My Going Grey Gracefully Journey.

[Narnanz]

I made the decision in 2015 to stop colouring my hair and let the grey shine through.
It was hard to make as I had been colouring my hair for years.
So in a few weeks will be getting my hair hightlighted again..maybe for the last time as its getting to the point where I no longer need to blend.
So I thought I would show you my journey and see if any others out there have done or are going to go on this journey as well.

First off is a picture of my hair after not colouring my hair for 5 months....you can see the large patches of silver and how much colour needs to be removed.

 

[Narnanz]

Now is a before and after picture of my first time in the chair to have foils in...so long but pleased with this first result...this is 7 months after stopping colouring my hair.

 

[Narnanz]

After a few more months I was in the chair again...my hair was very dry ..it was the summer 2015 and I had been using a shampoo that did my hair no favours.


Was so happy with the result...blending was better and hair felt healthier with getting a great condition.
.

 

[Narnanz]

Another few months on...now 2016...by now I had been putting almost 5 months between foils. You can see a hugh hole where its still my natural colour...and one side almost silver.

 

[Narnanz]

This last one is the middle of 2016....its the last photo I had taken of my journey...my hairdresser Jo and I kept on forgetting to take before and after pictures...so havent taken any since this day.

 

[Narnanz]

So in the next few weeks Im in the chair again...its taken my many years to get to this stage...
Look forward to showing you.

 

[snibor]

Not sure I’m understanding. Your highlighting your hair? That’s still coloring. It looks like a lovely blonde in the last photo.

 

[Narnanz]

Not sure I’m understanding. Your highlighting your hair? That’s still coloring. It looks like a lovely blonde in the last photo.

I been highlighting it slowly so as to blend the old colour and grey hair in...as my hair grew, got it cut regularly and ended up removing much of my old coloured ends....One day I scared Jo by getting her to cut it below the ears...so my hair is mostly my natural colour , the grey and the highlighting blending all together.
I didnt want to bleach my whole head as I would still have the problem of regrowth being a different colour.
This way wasnt as damaging.
Highlight is still colouring yes....but I was colouring it either dark brown or a red burgandy colour.

 

[pjrufus]

I did something similar about 1-3/4 yrs. ago (the start.) I had previously been coloring and highlighting, going lighter over the last few years, from reddish brunette to a light carmel brown. My hair is about your length with longer layers. Finally had enough with trying to keep up with the skunk stripe on my head. My hair grows fast. Asked my hairdresser to add broad highlights to match the silver color of my roots. I had let it grow for a few months, so I had a couple of gray inches. Well, I wasn’t happy with the result, my hair looked 1/4 gray, 3/4 bad blond dye job, and my hair was fried. Found another colorist, at the consult I showed pics of long hair with silver highlight and balayage, and he said he could do it, but since I explained my object was to eventually go natural, he suggested going all the way, the entire head shades of silver. So, that’s what we did. He deep-conditioned, then bleached the weird part, toned, then added highlights and lowlights. It was gorgeous. He also used Olaplex which I recommend. My transition took about 6 months, only because I waited that long to find my 2nd colorist.

I have no regrets. My hair is in great condition. I only go to the hairdresser for a cut now, I don’t even need toner, silver shampoo keeps it bright and silvery.

Good luck on your journey, OP, and anyone else considering this step.

 

[sdkitty]

I did something similar about 1-3/4 yrs. ago (the start.) I had previously been coloring and highlighting, going lighter over the last few years, from reddish brunette to a light carmel brown. My hair is about your length with longer layers. Finally had enough with trying to keep up with the skunk stripe on my head. My hair grows fast. Asked my hairdresser to add broad highlights to match the silver color of my roots. I had let it grow for a few months, so I had a couple of gray inches. Well, I wasn’t happy with the result, my hair looked 1/4 gray, 3/4 bad blond dye job, and my hair was fried. Found another colorist, at the consult I showed pics of long hair with silver highlight and balayage, and he said he could do it, but since I explained my object was to eventually go natural, he suggested going all the way, the entire head shades of silver. So, that’s what we did. He deep-conditioned, then bleached the weird part, toned, then added highlights and lowlights. It was gorgeous. He also used Olaplex which I recommend. My transition took about 6 months, only because I waited that long to find my 2nd colorist.

I have no regrets. My hair is in great condition. I only go to the hairdresser for a cut now, I don’t even need toner, silver shampoo keeps it bright and silvery.

