Grey hair

[Sparkles122]

So after my little *incident* last month, I decided that I am going to grow out the dye. Well fast foward now to a little over 4 weeks later and i have a little over 1/2 inch of regrowth. The problem is being that I am 34 years old I have like 3-4 grey hairs. They drive me CRAZYYYY. How do you deal with the greys? Do they not bother you or do you not have any?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I love mine! I guess you are either ready to accept them or you aren't. It took me a while to get my head around the idea of giving up the dye and embracing the greys, but I'm so happy I did, it's a real journey of excitement and discovery to discover all the nuances and shades your hair has in store for you.

[Sparkles122]

I love mine! I guess you are either ready to accept them or you aren't. It took me a while to get my head around the idea of giving up the dye and embracing the greys, but I'm so happy I did, it's a real journey of excitement and discovery to discover all the nuances and shades your hair has in store for you.

Your hair looks so nice and light they probably blend so beautifully. Mine stick out like a sore thumb because its dark but I’m going to keep pushing through

[blackgothicdoll]

^ Yes, mine are snow white and my hair is mostly black. Even right after I permanently dyed my hairblack, my whites popped up. I used to snip them off since there are only three or four, but now I just ignore them. They started when I turned 24.

I know the texture difference is what drives me crazier than anything. I've seen them less lately the more I've been using amla oil. If you have dark hair, you can look into this. But no promises, I haven't really been looking for them either so they could still be there.

[enting]

Honestly I think my gray hairs bother me more than white hairs. My white hairs are very white, very sparkly, and very (imho) pretty. The grays just make me feel like my hair is dusty, they're not really sparkly, they're just... faded. But that's my feeling about my hair. You're allowed to feel differently.

If it's only a few hairs, would you want to try hair mascara? That way you wouldn't need to worry about dyeing your hair or anything, you just tint the individual few hairs.

[Sparkles122]

^ Yes, mine are snow white and my hair is mostly black. Even right after I permanently dyed my hairblack, my whites popped up. I used to snip them off since there are only three or four, but now I just ignore them. They started when I turned 24.

I know the texture difference is what drives me crazier than anything. I've seen them less lately the more I've been using amla oil. If you have dark hair, you can look into this. But no promises, I haven't really been looking for them either so they could still be there.


Lol ive done that a couple times in the past, cut them very short. Where do I get alma oil?

[Sparkles122]

Honestly I think my gray hairs bother me more than white hairs. My white hairs are very white, very sparkly, and very (imho) pretty. The grays just make me feel like my hair is dusty, they're not really sparkly, they're just... faded. But that's my feeling about my hair. You're allowed to feel differently.

If it's only a few hairs, would you want to try hair mascara? That way you wouldn't need to worry about dyeing your hair or anything, you just tint the individual few hairs.

Yes mine are pure white. And thats such a good idea I completely forgot they have products like that

[cjk]

It comes down to attitude. And to a lesser degree, contrast. I'm blond which means grays blend better than if I had white hair surrounded by black hair. But my entire left sideburn turned white, almost overnight, while I was still in college. The right sideburn took 10 more years to follow suit.

You have 3-4 gray hairs. Big deal! But now is the time to adjust the attitude.

Since I'm a guy, and a bearded one, what helped me the most was when someone told me that each white hair is another step towards WIZARD status. Gandalf the Gray, for instance. Gray hair can be rocked!

So much of it comes down to your own personal view of it. And the comfort with which you wear it. If you are uncomfortable, your body language will make that obvious and everything will go downhill.

You're entering a new stage of life. Embrace it!

[Sparkles122]

It comes down to attitude. And to a lesser degree, contrast. I'm blond which means grays blend better than if I had white hair surrounded by black hair. But my entire left sideburn turned white, almost overnight, while I was still in college. The right sideburn took 10 more years to follow suit.

You have 3-4 gray hairs. Big deal! But now is the time to adjust the attitude.

Since I'm a guy, and a bearded one, what helped me the most was when someone told me that each white hair is another step towards WIZARD status. Gandalf the Gray, for instance. Gray hair can be rocked!

So much of it comes down to your own personal view of it. And the comfort with which you wear it. If you are uncomfortable, your body language will make that obvious and everything will go downhill.

You're entering a new stage of life. Embrace it!


Growing out my hair to natural again is something that I really really want to do. So I guess sucking it up is the only way Im going to get there, because there is just going to be more and more greys from here on out. I also know that if I keep dying it, I will end up back in this same position

[littlestarface]

Only 4? Your lucky, I have so many now i'm hating it so much.

