help with those temple white hairs

[mamaherrera]

Hey I"m trying to accept my white hairs with ease, but I just wonder if there is a mystery with the rest of you guys. The ones I have right in my temples, there are only like three or four, but enough to bother me since I have black hair. I henna them, but within five-six days, if I pull my hair in a slick back ponytail, I can see those roots in my bathroom mirror. It's not fair that a dye job doesn't do the job like I thought it would. I don't see roots like that in other people, so i'm wondering, in the real world, do my 5 day-old new roots not show to others, just like the rest of the world. Or do some people touch up every five day.s I just don't understand, I feel like I"m the only one that has their roots showing and I feel the need to henna them once a week, and still by the sixth day I can see them in my slick ponytails. Is it normal, or am I missing out on some hair-secret that people do so that they really can last three weeks without doing a touch up. I would love to not do it that often, but because they shine at me within a week, my self-conscious feels the need. Hope some people can share so I don't feel alone or include me in on the secrets of all those women out there who dye their hair!! Thanks and God bless.

[dulce]

My bangs and temples are fairly solid white now yet my back hair is still light brown.Instead of seeing them negatively I try to enjoy them, I like to flaunt my white hairs,I do a half up and roll/twist the sides and catch them in a silver flexi 8 clip.The roll/twist really brings out the different silver/white hair colours.As more white comes in,you have to colour more often, why not try to accept them ,it's much easier,cheaper and your hair will be SO much healthier.White streaks in dark hair can be very sophisticated, so check out sophisticated hairstyles eg.french twist,chignon to play them up!With dye you get the generic dyed all one colour,you will look like all the others that dye,if you let your hair go natural ,you will have a unique colour not found in any box,.Good luck ,no matter what you decide.

[BeckyAH]

My bangs and starting around my temples is fairly solidly white. I am coloring right now (with BLUE none the less) and yeah. My roots are visible within a week. But it doesn't really bother me. No one else is looking at my part that closely, and well. The blue hair's a great distraction.

[mamaherrera]

Thanks for your replies. I can see myself accepting this issue, if I were in my sixties, but at 31, it's hard, because no one else I know that's my age, or close, do I see white hairs in them. So I feel kind of embarrassed and ashamed and "OLD!" No offense, but like I said, my age causes this perspective. Thanks for sharing, Becky, about you being 34 and having the same issue, and just you sharing that after a week, yes those roots show, at least i feel like i"m not the only one. My husband says, "yes they're showing, but that's cuz you're super close in the mirror looking for them." It's just me needing to see or know someone else that has this issue, cuz I feel kind of alienated with it right now. If society in general wasn't so vain, about hiding it, I"m sure I wouldn't feel so alone.

[BeckyAH]

Thanks for your replies. I can see myself accepting this issue, if I were in my sixties, but at 31, it's hard, because no one else I know that's my age, or close, do I see white hairs in them. So I feel kind of embarrassed and ashamed and "OLD!" No offense, but like I said, my age causes this perspective. Thanks for sharing, Becky, about you being 34 and having the same issue, and just you sharing that after a week, yes those roots show, at least i feel like i"m not the only one. My husband says, "yes they're showing, but that's cuz you're super close in the mirror looking for them." It's just me needing to see or know someone else that has this issue, cuz I feel kind of alienated with it right now. If society in general wasn't so vain, about hiding it, I"m sure I wouldn't feel so alone.

I had white start showing up in my mid-twenties. To be honest, I'm pretty fond of mine and am looking forward to it.

...later :). I'm still playing with my hair, right now.

Really, don't worry about it. I promise no one else can see them. They aren't looking for them, They're off to the side, and blinding as they may be to you? Yeah. Others aren't noticing. Really.

[Jing]

You could always poke at the roots with a non-toxic marker to get some peace of mind, since there are only three or four of them. Personally I can't wait to get more sparklies in my hair!

