I want to grow out my natural silvers, but it would be such a drastic line!

[swearnsue]

My hair is probably about 50% silver and 50% medium ash brown. This is a guess because I've been using henna for almost 3 years now.

My hennaed hair is way too dark. I think I'm ready to go silver, since it's my natural color I think it would be flattering. From behind I like the color of my red hair but next to my pale face, not so good.

Any advice on how to maybe blend in the new roots as they grow or just go "cold turkey"? As my hair gets longer, applying henna is beginning to be a pain.

I have cassia in the freezer, so adding more of that to the henna mix could be an option.

*sigh*

Any advice? Oh, I'm not considering box dye.

[spidermom]

I can see how the line of demarcation would be pretty stark. Some ideas:
Continue to henna few panels of hair (parted parallel from ear to ear, each panel about 1-inch thick), so that it layers like this:
henna
no henna
henna
no henna (and so forth - as many panels as you care to bother with, but the bottom-most panel should be no henna)

This would break up the "Creamsicle" line. This is how I did my first Punky dye experiment. It really softened the overall effect.

Otherwise you could use styling tricks to blur the line of demarcation by braiding ribbons or other materials into your hair to break up the color difference. Then there's wrapping your head in scarves, using hats, hair bands, etc.

Good luck! I know that removing henna is hard on the hair, but I remember claims of success in more than one thread.

[Anje]

I agree with Spidermom. Some streaks and lowlights for a few years might be the best thing. Make it really gradual.

[Rachel J]

I think spidermom's idea is a good one. I don't have gray hairs and hopefully won't for a while, but my mom is having the same dilemma. She decided to go cold turkey after years of box dying, and now has about 2 inches of roots that's about 80 percent gray, 20 percent brown. Whenever she goes out and wants it to be less noticeable, she uses this little hair chalk thing she bought from Sally's; it's like a big hair crayon that she just lightly brushes on her roots to make them look more brown, and the color washes out. Honestly I think gray/silver hair is beautiful, and I like her hair even with the clear line. It reminds me of what she always says about her wrinkles, "It shows that I've lived a long and happy life. Why would I want to hide that?" I hope you find something that works for you! :)

[DragonFlyPie]

I am in the same boat of wanting to grow out my greys/natural color, to see what's going on up there LOL I have also been henna'ing for a couple years. I am going cold turkey. I could not care less what my demarcation line looks like. I've had coworkers tell me I *need* to color my roots - I'm like, "Nope, I'm growing it out, thanks. Don't like it, don't look." It's only been a bit over a month I think, so I still don't have a LOT of growth -an inch or so. Time will tell. Maybe I'll henna again. But seeing as how Red Raj is impossible to get at times, I think going natural may be less of a pain.

Here are a couple of pictures for inspiration :) I only WISH I had this much white!!!

I think the white roots look gorgeous actually. My DH has a ton of whites, and he *finally* let me henna his hair about a month or so ago (i just wanted to see how it would look!) He's got about an inch of white/grey roots now & it looks really cool with the red henna tips :)


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kd2cgmSDRf4/UO7kiUM-I9I/AAAAAAAACnQ/4T7MjJKF4co/s1600/5855307402_01dd650104-1.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/q77/s720x720/1487697_571828196230717_1858079738_o.jpg

[AmyBeth]

I am in the same boat of wanting to grow out my greys/natural color, to see what's going on up there LOL I have also been henna'ing for a couple years. I am going cold turkey. I could not care less what my demarcation line looks like. I've had coworkers tell me I *need* to color my roots - I'm like, "Nope, I'm growing it out, thanks. Don't like it, don't look." It's only been a bit over a month I think, so I still don't have a LOT of growth -an inch or so. Time will tell. Maybe I'll henna again. But seeing as how Red Raj is impossible to get at times, I think going natural may be less of a pain.

Here are a couple of pictures for inspiration :) I only WISH I had this much white!!!

I think the white roots look gorgeous actually. My DH has a ton of whites, and he *finally* let me henna his hair about a month or so ago (i just wanted to see how it would look!) He's got about an inch of white/grey roots now & it looks really cool with the red henna tips :)


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kd2cgmSDRf4/UO7kiUM-I9I/AAAAAAAACnQ/4T7MjJKF4co/s1600/5855307402_01dd650104-1.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/q77/s720x720/1487697_571828196230717_1858079738_o.jpg

Gorgeous!:thud:

[Lady Mary]

DragonFlyPie, your hair reminds me of Rogue from the X-Men comic. I love the two colors, great example of growing out without worrying about it, very pretty! Best wishes :)

[DragonFlyPie]

DragonFlyPie, your hair reminds me of Rogue from the X-Men comic. I love the two colors, great example of growing out without worrying about it, very pretty! Best wishes :)

Ohh those 2 pictures are not of my hair, just some random pics I found while searching for pics of growing out grey while not hacking it all off to a pixie cut! But yes, they are very lovely!! :)

[roseomalley]

I wish you ladies luck in growing your silvers. I think it is worth the temporary, in-between stage. If the silver hair is what you desire, then go for it. I have learned to love mine.

[cdonald2]

i am so excited for my hair to get all silvery :) i think its beautiful!

[Silverbrumby]

I agree as well with spidermum. A comb with a point is great for weaving in and out of hair. Mix your henna with cassia and blend. StreAks can look great and if you don't like it then there won't be one solid line.

[lapushka]

You're only going to be able to tell after you've grown about half an inch to an inch out, then you'll see what it's going to be like and whether it is going to be something you can live with or not. I'd go cold turkey!

[swearnsue]

Thank you for the advice and inspiration! I might try the cold turkey, but if it starts to look really bad I can always henna/cassia some sections.

I did my first lace braid around my face last night, like a headband, and I think that would soften the look and might even look good! You know, the mixing of the red and silver.

I do like my silvers, they are a pretty shiny bright silver. I should take some before pics since this will probably be a many years journey.

[two_wheels]

When I started growing out henndigo to go back to ash blonde, my line was very stark so I can relate ... You are right, lace braiding breaks it up a lot. So does a zig zag parting rather than straight line.

I did chop in the end, but then I knew I looked ok with a pixie and my hair was trashed from removal attempts, I think it might be manageable cold turkey. The first year is apparently the worst.

[swearnsue]

When I started growing out henndigo to go back to ash blonde, my line was very stark so I can relate ... You are right, lace braiding breaks it up a lot. So does a zig zag parting rather than straight line.

I did chop in the end, but then I knew I looked ok with a pixie and my hair was trashed from removal attempts, I think it might be manageable cold turkey. The first year is apparently the worst.

Thank you for the tip about the zig zag part. That would help a lot I think. In addition to the panel henna thing suggested by Spidermom.

This is going to be a weird zig zag journey!