My Going Grey Gracefully Journey.

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#151
BigPurseSue said:
When I was a kid my mom and her friends walked around with a cigarette and martini when they were pregnant. :shocked: My mom and her many sisters all started dying their hair when they were in their 30s and continued into their 90s. None developed breast cancer, but then it doesn't appear to be in the family. To this day I don't know what my mom's natural hair color is and I don't think she does either. When I was a kid my friends would ask "Why does your mommy have a different hair color every time I come over?" I was taken aback. "Doesn't your mommy's hair color change every few weeks?" :-s
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It’s not a laughing matter, but it makes me laugh. Picture someone posting that on Instagram today! In the 60’s when my mom was pregnant, doctors told pregnant women to have a glass of wine at night to relax. As recently as when my first was born almost 25 years ago, we were told to drink a beer to help breast milk production. Makes me chuckle. But wasn’t this post about going grey? Well, I guess these memories prove we have been around long enough to have grey hair. I am very proud to have been around that long. It’s quite an accomplishment. Cheers!
 
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#153
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
 
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#154
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
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I’m 53 and stopped dying last year — my last single process was March 2019 and I last had highlights (foils) in June 2019. I’ve always had fine hair, but a lot of it, and like you, I always felt like the dye helped make it thicker. I don’t have the thyroid issues you have, but it takes a while to really see what your natural hair is going to look like and do, At my last haircut appointment, the stylist said my new growth feels thicker to her than my highlighted and dyed ends. Her take is the chemicals can thin the hair shaft. I’m not objective enough to know yet if I see what she sees, but I will say that I have more regrowth around my hairline than I did when I was putting dye on my head every 5 weeks. I only started noticing the regrowth in the last couple of months, so again, I think it takes a lot of time to see what the result is going to be.

My only experience with thyroid issues is with pets, not people, but I would think that getting the right dose of thyroid meds would help with your hair. What does your doctor say about that?
 
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#155
catsinthebag said:
I’m 53 and stopped dying last year — my last single process was March 2019 and I last had highlights (foils) in June 2019. I’ve always had fine hair, but a lot of it, and like you, I always felt like the dye helped make it thicker. I don’t have the thyroid issues you have, but it takes a while to really see what your natural hair is going to look like and do, At my last haircut appointment, the stylist said my new growth feels thicker to her than my highlighted and dyed ends. Her take is the chemicals can thin the hair shaft. I’m not objective enough to know yet if I see what she sees, but I will say that I have more regrowth around my hairline than I did when I was putting dye on my head every 5 weeks. I only started noticing the regrowth in the last couple of months, so again, I think it takes a lot of time to see what the result is going to be.

My only experience with thyroid issues is with pets, not people, but I would think that getting the right dose of thyroid meds would help with your hair. What does your doctor say about that?
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Thank you for replying, I'm apparently on the right dose, I've just had to reduce my meds as I was having too much! I've been on meds since I was diagnosed in 2004.
I take supplements too of Biotin, which has helped.
I think I may have a word with my hairdresser.
 
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#156
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
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I have fine and thin hair but it isn't completely straight so that makes it look a bit thicker. I never noticed the dye making it look thicker. I think without dyeing, your hair gets healthier.
 
#157
Sharont2305 said:
Thank you for replying, I'm apparently on the right dose, I've just had to reduce my meds as I was having too much! I've been on meds since I was diagnosed in 2004.
I take supplements too of Biotin, which has helped.
I think I may have a word with my hairdresser.
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Dye does coat the hair, so your hairdresser might say that makes it thicker. Maybe it does, but I agree with @whateve, though — hair gets healthier without chemicals.
 
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#158
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...

I have fine hair. And thyroid issues which have been blamed in the past for patchiness and hair loss. I've also heard that dye coats the hair and makes it look thicker. I stopped dying my hair 20 years ago while searching for reasons behind hair loss. What I use is a special body-building conditioner that I put on after I wash my hair and towel dry it. It coats it and fluffs it up. It does really make a difference in the appearance of volume. There are numerous such conditioners. The one I like is Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner. I think it has a polymer in it that coats the hair but doesn't make it greasy. Since I don't use anything else on my hair or have any other sort of treatments like perms it doesn't interfere with anything. Dye does effect the shaft of your hair so once that starts growing out your hair should start to look healthier.
 
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#159
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
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My hair is thicker now that I have rarely chemically treated it in the last few years, and since I found out I have Hashimoto’s thyroid disease and started treating it. Also, I rarely wash my hair. I used to wash it every day, but was stripping the natural moisture and oils. Now I am down to once or twice per week. I will put my hair in a bun and wash the hair at the nape of my neck daily, or wash the front of my hair and forehead, but not the whole head. It does not get oily or have an unpleasant odor. In fact, at least for me, people have thought I was wearing perfume. Maybe it’s pheromones? I brush and massage my scalp thoroughly each night to prevent dandruff. When I wash, I first use a sulfate free shampoo, then a “natural” cleansing conditioner which I massage well into my scalp, then a natural (lots of oils, no chemicals) conditioner, and rinse in cool water. After towel dried, I add some more conditioner to the middle and ends and leave it on. Sometimes I do this the night before and sleep with my hair saturated in conditioner in a bun, and rinse it out in the morning. The only stying I usually do is a quick blow dry using my fingers, and brush it gently with a Wet brush (a boar brush is also good!). If you haven’t found a Wet brush, I highly recommend, as it is the least damaging. Try not to use damaging hair elastics, bobby pins, etc, as they will cause breakage.
P.S. yes, Biotin too! I’ve been taking it for almost 2 years now. There is a definite line where my old dry hair ends and the new healthy hair begins. It is thin and dry at the ends. I have gradually been cutting it off, but still have about another 6+ inches of thin brittle hair at the ends. I just can’t bring myself to cut it all off at once! I’ll try to take and post pics soon.
 
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#160
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...

My hair is fine and I have an average amount of it. Dye did make it feel thicker the first week but it also made it thinner over time. I love how healthy my hair is now. It really is hard to tell what your hair will look like until you get past 6 months. Give it a try! You can always go back to dying it but you’ll never know unless you try. [emoji4]
 
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#161
Sharont2305 said:
Just a query, does anyone here have fine hair? I want to grow grey gracefully, I am sick of dying it. My original hair colour is black and I've been dying my hair since my 20s, I had the odd grey hair then, I'm 51 now and should embrace my grey/white.
I have fine hair, almost thinning due to an under active thyroid and when I let my roots grow out it kinda makes me look bald. The dye makes my hair seem thicker.
Most pics I've seen on here, you've all got lovely thick hair to start with, the grey enhances it, I'm afraid with me, I'll look bald and ill.
I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...

I also have fine hair, and interactive thyroid. Seems like less breakage/hair falling out the last few months without coloring, so I'm hoping that less breakage will help resolve the thinning issue.
 
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#165
trigirl said:
These are from mid May but I’m almost to 17 months. Love my low maintenance wash and go hair. So soft and healthy. I only shampoo. No conditioner or styling products for my fine hair.
View attachment 4751383View attachment 4751384
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You look great! Your natural wave is beautiful — it’s fantastic that you don’t need any styling products.

I’m about five months behind you at almost 12 months dye-free and it’s amazing how damaged my dyed hair feels compared to the new growth.
 
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