Good luck on your journey, OP, and anyone else considering this step.

can you post pictures?
My hair is dyed auburn and grows fast. I'm sick of coloring it and spraying root touchup in between. But I get lots of compliments on my hair and I think grey hair would age me. I have fair skin and I think its easier to pull of grey hair (and still look relatively young) if you have more pigmented skin.
some day I'll do it but don't think I'm ready yet....but the way you did it sound like a good method (but I think you'd need a good colorist; this would involve bleaching and maybe even stripping in my case)

 

[pjrufus]

can you post pictures?
My hair is dyed auburn and grows fast. I'm sick of coloring it and spraying root touchup in between. But I get lots of compliments on my hair and I think grey hair would age me. I have fair skin and I think its easier to pull of grey hair (and still look relatively young) if you have more pigmented skin.
some day I'll do it but don't think I'm ready yet....but the way you did it sound like a good method (but I think you'd need a good colorist; this would involve bleaching and maybe even stripping in my case)

Sorry, I don’t have any pics. I was 68 before I was “ready.” And yes, I think silver hair aged me a bit, but on the other hand, I think I reached a point where I wasn’t sure if my color was age-appropriate, for me, and cost sooo much time and money to keep it that way. I’m much happier with it silver, and I do get compliments.
I also bought a grey wig and wore it around the house, played with makeup with it on., etc. for about 6 mos. before I was ready. I never wore it out, because my hair was long and thick, and it was too much trouble to pin it, cap it, to get it neatly under the wig. If there is a beauty supply or wig shop near you, go try some on. They probably won’t have a large selection of grey/silver, long ones even harder to find, lots of short one though. I ended up buying online.
Yes, my coloring is a little tricky, my skin is kind of reddish, and can look even more so, next to grey.
One thing that surprised me, that no one mentions, is that grey hair will make a pink scalp more obvious, even make it appear that hair is thinning when it’s not. I read somewhere that white hair is actually transparent, which would explain this. I use root touch up powder around my side part and bangs. I have white, lt. grey and charcoal, I like the charcoal the best, gives the hair some depth. It’s probably more obvious to me. It’s faster and easier than trying to touch up than it is with a grey skunk stripe with dark hair, you don’t have to be exact.

My apologies to OP, I hope we’re not hijacking your thread, I think your journey is very helpful to others, and the more info out there on the transition is a good thing.

 

[sdkitty]

Sorry, I don’t have any pics. I was 68 before I was “ready.” And yes, I think silver hair aged me a bit, but on the other hand, I think I reached a point where I wasn’t sure if my color was age-appropriate, for me, and cost sooo much time and money to keep it that way. I’m much happier with it silver, and I do get compliments.
I also bought a grey wig and wore it around the house, played with makeup with it on., etc. for about 6 mos. before I was ready. I never wore it out, because my hair was long and thick, and it was too much trouble to pin it, cap it, to get it neatly under the wig. If there is a beauty supply or wig shop near you, go try some on. They probably won’t have a large selection of grey/silver, long ones even harder to find, lots of short one though. I ended up buying online.
Yes, my coloring is a little tricky, my skin is kind of reddish, and can look even more so, next to grey.
One thing that surprised me, that no one mentions, is that grey hair will make a pink scalp more obvious, even make it appear that hair is thinning when it’s not. I read somewhere that white hair is actually transparent, which would explain this. I use root touch up powder around my side part and bangs. I have white, lt. grey and charcoal, I like the charcoal the best, gives the hair some depth. It’s probably more obvious to me. It’s faster and easier than trying to touch up than it is with a grey skunk stripe with dark hair, you don’t have to be exact.

My apologies to OP, I hope we’re not hijacking your thread, I think your journey is very helpful to others, and the more info out there on the transition is a good thing.

thanks ....it's tempting but I don't think I'm ready.....guess between myself and my hairdresser, I'll know when it's time
My hair is long and curly (bra strap length). I get many more compliments on my hair in recent years since it grew long than I ever did when I was younger and my hair was maybe shoulder length.
So for now, vanity prevails. Also DH shudders at the thought of my hair being short and grey like so many women of a certain age.

I'm also sorry for hijacking thread. Good thread OP. Thanks

 

[pjrufus]

I remembered one more thing to take into consideration. About 6 mos. after the “big” job, I had a big event, son’s wedding, so I did have my hairdresser freshen up the highlights and lowlights. The problem with that is, there isn’t any permanent hair color in shades of grey, it’s all semi-permanent. It doesn’t last the way we are used to permanent hair color does. My experience with perm. colors is that it may fade slightly, lose it’s freshness. Semi-perm colors just go away, and too fast for my comfort.

 

[sdkitty]

I remembered one more thing to take into consideration. About 6 mos. after the “big” job, I had a big event, son’s wedding, so I did have my hairdresser freshen up the highlights and lowlights. The problem with that is, there isn’t any permanent hair color in shades of grey, it’s all semi-permanent. It doesn’t last the way we are used to permanent hair color does. My experience with perm. colors is that it may fade slightly, lose it’s freshness. Semi-perm colors just go away, and too fast for my comfort.

did you need to wear more or different makeup after the change?

 

[pjrufus]

did you need to wear more or different makeup after the change?

I’m wearing less makeup in general, too much emphasizes the wrinkles and crepeyness. I do use tinted primers to minimize the red tones in my skin color, and a cooler foundation shade. Minimum makeup overall, but I’m tending to use bolder lip colors.