@Kendrah - I am really interested in Hairprint. I have very dark hair - and some grays by my temples. I really am nervous about using hair color on my hair due to my health issues. It sounds like I should learn more about Hairprint!

Grey hair has a dry texture. It takes 20 minutes & .65cents to dye my hair. For me, dying my hair is the right thing to do. I always ask myself...if THAT woman was a blond would it look better than grey. Always a yes!

I’ve had cancer, have asthma, and lots of chemical sensitivites. I won’t touch most hair dye. Hairprint is a major chore to use - three lengthy steps. And there are a ton of caveats about how you treat your hair and how much grey you have. And it only works if you were naturally black or brown. They have yet to figure out how to make it work for blonds and red heads.

I am told that my paternal grandmother was completely gray in her 20s. The person in the original post's photo may also be quite young.

I started coloring my hair so long ago I cannot remember when exactly but I was definitely in my 30s. Maybe early 30s. Yes, must have been. I was 35 when DH and I got married and I'd been coloring my hair for a long time. When I was pregnant with DS I didn't color my hair and I was miserable. Splotches of gray and the gray hair was very wirey and not nice. As soon as DS stopped breast feeding, I immediately had it colored again. Then came Covid. I didn't color because I couldn't (didn't want to do it myself and wasn't leaving the house anyway). It was totally gray and definitely less dry and wirey. I'm kind of sorry I colored it again when things opened up again. I wish I'd let it grow out then since I was part way there. Hard to imagine me letting it go now. I'd have to go short hair and I don't think I look good in short hair anymore. It was fine when my face was younger but I don't think it would be a good look now. It's shoulder length right now.

@Funkyart I agree with you. For some reason women can be their own worst enemies sometimes.

Thanks for indulging my questions -- maybe more musings than questions. I have an almost constant internal battle with myself. I don't see my self as the 60+ women I used to watch when I was younger. Maybe I didnt see them clearly.. or maybe things have changed. I am embarrassed to say that used to think older women shouldnt have long hair -- and here I am at 61 with long hair. I cant tell you how many times I have looked at or even bought something and then thought, "I can't wear that-- I am too old for that!" Many of you here have called me on it when those thoughts slip out into public... which I APPRECIATE. I can be hard on myself .. and to be honest, others too. Anyhow, that's where I am coming from.

As for gray hair .. i don't have enough yet to know what color or texture it will be. I am ready for it (eager even!) and will adjust my hair style when needed.

Funky, I agree. I had actually written something a little different about "witchy-ness" but it sounded like I was slamming others who weren't as complimentary about gray hair. But that was not what I was going for at all so I changed course. (I am not always very eloquent!) You put it very nicely. A good friend of mine, same age as me, keeps talking about she will look like an old hag when she stops coloring her blonde hair. Does that means she thinks I like an old hag?? And isn't it a privilege to live long enough to be gray, at whatever age it happens?

Best decision I have ever made! started letting my gray grow out 2020..enjoying the freedom!

Kendra, it looks great. Looks like it is highlighted as well.

@Kendrah - I appreciate the photo + information about the extra work/lenghty steps to use it. Your color is pretty. My hair has always been dark brown (almost black).

I've been surprised about how many younger women have started embracing their gray hair in their 20s/30s. There has definitely been a "movement" re: embracing your gray hair. There are even young women who decide to turn their hair gray (however that is done - strip color + add gray/silver highlights?) even though they don't naturally have any gray hair.

The photos below are all of women who decided to "embrace the gray" early in life.

The woman below was fully gray at 24 (she's 28 in photo):

Me too!

Google:

The word "witch" originates from the Old English words wicce (feminine) and wicca (masculine), which meant "wise woman" or "wizard" and were initially neutral terms for a practitioner of magic or a wise person. These terms evolved from the Old English word wicce and are related to the word "wit," meaning knowledge or wisdom. The negative connotations associated with the word "witch" developed much later in history.

• Old English roots: The word comes from Old English wicce (feminine) and wicca (masculine), which were both related to the concept of wisdom and knowledge.
• Original meaning: The terms were not initially negative; they referred to wise women or men who practiced magic and held a respected position in society at one time.

I cant tell you how many times I have looked at or even bought something and then thought, "I can't wear that-- I am too old for that!"

Ha! Raising my hand. Recently bought a pair of sneakers that came with 2 different color laces laced on the shoe at the same time. The white half way up, and then a different color the rest of the way. I texted a picture to DD asking - Am I too old to wear this?