[cjk]

Growing out my hair to natural again is something that I really really want to do. So I guess sucking it up is the only way Im going to get there, because there is just going to be more and more greys from here on out. I also know that if I keep dying it, I will end up back in this same position

Then what about hiding them in plain sight? Frosting, or to a lesser degree highlights.

You have grays. Make them a design element!

[lapushka]

3/4 gray hairs = nothing. You have far more color on your head. What's 3/4 hairs? It might take 10 more years to get more. That's how slowly it often goes. So I wouldn't panic or worry about it. ;) :)

What do you think of my signature picture? Well I'm 3% or thereabouts gray, a nice white sprinkling throughout the hair. Do you notice? Of course not! I got my first gray in my early 20s. I am 46 now.

[spidermom]

Being blonde, it took a long time for the changing color to catch my attention. I love the silvery-blonde color, but I'm not fond of the coarse white hairs that I've got scattered through my length. They have a very wonky quality to them - not straight, not wavy, not curly, just kind of bendy and twisty, with a tendency to stick out. The silvery blonde hairs are the same texture as my original hair.

[Crystawni]

My silvers and whites don't bother me any more than the blacks, browns, reds, and blondes I have. It's all morphing, and I find that interesting and unique.

[littlestarface]

My silvers and whites don't bother me any more than the blacks, browns, reds, and blondes I have. It's all morphing, and I find that interesting and unique.

Yea but your whites are friggin awesome! Look how they grow in!

[Crystawni]

Yea but your whites are friggin awesome! Look how they grow in!

I wasn't so keen to start with. :p They made my temples look bald, especially with the contrast with my fair skin and then-darker hair (toupee, anyone?). But with time, there's more blending. I used to darken the temples to a blondish shade with a Grecian2000 kind of dye, but left my speckling underlayer alone (it was mostly hidden, and I didn't want more stinky, messy upkeep... :ponder:) but when there was enough white to stand alone, I let nature take its course (it was so soft, and fine, and snowy, like my birth mum's that was previously tawny, and I was uber curious to see if I'd go totally white like she did). So now, I'm not bothered. But before... :wethree: It grows on you?

[MusicalSpoons]

Honestly, other people may not even notice! I've recently got to know a few new people and a couple of them have dark hair with a sprinkling of greys. Being interested in hair I tend to take more notice than the average non-LHC person, and in many lights their greys aren't even visible :shrug: it is entirely possible that by the time people start to notice yours, you'll have had time to come to terms with them :)

If it helps, you can think of them as sparkly hairs, twinkling silvers, adding character to your mane, etc. I'd highly recommend checking out the Salt and Pepper thread on here too.

[Cate36]

So after my little *incident* last month, I decided that I am going to grow out the dye. Well fast foward now to a little over 4 weeks later and i have a little over 1/2 inch of regrowth. The problem is being that I am 34 years old I have like 3-4 grey hairs. They drive me CRAZYYYY. How do you deal with the greys? Do they not bother you or do you not have any?

Now I'm no expert... BUT out of interest.... in my hair drama of distress over broken damaged hair, I visited quite a few hair loss clinics and purchased a very high quality laser for hair regrowth. I've read thousand of reviews re laser treatment.. 99% positive.. but one of the claims is that it gets rid of grey hairs because it restores the follicle closer to its original condition - My own colour on the regrowth is very vibrant... I have also heard from a tribologist here (Australia) that their herbal treatments also eliminate grey hairs..... expensive alternatives I know.. but.. may be of interest.. if you're really worried..

[enting]

Yes mine are pure white. And thats such a good idea I completely forgot they have products like that

Glad to be of help!

I do agree that it pays to eventually become at least comfortable if not welcoming of gray/white hairs, just in case upkeep of any sort of tinting becomes a pain (or if your gray hairs resist color, because that can also happen). But as long as there are only a few and it's easy enough to tint those, it can give you some time to get used to the idea.

I understand certain teas can tint hairs also, like sage tea. I've heard coffee works, too. I think there's even someone on the boards who made her sun-lightened ends darker using walnuts, that might work on white hairs also.

Crystawni that lack of contrast is a large part of my problem with my grays. The gray hairs are mainly clustered near one temple and I'm not used to the look yet. The whites are evenly sprinkled throughout so I don't feel they affect contrast with my (also pretty pale) face.

[Crystawni]

It's very true that most other people won't notice (let alone care). And when they do, they don't necessarily see it as greying. For years now, I get asked where I get my hair "done", and comments on how much it must cost to get it coloured like that, and then quizzed on what products I'm using to get that (all natural) shine. It's all priceless!

