect to continue it to the day I die.

Think about your the colors in your wardrobe ...

@ALRATIBA I thought clothing color had more to do w/ skin tone than hair color. Since my hair went natural, I can wear all the same clothing colors as before w/ the exception of off white and beige, but those didn’t look so great on me before with my dark hair.

Before my hair turned grey I looked awful in white ( I was a natural redhead with pale complexion and lots of freckles). Being a nurse this was a problem. I would try to wear a lot of blush.Off work I'd always wear ivory - my wedding dress was ivory. Fast forward to white hair and now I look gosh awful in ivory or yellow but can wear white.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@151949 wrote:
@RinaRina So I am thinking it would take years for waist length hair to all grow in all your natural color (sounds like its salt & pepper color). You may want to try having it colored all one color again or you may go the way Shanus did and have all the dye removed so you are all one color again. If you had it dyed all one color in a light blonde then as the grey grows in it would not look so harsh. I would talk to a colorist. Clearly, this is going to be a long process for you. Perhaps you could cut it off to shoulder blade length?

@151949 Mine had the dark dye removed by highlighting my entire head, bleaching out to the pale yellow stage and then toner to match the white roots. She kept the bleach away from from my 2” white regrowth. After that, several weeks of deep conditioning and since I wore a short pixie style, all the bleached hair was cut away in 3 haircuts.

vermint · ‎04-05-2010

I started coloring in my 40's...mostly just using a color to match my natural dark brown. When I noticed my roots were mostly gray, I decided to see just how gray I was. Main thing for me is I didn't just "quit" coloring as the darker color growing out would have looked awful. My stylist of 20+ years and I decided to do heavy highlights while all the brown dye grew out...best decision ever! I get my hair cut every two months--keep it chin-length--so the whole process took a little over a year. As the grey grew in, she highlighted less, until all the brown dye was gone. My hair is now a nice mix of mostly gray/silver with a little brown all through it.

I do not use a special shampoo for gray hair, and I've never had any problem with yellowing. My hair is shiny and healthier than it's been in years! I get compliments frequently on how pretty my hair is. I do keep it cut and styled in a chin length bob. I don't miss coloring at all. While I can still wear all the colors I had in my wardrobe, I've found that I could actually add a few new ones!

We should all do what makes us happy regarding our looks.