Her response was of course not! What did I do? Took out the colored laces and laced the white laces all the way even though I kind of liked the look of the 2 laces.

---

Grey hair has a dry texture.

Not always. When mine came in while pregnant and not dying my hair, it was terribly dry.

But decades later during Covid it was not dry at all. Which is what made me briefly consider letting it grow out.

I've seen women with very dry gray hair, but also those with beautiful silky gray hair. No two people are the same.

I decided to go gray eight or ten years ago. I no longer thought coloring my hair was flattering me, was tired of the hassle and expense, and was happy to let it go. I’ve been very happy with that decision; I really like that my hair is still sort of multi-colored- that was a surprise. You may see a sparkle or two in there- that’s my “fairy hair”! A group of my fellow gray haired friends get together every few months to have a Fairy Hair party at someone’s home (like a Tupperware party, lol), where a professional Fairy Hair person puts these sparkle strands in our hair- she ties a knot, one strand to one hair- at the scalp, and it stays in as long as that particular hair stays in your head! You can’t feel it at all, and can do anything to your hair. We love it. I’ll be getting a redo next week, right after I turn 75!

@Funkyart - it isn't you. The fact is women are judged far more harshly than men when it comes to aging:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpsI8mWKmg

"Men age like fine wine, women age like milk."

@eld6161 Thanks. All of the highlights are natural and just enchanced by this pigmentation process.

It's not always product that causes gray/white hair to yellow. I have a problem with my white hair yellowing and I don't use any product other than shampoo. It can also be from your water hardness, exposure to sunlight, and sometimes just genetic. Also from using heat. I have a water filter on my showerhead, airdry my hair and use no product and my hair still yellows. Drives me nuts.

China, Fairy Hair, oh my❤️

As a natural redhead, I continue to keep my color. When my redheaded mom started to turn gray, she saw a more “yellow-y” gray coming out, which wasn’t great. She had to wait a while for her hair to turn white. But redheads don’t get what my hairdresser father called “moonbeam gray” which his mom had, but not my maternal grandmother (who had been auburn in her youth). My redheaded sister isn’t going gray too soon and keeps her hair on the blonder side of red. I have a friend with stunning, shoulder length grey hair and it doesn’t age her. It’s not dry or kinky which often happens to gray strands.

My hair is long and it would be a nightmare to grow out if I wanted to let it go gray. Since being a redhead is a huge part of my identity, I have no idea when I’ll do it. I color it every 4-5 weeks and I’m pretty fast, so it doesn’t t bother me.

Your hair is GORGEOUS @RedRyder!

My brother and grandma were red heads and I have red highlights when I’m in the sun.

I find the comment "I do not understand long hair for the sake of long." perplexing.. I've mentioned previously that I'm older and have waist length hair that is still mostly brown but gray/white is creeping in steadily, particularly around my temples. I love my hair, especially since it is long. I may or may not like it when I turn all gray or white, and may want to cut it to shoulder length or (doubtfully) shorter. We'll see.

I appreciate what funky said. Thank you for that.

Indigo please share a photo!

RedRyder, I thought it took a very long time for redheads to gray?

Growing out hair to gray...the first six mos are hard on feelings! Then the freedom! My dear adopted family grandma was a red head. She said red hare don't gray but fade!

Dani, great pix! that first pic is about dead on the color of my hair, even the white streaks at the part! My hair is much shorter though.

Nicole, all gray hair is not dry. Mine isn’t and i only use conditioner occasionally.

Mtn, yes the purple shampoo can stain towels, skin, etc and even tint your hair which i do not want.

(Tina Marie)

Chiming in: I think blondes/fair haired people do well with coloring and "hiding the gray". I think brown/dark-haired people have a harder time with this? For the most part, I think darker haired people just look older with colored hair? There's no fooling anyone! That purple/burgandy look in the sun or bright light is a giveaway.

Indigo Rose, I made the comment "I do not understand long hair for the sake of long" that you find perplexing. I could have been clearer about what I meant.

Some seem to regard long hair as inherently more beautiful and all the things. Some long hair can be very beautiful. And it can also look not great. When I had long waist-length hair, it seemed to own me. First time I cut it back to shoulder length I felt fantastic and think I looked better too. I just don't think there's anything more godly about long hair.

@RedRyder - that's almost exactly the way my hair curls - except it looks better with your pretty red hair vs. my plain old dark brownish black hair.

