Stopped dying hair and I’m not so sure about the gray.

[Anonymous]

Partial gray never looks good, sorry OP. Full gray/silver can look good (but not sexy - just dignified older-lady good) if styled and maintained extremely well. It's a delusion for some people.

[Anonymous]

I would bite the bullet and just write the cost into your budget. I stopped getting manicures to give room in my schedule and budget to get touch ups on my roots every 5 weeks. That’s the sweet spot for me - just starting to grow out. If I wait a week later I avoid seeing people because of the roots.

I was not a fan of Madison Reed color but lots of people like it! My hair texture was super dry and frizzy for the two years I used it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gray is gross and makes everyone look old. Your hair will look dry and frizzy.

The 24 year old who works in a salon that charges $500 to color your hair has found the thread!

[Anonymous]

Find someone who will just do color (no cut or blowdry). (Maybe ask for that option). Significantly cheaper and less time consuming. I do this every 6-8 weeks (when new grey growth starts to annoy me - I'm maybe only about 25 % grey, so can't wait a bit). My guy costs about $100 and takes about 45 minutes (he slots me in between regular hair cuts/etc).

[Anonymous]

I would go to a salon and get it professionally done, but with a demi color instead of permanent. The roots and color lift to your natural brown hair won't be as stark or as brassy. I'd keep this up until 60 then have them use the same stuff and do partial color with the brown instead of all over color to transition to full gray.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would bite the bullet and just write the cost into your budget. I stopped getting manicures to give room in my schedule and budget to get touch ups on my roots every 5 weeks. That’s the sweet spot for me - just starting to grow out. If I wait a week later I avoid seeing people because of the roots.

I was not a fan of Madison Reed color but lots of people like it! My hair texture was super dry and frizzy for the two years I used it.

Agree with budgeting for it. It makes the single biggest difference in how I look and feel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very dumb question here: what happens if you just do an overall color of all of your hair with a store box color every couple of months instead of trying to touch up the roots monthly?

The problem is that I have the roots with no dye and the rest of it with some leftover. I think I'd have to get it done at the salon. I might do it. I feel like I look quite a bit older and my face looks washed out. I hate to add all the bother but I want to feel like I look good.

NP here, I don't really understand the issue with box color? I dye mine once a month at home, ash brown all over. It costs $10 for a kit. I focus on my roots and also work the dye through the length: you can put dye on already dyed hair. You're not bleaching, right?

I would be 100% gray if I didn't dye. I wish I could love my gray but it washes me out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would go to a salon and get it professionally done, but with a demi color instead of permanent. The roots and color lift to your natural brown hair won't be as stark or as brassy. I'd keep this up until 60 then have them use the same stuff and do partial color with the brown instead of all over color to transition to full gray.

OP -- you didn't indicate what type of hair color you are using. Are you using packaged box dye or are you mixing your own color/developer? Are you using a permanent, demi, or semi? I would recommend that you mix your own color and that you use a demi-permanent for touching up dark roots. You may need to experiment a bit with regard to the right amount of time to get the coverage you want, but the salon has no secret or special formula for touching up roots that you can't do yourself for a tiny fraction of the cost at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very dumb question here: what happens if you just do an overall color of all of your hair with a store box color every couple of months instead of trying to touch up the roots monthly?

During the pandemic this is what I started doing. I had been having my longtime stylist do all over color every four months or so and I'd do root touch up at home. Now that I'm 60 I'm doing the all over color every other month and root touch up on the off months. Amazingly, my stylist always comments that the color looks great. (I doubt she'd lie; if she wanted my coloring business back, I think she'd subtly try to tell me I was doing a crappy job on my own).

For a long time, from mid-40s on, I was only maybe 1/4 gray, but now I'm starting to admit it might be 3/4. I think it's ridiculous to stay my natural color (medium brown) forever, but it's very hard to bite the bullet, especially seeing the negative responses here.

[Anonymous]

I'm 57 and I was due to get my roots touched up the week after everything shut down for COVID. So, it's been over two years since I've had my light reddish brown, shoulder length, fine, 3A/B curly hair professionally colored. I'm not going back. I don't care if some people think it ages me - I have earned every single silver/gray strand and refuse to chase youth. I'm tired of the maintenance and would rather spend my time and money on something that is more meaningful for me. Besides, at certain point, it just doesn't look natural not to have any gray hair - and my DH is totally on board.

Since the salons reopened, I go about every 4-6 months for a trim and application of toner. The toner does a good job of blending the lines of the gray and colored hair. I've got a good cut that flatters me and reduces the contrast. I expect in another year, I'll just it short just to get rid of all the remaining colored ends.

[Anonymous]

I'm 56 and do it myself. Since I've started taking a few supplements, I'm noticing less gray though. It's weird. That said, I do it every 5 weeks - I'm a redhead that washes once a week.
I'm not sure I'll ever go gray but lighter red. Its not hard to do it yourself - I also get highlights twice a year that add depth to color. My hair is super long though.

[Anonymous]

My stylist actually suggested I grow mine out. I have two distinct streaks, as well as other gray, and she said it would look cool. She did some blending thing to help it.

This was 10 year ago. I did and do look older but I don't think that's a bad thing. I tried lots of different shampoos and Odele Smoothing is the best for my hair. My grays are just as soft as the rest of my hair.

I also don't wear a ton of makeup. It's just not me. I think you are either the sort of person who feels comfortable this way, or you are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 56 and do it myself. Since I've started taking a few supplements, I'm noticing less gray though. It's weird. That said, I do it every 5 weeks - I'm a redhead that washes once a week.
I'm not sure I'll ever go gray but lighter red. Its not hard to do it yourself - I also get highlights twice a year that add depth to color. My hair is super long though.

Which supplements?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very dumb question here: what happens if you just do an overall color of all of your hair with a store box color every couple of months instead of trying to touch up the roots monthly?

Hot roots. It doesn’t look good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would bite the bullet and just write the cost into your budget. I stopped getting manicures to give room in my schedule and budget to get touch ups on my roots every 5 weeks. That’s the sweet spot for me - just starting to grow out. If I wait a week later I avoid seeing people because of the roots.

I was not a fan of Madison Reed color but lots of people like it! My hair texture was super dry and frizzy for the two years I used it.

Agree with budgeting for it. It makes the single biggest difference in how I look and feel.

Same girl, same. And I loved getting my nails done! But I grew out my hair color for 9 months during the pandemic and it made me look washed out and tired. So I’m back to the salon for Demi permanent color & a glass every 5- 6 weeks and partial highlights every other visit (about quarterly).