Gave in...

[Saldana]

Couldn't do it. I tried valiantly for nearly 3 months, and I just couldn't embrace the greys...I'm sitting here with two boxes of Robert Craig's golden brown on my head, marinating.

It was either color it or cut it, sooooooo......here I sit.

But, henna gurus - I may be coming to you to try to figure out some sort of henna recipe I can use to achieve a similar medium/dark golden brown. I've never used henna, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I dislike putting dyes on my hair (but I dislike the greys more!), and if I'm going to do it anyway, I may as well try to find the least damaging method available. The Robert Craig is good, at least it doesn't smell as bad as, say, L'Oreal. But I've heard and read that henna is actually good for your hair. I don't need the extra red, there's plenty of base red in my natural color, but maybe I could find something...

Anyway. There's my confession. I'm sorry, Silver Sisters.....I'm just not ready, I guess.

[Xandergrammy]

No need to apologize, sweetie. It's your hair and you have to be happy with it. I'd like to see a picture of the finished product, please. :flowers:

[DecafJane]

I think the important thing is to be happy with your hair, no matter what colour it is. :)

[Celebrian]

Couldn't do it. I tried valiantly for nearly 3 months, and I just couldn't embrace the greys...I'm sitting here with two boxes of Robert Craig's golden brown on my head, marinating.

It was either color it or cut it, sooooooo......here I sit.

But, henna gurus - I may be coming to you to try to figure out some sort of henna recipe I can use to achieve a similar medium/dark golden brown. I've never used henna, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I dislike putting dyes on my hair (but I dislike the greys more!), and if I'm going to do it anyway, I may as well try to find the least damaging method available. The Robert Craig is good, at least it doesn't smell as bad as, say, L'Oreal. But I've heard and read that henna is actually good for your hair. I don't need the extra red, there's plenty of base red in my natural color, but maybe I could find something...

Anyway. There's my confession. I'm sorry, Silver Sisters.....I'm just not ready, I guess.

Another greying lady here in a quandary about best coverage. You can certainly get brown by using henna and indigo (I have) but the upkeep is more time consuming (think several hours a time at least for your re-rooting bouts!).

That's partly why I started the thread 'Goodbye Henna and Indigo: Hallo PPD dyes...' to get feedback on how people were feeling about henna v boxed dyes.

I'm still veering all over the place - so do post pics. I suspect I'll be doing a conventional dye of some sort next week just to pull my several colors together - before reconsidering henna/henidigo again.

[KnightsLady]

Hi Saldana,

Although I haven't succumbed to the box yet, I do have moments when it flashes through my mind. Particularly when people start commenting (their intention is to be helpful) on how I should make allowances with what I can do because of my age. (I'm not decrepit yet! - just a bit tired) I will admit to having had a look to see if there were any natural remedies for the grey this week though. :o

I will echo Xandergrammy, you have to be happy with your hair. You can always change your mind later if you want to. :) ...and pictures would be good!

KL

[Shanarana]

I color my roots when I need to, I have no guilt or shame is doing so.

[spidermom]

Enjoy your color.

[Elenna]

I like that "marinating."

[missy60]

I have to color also I think once you start it is really hard to quit. You are dealing with the greys coming in and also the roots of your regular hair and then the dyed hair. My length always fades out to a brassy color even if I do dye it to a color that matches my natural color. I have to commend you for trying though Im not even brave enough to give it a try.

[jessie58]

I still do my roots and I'm certainly not ready to give up 49 years of my favorite hair color. I just started doing my roots at about age 42, I don't dye my whole head and I don't use permanant color. I dislike the idea of grey on myself and I dislike giving up the color which I have enjoyed and loved my entire life. I have never had another color and I want to take this one with me for as long as I can. Some day, but not right now. Perhaps when I am 60.

[Juliette]

I comend you on your bravery to make the decsion to dye or not to dye. I too am watching the greys creep in and ask myself the same questions daily, should I or shouldnt I. Thought of the Henna thing too mixing the Henna and Indigo to get close to your natural colour and then consider the box dyes and what they have to offer. I guess until I feel real comfortable doing it I'll just continue to sit on the fence and do nothing. Please post pics as I would love to see results. How much actual grey did you have? Some days I find it looks alot worse than it actually is depending on how my hair sits.