[MonaMayfair]

Hey I"m trying to accept my white hairs with ease, but I just wonder if there is a mystery with the rest of you guys. The ones I have right in my temples, there are only like three or four, but enough to bother me since I have black hair. I henna them, but within five-six days, if I pull my hair in a slick back ponytail, I can see those roots in my bathroom mirror. It's not fair that a dye job doesn't do the job like I thought it would. I don't see roots like that in other people, so i'm wondering, in the real world, do my 5 day-old new roots not show to others, just like the rest of the world. Or do some people touch up every five day.s I just don't understand, I feel like I"m the only one that has their roots showing and I feel the need to henna them once a week, and still by the sixth day I can see them in my slick ponytails. Is it normal, or am I missing out on some hair-secret that people do so that they really can last three weeks without doing a touch up. I would love to not do it that often, but because they shine at me within a week, my self-conscious feels the need. Hope some people can share so I don't feel alone or include me in on the secrets of all those women out there who dye their hair!! Thanks and God bless.


I know what you mean, because when I was using henna my much lighter roots would show really quickly and look ashy and weird next to the darker redder color.

There are various "touch-up" crayons and powders you can buy for this purpose. It's hard to match red hair, but I should think it's easier with black. You could also try a little mascara or eye shadow on them. If it's just a few hairs, they should work.
Remember, lots of people get gray/white hairs really young, it's a genetic thing. It can be a symptom of various illnesses too, but it's NOT necessarily a sign of age!

[turtlelover]

This is the reason I stopped coloring my hair! The maintenance is just waaaaay too annoying, and I see roots within a week of coloring! I am so happy that I stopped.

[Aveyronnaise]

I have these but I haven't come up with any fabulous solution - but I just wanted to say that you aren't alone in feeling like Dennis Hopper.

[mamaherrera]

wow and I don't know your age, but you look young too!! Thanks, if you come up with a solution let me know. I"ve tried eyeshadow, those coverup crayons, nothing works!! Beautiful hair you have, mine used to be that thick, not it's been layered (thanks to my little girl who cut my hair while I was sleeping) and now it looks like I have very little hair.

[Aveyronnaise]

I'm going to be 37 this month - but I just don't really like the graying pattern I am starting to get , like I said it's very masculine looking to me ..there's no 'meh' emoticon...Oh no! little girl haircuts! I have avoided my boy cutting my hair ( knock on wood) My hair is layered right now - and I'm kind of hating it . C'est la vie.
Oh I meant to say thanks about my hair!!

[mamaherrera]

NO problem!! How long have you had your white hairs?? It's so depressing for me everytime I find another one. OR they find me. I'm doing henna now, you too, no?? It would help if henna for do it's thing in an hour or less, but oh well. Is your hair about medium density or high?? I think one of the reasons my hair isn't as thick is because I now don't brush out the curls, but rather let them do their thing, so now my hair isn't all separated and straight-ish, less dense. I hope that's what it is but I had some hair loss after the third baby. And about those layers, I hear ya, they take SOOOOOOOOOO long to get out. When I was young, I had so much hair, they layered it for me on purpose to not scare off people with my big ambush hair, but now. . . . as I"m crying. . . .I wish I had that hair back!

[islandboo]

If there are only 3 or 4, no one is noticing them except you. And having a few silvers in your early 30s is no guarantee that you will be prematurely grey: I got my first sparklie at 33 and now at 45 I am just getting to the point where I see a glint of silver in a casual glance - I have maybe a couple dozen on my whole head?

[Aveyronnaise]

I have just started getting grays in the past year, before that I had maybe one or two. I started doing 2 step henna and indigo because it's basically the same as my natural color , soft black. My hair is Medium to Fine , I use henna - indigo only like once every 4 months because I am lazy and busy- but I noticed that it stays on my grays a lot longer if I sleep in the henna overnight before doing the indigo.
I have heard good things about Elumen colors but I have no idea if it is available in France. So basically I am not very much help lol.

[Georgies]

I have the same issue - I'm 39 and my temples are going quite gray, though the rest of my hair isn't. I henna and the grays are either bright red or gray, both of which show up pretty obviously in my otherwise almost black hair! Still, I don't worry much about it, I doubt that many people spend much time staring at my temples. I kind of like some color variation anyway, it's interesting. I don't worry a whole lot about what other people think at this point in my life, though when I was younger I think I cared more about that.

[xoerincolleen]

I have a white streak on my temple that's making it's way into my bangs. I colored it with a mix of henna and cassia about 5 months ago, but it's pretty much totally faded and is VERY obvious when my hair is pulled back. I don't color all of my hair and I am very reluctant to start because I'm only 20 and I don't want to deal with the upkeep. So, no advice, but I understand how frustrating that is. And if it's only 3 or 4 hairs, no one can see them...mine is at least 20-30.