[Crystawni]

Glad to be of help!

I do agree that it pays to eventually become at least comfortable if not welcoming of gray/white hairs, just in case upkeep of any sort of tinting becomes a pain (or if your gray hairs resist color, because that can also happen). But as long as there are only a few and it's easy enough to tint those, it can give you some time to get used to the idea.

I understand certain teas can tint hairs also, like sage tea. I've heard coffee works, too. I think there's even someone on the boards who made her sun-lightened ends darker using walnuts, that might work on white hairs also.

Crystawni that lack of contrast is a large part of my problem with my grays. The gray hairs are mainly clustered near one temple and I'm not used to the look yet. The whites are evenly sprinkled throughout so I don't feel they affect contrast with my (also pretty pale) face.

Mine are of the resistant to dye variety (it was a dark brown Grecian2000-like colour I was using, and barely got that blonde shade). So yup, that does help sway the old acceptance scale your way. As for teas and coffee, thanks to that resistance thing, nothing worked for me (yeaaaaaaup, I tried :wannabe:).


As much as single, shimmery antenna hairs, that would love you to think they have their own postcode, may seem like the problem child, I think the clusters of light stuff tend to be harder to accept to start with, but actually end up as a bonus over time if you don't mind streaks. I'm a bit Rogue like that. :p

[Sparkles122]

3/4 gray hairs = nothing. You have far more color on your head. What's 3/4 hairs? It might take 10 more years to get more. That's how slowly it often goes. So I wouldn't panic or worry about it. ;) :)

What do you think of my signature picture? Well I'm 3% or thereabouts gray, a nice white sprinkling throughout the hair. Do you notice? Of course not! I got my first gray in my early 20s. I am 46 now.

Oh really?? And no I dont notice any grey at all!

[lapushka]

Oh really?? And no I dont notice any grey at all!

There you go! :) ;)

Don't panic, it's not necessary with just a few hairs of gray, it can take a decade at least to grow more!

[Sparkles122]

Mine are of the resistant to dye variety (it was a dark brown Grecian2000-like colour I was using, and barely got that blonde shade). So yup, that does help sway the old acceptance scale your way. As for teas and coffee, thanks to that resistance thing, nothing worked for me (yeaaaaaaup, I tried :wannabe:).


As much as single, shimmery antenna hairs, that would love you to think they have their own postcode, may seem like the problem child, I think the clusters of light stuff tend to be harder to accept to start with, but actually end up as a bonus over time if you don't mind streaks. I'm a bit Rogue like that. :p


It seems my little a**holes are resilient also, I would put demi permanent on my hair and they would fade with that, then I did a full highlight and then colored it back to brown and a month later..there they are!

[kitcatsmeow]

I color just the grey once a month which is actually more like every 3 months when I get around to it and in between I use the clairol hair powder. Works great.

[Sparkles122]

Now I'm no expert... BUT out of interest.... in my hair drama of distress over broken damaged hair, I visited quite a few hair loss clinics and purchased a very high quality laser for hair regrowth. I've read thousand of reviews re laser treatment.. 99% positive.. but one of the claims is that it gets rid of grey hairs because it restores the follicle closer to its original condition - My own colour on the regrowth is very vibrant... I have also heard from a tribologist here (Australia) that their herbal treatments also eliminate grey hairs..... expensive alternatives I know.. but.. may be of interest.. if you're really worried..

Is that laser available in the united states? It sounds expensive

[Sparkles122]

I color just the grey once a month which is actually more like every 3 months when I get around to it and in between I use the clairol hair powder. Works great.

What do you use to color your hair?

[Dark40]

I'm 47 and I have 40% grey hair. I still have a lot of natural dark brown hair color but I all grey on the sides. It doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I love them! I haven't colored or covered my greys in 6 months but I'm planning on doing so though.

[kitcatsmeow]

What do you use to color your hair?


Igora Royal professional color

[Jo Ann]

I had a three-strand white streak in the front of my hair from when I was 17. Thirty years later, I discovered my white streak was starting to multiply--noticeably so. Now I'm *mumbles* 62 *stops mumbling* and I'm about 75% grey/white on top and front sides, dwindling to about 30% in the back.

You can choose to just go with it or you can spend $$$ to hide it--I chose to go with it, despite the fact my youngest is now 19.

Oh, and I do do fun colors--but only from behind the ears toward the back of my head. My Second Adolescence, if you will :p And yes, that part is bleached, but the top and front sides is still natural ;)

[Margrit]

I am more than Salt and Pepper and I must say I love my withe/gray ones.