@HU-688559642 - The first photo is my favorite one out of the ones I posted. You're lucky - that is very pretty gray hair - especially because of the variation of colors mixed together. I would love to have my hair like that. I don't know how my gray will look because I only have it mostly at the temples - and it looks very sparkly next to my dark hair.

@Bunny -

Some seem to regard long hair as inherently more beautiful and all the things. Some long hair can be very beautiful. And it can also look not great.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. There is very pretty long hair - and there is not so pretty long hair. Having long hair doesn't automatically make a person's hair beautiful or automatically make a person more attractive.

There have been quite a few surveys over the years where men have been asked whether they preferred long/medium/short hair on women.

The results were heavily weighted towards long hair. However, it was long HEALTHY hair.

When I had long waist-length hair, it seemed to own me.

I feel that way when I haven't had a haircut for awhile and all of my layers are gone. I feel like it "smothers" my face at times (and weighs me down). I don't like when it feels like it's covering the sides of my face (I am fairly claustrophobic). I sometimes feel like my hair is all that people see/notice.

Sorry....I didn't mean ALL grey hair is dry....just mine. This is what's right for me. I may feel the freedom of being grey later on in my life....it's just not right for "me" now.

During Covid I learned that my hair was completely white - none of those beautiful mixed shades that so many have posted here. Even in college I had noticeable white hairs mixed in among the dark brown especially around my face. By my mid thirties it resembled a halo and that's when I started having it colored.

We've had the 'letting my hair grow out' discussion among my friends and most of them still color their hair and don't intend to stop. I do think it's an easier transition if you've been blond. At one time I tried on a wig to see what it would like - and I'm just not ready for that. I've had the same stylist for nearly 20 years and I don't mind going once a month since I'm visiting a friend. It's a single process so it's fairly quick.

I use this toning mask on my grey hair, it was suggested by my stylist. No purple hands or shower stains. It's pricey but a little goes a long way.

https://www.randco.com/products/sunset-blvd-blonde-toning-masque?_pos=4&_psq=blonde&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Here is my grey head! My stylist posted it on her insta.

My BFF looks enough like me that people often ask if we are sisters. Same coloring, similar color hair and eyes. She looks a lot like her mom (so, her mom looks like she could be my mom). Maybe 15 years ago — so her mom would have been around 70 – her mom stopped coloring her hair. I didn’t see her during the growing-out process, so when I saw her ”suddenly” gray I was shocked. I barely recognized her and my initial thought was that something terrible had happened. Then I realized she had just gone gray. Anyway, that was when I realized I can’t ever stop coloring my hair! Some women look great, I would look old and unwell.

Having said that, I am sure there will come a time when I’ll just be done with it.

Too bad we can’t know exactly how our hair would look and try it on in advance to see. As we have seen here, ”gray” isn’t the same for everyone.

Dee, your hair certainly is magazine worthy!

Marie Cate, in Ny I live in a young town. Most leave after the kids graduate high school.

I only have one friend who has gray hair.

Here in Florida, I just went to a dinner with neighbors of our new house. Many gray haired ladies, but for the most part very fit.

Sue, my.hair would be salt and pepper and at this time not a good look for me.

Just to say the reason I didn’t disguise the woman’s face was because I wanted to show the comparison of her youthful appearance and her gray hair in a young style. I think this matters in what I was trying to convey.

I would never post to mock or ridicule anyone and certainly not a stranger.

I share these type of posts very rarely.

My hair has gone from silver to snow white. My Mom’s did also. Both of my son’s started greying significantly in their 40’s.

There is one thing I'll say. As we age, a lighter shade is more flattering. One gal I know changed her hair and had it dyed almost black. I told her it looked nice and so would a lighter brown too. She said she was happy with what she had, and I agreed it looked nice. But I saw her a month or so later and she went from black to a softer brown. It looked so much better, and I told her how much I liked her hair. Really dark hair on a less-than-youthful face can be too harsh. My Mom used to color her hair and went from a dark brown to a brownish blond as she aged as she too saw the lighter shades more flattering as she aged.

I just had my hair cut and the hairdresser asked what color I was using on it. She couldn't believe it was god-given. I was surprised as I was thinking who would purposely make "dishwater blond" hair coloring? Or a friend of mine called it the color of dust! I've never colored my hair but twice in my life. Once when I was a teen, I tried sun-in which did nothing. During covid, I went a bit nuts and put blue food coloring in my hair just for fun. It is what it is.

^ Eld, I wish I could post photos, and eventually hope I can again like I used to some years back, but I have no way to do so at this point. This has been an interesting thread.