[BLove]

Well I am 30 as of Tuesday and I have sliver starting in my bangs. At this point I am refusing to color. But just a little FYI. I worked in a beauty shop when I was younger and the cosmotoligest would talk about how much harder it is to cover silver and white hair. I also remember her saying that the color would have to sit longer in order for it to take on silver and white. Might be something to try.

[dulce]

One reason the colour may not last is you have "colour resistant white/silver".I hated my gray at the time,the colour wouldn't take so I went to salons.same problem.They told me I had the colour resistant type of gray[not everyone gets this type of grays/white]They told me I'd have to have them "pretreat" the grays with more chemicals to help them accept the dye,then they'd apply the colour dye after.At that point I called it quits for dyeing.I don't know if you have or will have this type of colour resistant grays,maybe go to a salon and get it done there and see what happens.Ironically once my grays grew out I loved the colour!!!Now I just wish I had more of them, and that I'd stopped dyeing sooner.The salon also told me that colour resistant gray tends to make a really pretty colour of silver/white so to anyone else that has this type of hair,keep that in mind.

[dulce]

Check out" Going gorgeously gray'' group on face book.We have all ages ,this group celebrates silver hair and helps give support to those in transition.There are 2 great videos on utube,Gray and proud vol 1 and vol 2.Vol 2 has great before and afters.We have all ages,several are early 30s,some a bit younger,plus the regular 40's and up crowd.You will see gray can be beautiful.

[mamaherrera]

Thanks to all for sharing. And I don't have just 3 or 4 now. 7 in that same temple area, and about 50 white hairs in total, a guesstimate. So it keeps coming on surely and steadily and I'm only 33. So you all make me feel better that we're in the same boat, struggling with this (they grow so fast and sparkle at me) issue, but many of you are closer to 40. I'd be able to handle it easier if I were in my 40's, but then again I'm getting closer and closer and am not that far away!

[Alaska98]

No help here, but I was 27 when I got greys at my temple on the right side. I was excitedly hoping for a streak, but 3 years later, there are still just a few and now they're on the left side, too.

However, I've noticed sometimes I'll find a Grey that's started growing in brown again. I don't know what causes them to decide to stop being Grey... But I guess it is reversible.

[lapushka]

I'm 42 with just a tiny sprinkling throughout the hair. I got my first grays in my early twenties. You can't pick and choose these things, even though you wish you'd gray differently. These things just happen. All you can do is either accept it or dye the hair.

[mamaherrera]

Thanks, and interesting comment about the reversible parts. It's be neat to know if after they fall out, if those hairs that went back to brown come back white or brown???

[AmyBeth]

I use hendigo, and that seems to happen to me too. I'm very very good at looking in the mirror and just ignoring what I don't like. Just... don't see it. I have a good amount of greys, about 40% so I hendigo my roots every month or so. I just don't want to go grey yet. Not ready. I don't think I will ever be ready. Something kind of comforting happened the other day as I was examining my roots, trying to decide when to next do my roots and I realized that I have really pretty greys- they are very bright silver and shiny. If I ever do decide to let them grow, I'd like them. Just not ready for that yet, though.

[mamaherrera]

Yes I am definitely not ready for mine too. I like your idea A LOT about learning to look in the mirror and only see things that I like. I'm the opposite (hint: negative) where I look, and go looking for the things I don't like, so I see those sparklies right away, because theyr'e in the front where there's little hair and because I look for what I don't like. I should look at the other bigger percent of my beautiful brown hair.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I just accept mine, I find them really pretty and they also prove to me nicely that my hair is growing, so they make me happy. Mine show up in about a week as well. I think that people probably often would have them but I really don't think that IRL one would generally notice them on others, nor would they notice them on you. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.:)

[mamaherrera]

thanks very good points made. I see them more than anyone, I bet.