[Cg]

I've never tried to disguise my silvers and am neither ashamed nor proud of them. I missed the instructions to dread or fear normal aging. But I have absolutely NO friends my age who don't try to camouflage theirs so I recognize how prevalent the concern is.

[ravenskey]

Yikes, 3-4 greys? I'm 17 and have more :lol:
Probably got about 10-15 pure whites scattered amid the black of the rest.
Honestly, nobody will even notice unless you point it out because a handful of grey/white just doesn't show up when you have several thousand hairs on your head (about 100,000-150,000 on average).

[Cate36]

Yikes, 3-4 greys? I'm 17 and have more :lol:
Probably got about 10-15 pure whites scattered amid the black of the rest.
Honestly, nobody will even notice unless you point it out because a handful of grey/white just doesn't show up when you have several thousand hairs on your head (about 100,000-150,000 on average).


Apparently the Yao women from the "long haired village" community.. that wash their hair in rice water, don't go grey until they are very very old.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y45KMpCcBYU

They have amazing hair... I tried rice water on my hair once.... but have not tried it consistently..

[MusicalSpoons]

Apparently the Yao women from the "long haired village" community.. that wash their hair in rice water, don't go grey until they are very very old.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y45KMpCcBYU

They have amazing hair... I tried rice water on my hair once.... but have not tried it consistently..

To be fair, the rice water likely isn't the only factor - diet, lifestyle and environment probably play a part too, plus genetics.

[Cate36]

I had a three-strand white streak in the front of my hair from when I was 17. Thirty years later, I discovered my white streak was starting to multiply--noticeably so. Now I'm *mumbles* 62 *stops mumbling* and I'm about 75% grey/white on top and front sides, dwindling to about 30% in the back.

You can choose to just go with it or you can spend $$$ to hide it--I chose to go with it, despite the fact my youngest is now 19.

Oh, and I do do fun colors--but only from behind the ears toward the back of my head. My Second Adolescence, if you will :p And yes, that part is bleached, but the top and front sides is still natural ;)

I really love your hair Jo Ann.. it looks like it is a similar texture to mine with the curls.. but also looks so thick and lustrous.. I love the colour in your photo..

[Cate36]

To be fair, the rice water likely isn't the only factor - diet, lifestyle and environment probably play a part too, plus genetics.


True true.. I tried rice water following this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKySh_kvgIM . She runs a hair clinic in Georgia that looks quite impressive..https://changingfacesatl.net/

[Jo Ann]

I really love your hair Jo Ann.. it looks like it is a similar texture to mine with the curls.. but also looks so thick and lustrous.. I love the colour in your photo..

Thank you, Cate!

Believe it or not, my avatar and my sig pic were taken in the same room, with the same lighting, but only a difference of about 18" and the light direction! Amazing what lighting can do, isn't it!

I need to update my length shot...probably after I dye my hair teal... *pages Dear Youngest Son for photography appointment*

[Longlegs]

I got my first gray at 27. They have'nt come in quickly though, 20 years later about 50% of my hair is gray. I think - I'm only now accepting them, this is something I've been thinking about alot recently. I don't have a problem going grey anymore. I think the stigma of it is'nt as strong- even though it's still their. but I don't want to have short gray hair. So many women cut their hair short when going grey, - where I live in Australia anyway.

Going grey has been my main motivation to grow my hair beyond shoulder length. I don't want to conform to the sensible middle aged women with short grey hair. After having purple hair for 3 years I'm used to comments about my hair colour (good and bad) so maybe that's also one of the reasons I'm caring less about what other people think of my hair colour now..

[Sparkles122]

Thank you, Cate!

Believe it or not, my avatar and my sig pic were taken in the same room, with the same lighting, but only a difference of about 18" and the light direction! Amazing what lighting can do, isn't it!

I need to update my length shot...probably after I dye my hair teal... *pages Dear Youngest Son for photography appointment*


From your pictures I would have thought you were a teenage girl, not a 62 year old woman, and I mean that in a very very very good way!

[Sparkles122]

Thank you everyone, im going to deal with the grey as they come because I really do want my completely natural hair back. And then im going to leave it alone for the rest of my life

[ravenskey]

Apparently the Yao women from the "long haired village" community.. that wash their hair in rice water, don't go grey until they are very very old.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y45KMpCcBYU

They have amazing hair... I tried rice water on my hair once.... but have not tried it consistently..

Oops, I don't know how I must have sounded but I love my whites! Definitely don't want to get rid of/stop them!