Gray(ing) hair

[k3am]

Tell me about your gray(ing) hair. Do you just let it be? Pluck them out? Dye it at home? At a salon? 

I've just been plucking them out (I know, I know) but it's getting to the point that if I keep doing that, I'm going to be bald. I'm trying to decide what (if anything) I want to do about it...

(ETA: I can't fix the grammar errors in the poll. I'm only half as grammar challenged as this post makes me sound)

[justcheckingin73]

When I was in my late 30’s, plucking or just letting them be was my go-to solution along with highlights. But when I turned 40, they started coming in much faster but highlights still kept them hidden pretty well. Around maybe 42 (and I know age isn’t really helpful since I know people 10 years younger than me that are as gray as I am but it’s more of a timeline), I started doing a one color process because I had so many grays (I’m probably 50% or more gray). I tried one of the at home solutions but I found I didn’t have good coverage so I started going to a salon. It’s actually cheaper than highlights so that’s a plus and I know I’m getting good coverage and a good color.

[mustardseed2007]

I think at this point I'd bee all over gray if I just let it go. I go to a person that I found who is not too expensive. I used to go to an expensive salon and the net result was that I did root touch ups at home, sometimes went to the salon, and always had multicolored hair.

[mae0111]

I started going gray in my early 30's. During my pregnancy with DD1, they came out everywhere. I had darker red/auburn hair, so I started doing partial foils and went more blonde. I have always felt that trying to color red hair never works out well. It fades very quickly (per every professional I've ever seen), and it tends to look fake after a while.

I'm almost 43, I'd say I'm probably 50% gray, and I'm still able to cover pretty well with the partial foils. Eventually it won't work anymore, and I'll do full foils or color. For now, highlights and lowlights help to make it look pretty natural.

[waverly]

I got my first gray hair at 16. I am not totally gray or anything like that, but I guess you could say I grayed early as I am not even 40 and have to color it. I did highlights for a while, but it wasn't enough.

I did box dye at home, but couldn't get the color right so when it grew out I was 3 tone. Hair dye color, normal color, and gray. So I finally went to a salon so they could match my normal color, and the grow out is much better now all you see is some gray.

I need to keep it up at the salon though. She only charged me $60 for roots, pull through, and a toner. So I am thinking for just roots then maybe it would be $45?

[HeartofCheese]

I tried to do it at home which was 1/10 the cost - but I was terrible at it and it didn't last very long (which was a good thing most of the time...). So now I just suck up that the salon is the price I pay to convince the world I'm still worth knowing. My stylist is also a rockstar and gives me great prices. Whatever you do, don't convince yourself that you have to pay $100+ to get decent color. Try a few cheap ones before you surrender to a high-priced one.

[rere]

I have light brown hair and started gray a few years ago. I am actually going to the salon today. I do a root touch up with some highlight around my part. That seems to be where most of the gray is located and the blond is makes it less noticeable. I have a spray that I use in between, but I am getting where I need to go every 6 weeks. I found someone local to me that only charges $50 so it is not too bad. She told me if I kept plucking, they may not grow back one day and the box color is hard on your hair.

[CrazyLucky]

I'm probably about half gray. I'm 42. It doesn't bother me.

[mellym]

I'm not graying yet but I go every 7ish weeks for highlights because I have mousey brown hair. I will probably continue that and eventually full color as I gray since I'm used to it already.

[shakinros]

I’m doing at-home box color. I pick one close to my natural color and it’s working fine for me. I def let my roots go too long between treatments but it’s not TOO terrible since the color is close. Or maybe I’m fooling myself and it is terrible but I don’t super care.

[supertrooper1]

I can still hide my gray hair with highlights. I have a patch near my forehead that is very noticeable when I wear my hair in a pony tail (which is most of the time). I go to a salon because I can't do anything with my hair.

[k3am]

They need to just design a dye that will turn my gray hairs blonde and not effect the rest of my hair.

[ilovelucyvv]

My natural hair color is light brown. The gray hairs I have are mostly around my face. I turned up the highlights around my face to be a lighter shade of blonde so that the gray hairs blend in better. As my hair goes grayer I plan to go blonder, so that it is more of a camo.

[2chatter]

I finally have this down. Full dye, highlights. Roots and toner the next time. Sometimes next two times. Then repeat. I only go four or five times a year, roughly, so I get a lot of grey in between. I use the L’Oréal grey cover spray. My hair is dark brown so that’s imperative.

[sunbutter]

I have been covering my gray for about 20 years now. I get it professionally done, now about every six weeks.

I admire people that let it go and I will one day. But I am not ready.

I don’t wear much makeup and I know that my gray will age me. For better or worse, people make assumptions about age and stage of career, etc.. It works in my favor right now to have people assume my correct age or even think I’m younger.

[sdlaura]

I have no idea whether I have gray hair (or even what my natural hair color is anymore). I get highlights every 6-8 weeks and I figure that also takes care of any potential grays.

[sdlaura]

Oct 2, 2018 10:36:43 GMT -5 mellym said:

I'm not graying yet but I go every 7ish weeks for highlights because I have mousey brown hair. I will probably continue that and eventually full color as I gray since I'm used to it already.

Exactly this

[honeydew1894]

Oct 2, 2018 9:46:54 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

I think at this point I'd bee all over gray if I just let it go. I go to a person that I found who is not too expensive. 

This is me. I go every ~8 weeks, and I use that root spray paint to touch up my roots. Even if I could afford to go every 4 weeks (like I actually need), I don't want to spend the time doing it.