[cathair]

My bangs and temples are fairly solid white now yet my back hair is still light brown.Instead of seeing them negatively I try to enjoy them, I like to flaunt my white hairs,I do a half up and roll/twist the sides and catch them in a silver flexi 8 clip.The roll/twist really brings out the different silver/white hair colours.As more white comes in,you have to colour more often, why not try to accept them ,it's much easier,cheaper and your hair will be SO much healthier.White streaks in dark hair can be very sophisticated, so check out sophisticated hairstyles eg.french twist,chignon to play them up!With dye you get the generic dyed all one colour,you will look like all the others that dye,if you let your hair go natural ,you will have a unique colour not found in any box,.Good luck ,no matter what you decide.

This really. I am a touch younger than you OP and have/had very dark hair too. I can't be doing with all the stressing of maintenance. I would rather just accept it, my hair is going white so rapidly. I thought it was dark brown with white streaks, but I think I am just about ready to start calling my hair iron or steel coloured instead of dark brown now. People kept telling me that I looked old and that I should dye it. Then I bought some new clothes that I thought were probably too young for me and people have stopped commenting on my hair and keep telling me I look 5 - 10 years younger because of what I am wearing. I am fairly sure it's not just the colour that ages you, but your attitude to it and how you wear it.

[mamaherrera]

very good point made. And lately I get so depressed of mine popping up, that I tend to start dressing older to fulfill what the whites are making me feel older.

[AmyBeth]

Yes I am definitely not ready for mine too. I like your idea A LOT about learning to look in the mirror and only see things that I like. I'm the opposite (hint: negative) where I look, and go looking for the things I don't like, so I see those sparklies right away, because theyr'e in the front where there's little hair and because I look for what I don't like. I should look at the other bigger percent of my beautiful brown hair.

My mother was a great role model, for sure. She had many fine qualities, but physical beauty was not her strong suit, and even if it had been, she was just too bust DOING to ever worry about it. She would get up in the morning and make sure her clothes were clean and whole, she would do her hair simply, simple make up and off and running. She just didn't worry about it. My dad was very good looking- he could have given Cary Grant a run for his money, and when my mom was young, her friends would ask her how she landed such a dream-boat. The answer was that my dad didn't care a hoot about looks. His favorite saying was "Pretty is as pretty does." I heard him say that a thousand times if I heard him say it once. So while I am very much a girly girl and love to make up and have long hair (who could have guessed?:p), I just don't focus too much on my appearance. I mean, I do focus on it, but I'd go crazy and get depressed if I critiqued all of the flaws I see when I look in the mirror. It would make me unhappy and for what? So I have fun primping and try to look as nice as I can, but purposefully ignore anything I don't like that it's better to just accept. I know the "flaws" are there, but I try to pay no attention to them.

[AmyBeth]

Yes I am definitely not ready for mine too. I like your idea A LOT about learning to look in the mirror and only see things that I like. I'm the opposite (hint: negative) where I look, and go looking for the things I don't like, so I see those sparklies right away, because theyr'e in the front where there's little hair and because I look for what I don't like. I should look at the other bigger percent of my beautiful brown hair.

My mother was a great role model, for sure. She had many fine qualities, but physical beauty was not her strong suit, and even if it had been, she was just too bust DOING to ever worry about it. She would get up in the morning and make sure her clothes were clean and whole, she would do her hair simply, simple make up and off and running. She just didn't worry about it. My dad was very good looking- he could have given Cary Grant a run for his money, and when my mom was young, her friends would ask her how she landed such a dream-boat. The answer was that my dad didn't care a hoot about looks. His favorite saying was "Pretty is as pretty does." I heard him say that a thousand times if I heard him say it once. So while I am very much a girly girl and love to make up and have long hair (who could have guessed?:p), I just don't focus too much on my appearance. I mean, I do focus on it, but I'd go crazy and get depressed if I critiqued all of the flaws I see when I look in the mirror. It would make me unhappy and for what? So I have fun primping and try to look as nice as I can, but purposefully ignore anything I don't like that it's better to just accept. I know the "flaws" are there, but I try to pay no attention to them.

[dulce]

I started getting some white hairs in my late 20's.

[mamaherrera]

Just want to clarify, when you all say temple hairs, are you talking about the ones that are first hairs on the temples, the short tiny ones??? Someone said not to worry because they are off to the side, but when I look in the mirror, they are in that first little patch of hairs that look at me and sparkle in the mirror. Is there a different name for those hairs, or are those temple hairs?