I have not made the leap to gray hair - not quite ready yet, but when I am ready I see myself going fun rather than gray

I turned 70 this year and have very little gray. I'm surprised but I'll take it! Maybe the gray will accelerate in this next decade. Both my parents were fully gray at my age, as well as my older brother. My older sister has dyed her hair for years so she may be fully gray. I will never dye mine. My hair is fine-textured and still has a lot of shine and highlights. If the gray is coarse-textured, dye just seems to make it look rougher. I don't think dyeing makes anyone look younger, whether it's dyed a natural or unnatural hair color. I've always accepted my age and what comes with aging.

Well, what do you know?!

I color my hair, not to look younger because my face looks old, but so I look like me when I see myself, wrinkles and all.

I intend to color my hair until my last breath, actually my oldest sister’s last breath, just to annoy her. She stopped coloring and now everyone should. 🙄 A younger sister has promised to help me if I get too infirm to do it myself. 😆

Everyone should do what they want, and, more importantly, not judge anyone else’s choice. Color, don’t color, straighten, don’t straighten. It’s just one more way women foolishly judge each other.

Annie, you are lucky. And those treatments have made your hair look amazing.

I'd like to add that every single one of our GW group who have posted photos of themselves here or even just a photo of their hair all look fabulous! If my hair looked anything like yours I'd let it grow out. Unfortunately since I greyed so young I passed that stage of my hair color a long time ago. And I'm not ready to embrace the all white look even though my hair stylist claims that is is a nice color and go well with my skin tone. But she does point out that I would have to up my make-up routine which at the moment is minimal Plus my hair is limp and straight and the coloring adds a little body.

Personally I think the hair in the very first photo does appear fake - though it's possible that the photo isn't conveying an accurate image. I don't find it attractive.

As for hair length - mine was long when I married and half-way down my back when my girlfriend and I ventured into a fancy salon in Philly one day. I came home with a modified wedge and I've been wearing it short every since. For me it's much easier to manage.

But as hhireno wrote - 'everyone should do what they want'

Marie, I agree. It really is what makes you feel your best when you look in the mirror.

@ maddie260 "I think darker haired people just look older with colored hair? There's no fooling anyone! That purple/burgundy look in the sun or bright light is a giveaway"

You do know that there are thousands of shades to choose from and that purple/burgundy base is a choice. You can get ash based neutral browns and orange based Auburns and chestnut browns.

Reds and orange tend to fade more quickly than other shades, so purple is popular with the manufacturers to combat the bad reputation that red hair color will fade. They push purple to the customers and a lot of people love their purple and burgundy choice, but it is a choice.

Everyone should do what they want, and, more importantly, not judge anyone else’s choice.

I agree that it is not helpful to criticize someone's choice. I think is is perfectly OK to tell someone that they look fabulous with their choice of cut/color.

@maire_cate I decided to go ”au natural” during shutdown in ’20. I had a few voice their opinions on my choice such as ” oh you’re too young for gray hair ” (72 😉) to ”why don’t you go blond” etc etc. . I have received m

compliments from young people asking where I get my hair highlighted. My natural color was dark brunette w/red undertones.

For the most part, I think darker haired people just look older with colored hair? There's no fooling anyone! That purple/burgandy look in the sun or bright light is a giveaway.

I'm guessing it all depends on one's stylist. There's bad and good. I do not think my hair colored to my natural dark brown makes me look older. I think it does the opposite.

I agree with jsk .. a good stylist is key. I am not opposed to box dyes if they work for you but I think it is harder to get the dimensions.

Through the pandemic my hair developed an ombre look that people pay a lot of money for! I loved it and would have kept it up except that I need highlights at my crown (for volume) and around my face (for my coloring). I was blonde through my toddler years then went very dark-- but I go blonde easily in the sun. I actually started highlighting to even out my summer blonde and winter dark. I dont get in the water/sun enough to lighten naturally anymore but that's why god gave us bleach :)

OMG Funky - we are once again so much alike. I too was very blonde as a toddler, and now I'd say my natural color is a very dirty blonde or very, very light brown. However it lightens quickly and substantially in the summer sun, and I'm outside a lot in the summer.....which leads to my growing-out-summer-hair looking like I color it when winter rolls around.

I don't color my hair. However I'm perpetually left with the problem of I need to color my hair, so that it doesn't look like I color my hair. So nice to hear from someone else who understands the problem!

However, interestingly, the growing numbers of greys somehow add some natural balance. It looks like natural highlights. Or something. Anyway, I can't see for carp and I tell myself it looks fine.