How often do you color your hair (to cover grey)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's getting to be every 6-8 weeks for me. Such a pain! Wondering if others do the same thing.

When I can't stand it any longer. No set schedule.

[Anonymous]

I'm a dark blonde with reddish highlights. Ready to stop dying all over...I use Lorial, but I don't know how to grow it all out without looking ridiculous. Its not that its so gray, it just super dull and darkish with some gray.

[Anonymous]

Professional highlights, sometimes color every 6-7 weeks.

Born a blonde, but my hair is naturally dark brown with some gray. I'm 45.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Women with darker hair, what's your solution? Do you dye at home or go to a salon?

Every time I dye at home I make an insane mess -- black dye is hard to deal with -- but I just can't pay $90 every 4 weeks in a salon.

I have/had dark hair and I found the Clairol root touch up was super-easy. I was doing it every three weeks. I recommend this, as it looked real and only stayed on for 10 min, and the whole thing took about 45 min. However:

In February I had an epiphany and decided I would grow out my silver. It's half-grown out now and I can see it will be beautiful, but wow you have to be ready for the year of pretty gray hair connected to brown dyed hair that's faded and oxidized. fyi it looks like hell at first because the dark dyed hair is still really dark and not faded at first. Then about 2 months in, when that dyed hair lightens some, AND when the gray gets past the stage where it looks like you are neglecting yourself--when it gets to be an inch or so, it becomes obvious that you are not neglecting yourself but are growing it out--it becomes easier.

There's a whole mental shift that comes with this, OP, that is freeing and wonderful and sexy and strong (and not about being frumpy, which is the OTHER gray hair camp, the one for people who don't care about themselves anymore. My silver-haired camp is the opposite--caring about what YOU want and not caring what OTHER PEOPLE want you to be).

Sorry for the digression, but just food for thought, for you, seeds for the future...

[Anonymous]

I have not colored my hair in over a year. All the color is at the ends which is also dry. Most of my grey is at the back of the head (at the crown), can I just get a touch up done to color a few grey and leave the rest as it would look fine for now.

I have had some hair shedding and scared to do full process color (even semi permanent).

[Anonymous]

Every two weeks. I also use Clairol Soy from Sally's along with the Soy peroxide. You can either purchase cream and apply with a brush or liquid and apply with a bottle. Sally's should be able to to help find your shade. I'm a 7N and it matches great. I only do the roots and make sure I don't push it up further than the gray area and rarely pull it through my ends, maybe every three months on the ends for 5 minutes. I do the front part of my head and my husband or sister does the back. It sure beats paying to get it done every two weeks. I can't stand an outgrowth.

[Anonymous]

Every four wks. I have black/dark brown with highlights so that's pushing it. Currently, I have not seen my hairdresser in 6 wks (was on vacation) and it looks terrible. I had to reschedule my standing appointment due to school starting and could not get an appointment until the 15th! Ugh

[Anonymous]

Every 8 weeks. It starts fading around the 6 week mark.

[Anonymous]

Last time was 38 days or 5.4 weeks, not too bad but it used to be every three months
I am 45 and my first gray hair was when I was 17 years old.

[Anonymous]

Every 6 - 7 weeks. I'm 44 and all my grey is right in the front where my hair parts...so super noticeable and drives me crazy when my roots start to grow out.

[Anonymous]

I'm 55 and have never colored my hair. Have maybe 10% white hair. You can tell if I go a few days without washing my hair but when it's clean it hardly shows. I doubt I'll ever color my hair.

My husband is on the heavy side of white.

Yesterday he came home laughing because on his lunch ticket he got a senior citizen discount and was not asked his age.

[Anonymous]

Every 6 weeks. I'm brunette and 50.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone do low lights to cover gray on dark brown hair?

No matter if I get it done at a salon or home, coloring my hair makes be look washed out and older since the dark brown color looks so harsh and fake.

I'm not ready to let the gray come in but the flat, dark brown is not so attractive either. Plus it's getting drier as I get older

[Anonymous]

I started coloring in my teens, I'm now 40. By my late 20's I was more than 50% grey and by my early 30's all that was left was streaks of white, silver, and steel grey. I was tired of coloring and decided to just be me....so thanks to a hair relaxer I got super short hair and just used a level 1 color from Sally's until he dyed hair grew out. Within a year my hair was long again and a beautiful shade of grays and whites. It wasn't conventional, but strangers would walk up to me on the street to ask where I got my hair done. I loved it. I was also surprised at how many people gravitated towards me in my M.A. program. They saw someone who was unique and who had experience. I made friends who said it was the grey hair that attracted them to me in the first place...that's new.

It was an adjustment, I had to change my make-up and clothes, but I never once worried about my hair. I didn't have to wonder if people could see my roots or the dye stained on my skin, it felt good and healthy and it was a relief.

Last week my husband said he just didn't really find me attractive to look at with the grey hair and asked me to dye it. I cried after it was done. A year of hard work and freedom all gone. The dye job didn't come out right, so I don't like the color and it's been less than a week and already my roots are starting to show in the light. $65 down the drain and now I have to color every week? Because why? Because I look 10 years younger. I didn't care if I looked my age, I cared that I was happy and my hair was shiny and healthy.

Every person is different, some people need to color their hair to feel good about themselves. Some people need to just let it be. I loved the grey and was happy. Now I hate my hair and am not. For my mother, she loves her hair when it's dyed and hates the white, it makes her feel bad about herself. So, it seems unnecessary to put people down because they like to dye or don't like to dye.

I will say this - I never thought I would like gray hair or to look older....but I have NEVER had so many unsolicited compliments from strangers than when I just let me hair be natural. Now that I look 10 years younger not one person has come up to compliment me...so what's that worth?

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry PP that you felt compelled to go back to dying your hair. Maybe your DH will notice how miserable you are. I loved the description of your grey self. That is what I aspire to be some day. I'm tired of all the cosmetic stuff to look young -- I find it unsettling. I think older people are interesting-looking. Always have. I'd understand if you're in your 20s dying your hair. Why don't people see or bother to see the beauty in aging?