[paper]

I'm not ready to go grey either. I touch up my roots too. Glad you like your new color, enjoy it!

[PhillyGirl1978@]

Couldn't do it. I tried valiantly for nearly 3 months, and I just couldn't embrace the greys...I'm sitting here with two boxes of Robert Craig's golden brown on my head, marinating.

It was either color it or cut it, sooooooo......here I sit.

But, henna gurus - I may be coming to you to try to figure out some sort of henna recipe I can use to achieve a similar medium/dark golden brown. I've never used henna, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I dislike putting dyes on my hair (but I dislike the greys more!), and if I'm going to do it anyway, I may as well try to find the least damaging method available. The Robert Craig is good, at least it doesn't smell as bad as, say, L'Oreal. But I've heard and read that henna is actually good for your hair. I don't need the extra red, there's plenty of base red in my natural color, but maybe I could find something...

Anyway. There's my confession. I'm sorry, Silver Sisters.....I'm just not ready, I guess.

I love henna and I think that may be my option when I start getting grey. I do have a hair dresser her who has natural temporary dyes too so that's an option. I have dark brown hair so my henna makes it auburn with bright highlights when I'm in the sun. I only worry about when I have a lot of grey it will be bright red and I don't think that works for my hair color. I just mix my powder with some warm green tea, let it sit until it starts to release dye and put it all on my head. I sit under a shower cap and towel for atleast 5-6 hours and rinse it out. It can be challenging to get out but the color is great and I love how it's good for my hair. It really is the best option for me now that I want to grow it long. I have no idea what I'll do when it gets to waist length though.

[Delenn]

I have no idea what I'll do when it gets to waist length though.

It's not as bad as you think, unless you're continually doing full-head hennas each and every time and then I can see the problem. I do my roots only and honestly it's pretty easy even with waist length hair, you just have to approach it with a plan rather than just slap it on and mush it around, do it in sections. ;)

[lady G]

go for it i am the same :) i colour mine too so what you have to feel happy with your hair or whats the point!

[Unofficial_Rose]

How about a light hendigo gloss? - I've just done one today, it'll turn your greys golden and not do too much to the rest of it - it'll have a golden-brown coffee-ish cast. Sorry I don't have pics to demonstrate.

Mix 1 desert spoonful each dry indigo powder and dry henna (I used Jamila) until they are well integrated. Add as much conditioner as you will need to cover hair, stir it a lot!

Put onto dry hair for 40 mins. Rinse out (and rinse and rinse!). This does fade, so it's harder to go too dark/red and overdo it, like I did on my first time round with henna and later henndigo.

I originally got it from H4H, where Catherine specified that it couldn't work - something about no dye release - but lots of people used it with success. It's good if you don't want too big a change, just a golden brown with some conditioning. :flower:

[Nightshade]

How about a light hendigo gloss? - I've just done one today, it'll turn your greys golden and not do too much to the rest of it - it'll have a golden-brown coffee-ish cast. Sorry I don't have pics to demonstrate.

This is a great suggestion. Also, if you wanted to just amp the golden tones in your hair in general, and give some great conditioning, you could just use cassia and chamomile tea. Warm up some good strong chamomile, add to cassia, give it a few hours for dye release (like 4-6, I set mine on top of the food dehydrator where it's nice and warm, but not hot) and then apply to your hair. You won't see much of a color change, but you'll get golden colors on the whites/grays.

Someone here has a lovely siggy pic with her white hair with and without cassia. I wish I could remember her name :o

[heidihug]

I color my roots when I need to

That's me, too! I love the color that I put in my hair - dark auburn brown in the winter, and a medium auburn brown in the summer. My real hair color is really ugly - a flat, dull dark brown made worse by lots of gray around my face and in back of my ears. Ugh. In fact, tomorrow is "touch-up the roots" day. I can't wait to be back to "myself" again :cheese:.

[tiny_teesha]

Nightshade - i know who you are talking about!!! But i can't remember their name....

[Druid of Alba]

I don't have a henna recipe, but I can tell you that henna is great for your hair, and I think that you would be very happy with the colour and condition of hair that henna would give you. They also cover up the greys well, and I think that it is neat how the greys are the same colour but a lighter shade of it, so they look like natural hi-lights!