YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Going Gray!

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Going Gray! https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:01:08 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Marilyn on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947969 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:20:57 +0000 Marilyn 1947969@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>Your hair is looking great, shiny.  Kudos for taking the plunge.</div><div> </div><div>I stopped colouring over two years and have found it to be liberating.  I'm still a mix of brunette and gray.....I'm turning 55 next month.  People say it looks like silver highlights......but sometimes I wish it would just hurry up and finish coming in. </div> shiny on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947963 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:59:02 +0000 shiny 1947963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lyn67, for the longest time I colored my hair for the texture (and shine) it provides, so I know exactly what you mean! But since going lo-poo and using this new shampoo it seems my texture/shine is just fine. Honestly, I think I was over-drying my hair by washing it too often.  Then again time will tell once it grows out more... but perhaps instead of highlights I'll do a semi-permanent dye or just get a gloss. We shall see! lyn67 on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947865 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 11:14:16 +0000 lyn67 1947865@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lucky girl, it seems, your hair will do a great transition to silver and it has to be so liberating to finish with regulary dying your hair. I was a natural  dark ashy blonde with highlights from salon but with all  the aging I was rather to ask coloring my roots darker for  getting theoh  so very needed contrast around my face (and my darker frames) kind of a short ombré style. This looks great when fresh but also high maintenance and often decide on leaving au naturel and end the cycle. But my own hair is so so very flat that without the coloring (of any type) it simply doesn't have the texture for a groomed feel in my pixie now, so always step back for coloring again, but it is really  tireing me... ETA: Happy Birthday!:-) The Cat on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947719 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 22:11:03 +0000 The Cat 1947719@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think your hair is beautiful. Love the beautiful stripes in various shades. Eliza on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947543 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:16:56 +0000 Eliza 1947543@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Shiny- You have great hair and it is beautiful through the transition. It looks to be a very smooth process. I have dark dyed hair and it will be allowed to go gray/white at some point. I think it is easier to go from lighter hair to gray. I am dreading the line of demarcation, even if I were to cut my well above the shoulder bob to a shorter length. Shampoo does make a big a difference and seems highly individual. I find that seasonal changes in temperature and humidity can render previously well performing products ineffective on my hair. I keep an assortment of no sulfate products on hand.  Happy birthday! RobinF on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947542 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:11:36 +0000 RobinF 1947542@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Looks really nice! I have colored my hair for at least 20 years and am pretty sure I would be at least 50% gray if I stopped. It is so tempting! I am tired of having to color it every month. I'm do the same as you with washing too - once or twice a week but a daily rinse when I shower. So nice to not have to wash every day. anne on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947537 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 12:58:07 +0000 anne 1947537@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>Shiny, I've always loved your hair, and this latest stage is no exception.  You are a bit of a model for me - I'm the age now approx that you were when you started on YLF, so I enjoy looking ahead.</div><div> </div><div>I've only just started getting a very few white hairs, which I've mostly been plucking, and thinking that perhaps I should start getting highlights (not ready to go grey yet)  The only highlights I have are when I spray "lightening  spray" on myself,</div><div> </div><div>Interesting about your shampoo experience too. </div> BrieN on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947481 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 03:56:18 +0000 BrieN 1947481@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ My gosh if my hair were to look like your natural color I'd go "gray" in a second. Really pretty. Anonymous on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947358 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:07:47 +0000 Anonymous 1947358@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Happy Belated Birthday! I love your hair. If I were brave enough to let nature take its course, I would love mine to look like yours. I have been thinking about it and even went 6 weeks before I did a touch up and decided it is just not me - at least, not yet. My mom colored her hair until she passed away at 90 1/2 and I always did it for her.  Anonymous on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947259 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 12:14:43 +0000 Anonymous 1947259@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree, the change is very subtle. And it looks like even the lighter bits are very smooth (not wiry as my few greys). You're going grey very gracefully:) Scarlet on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947241 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 10:02:23 +0000 Scarlet 1947241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your haircut is amazing. I am using my imagination a bit to see any gray. I am on the other side of things right now, wondering if I should start to color my hair, so I don't have much perspective about when to stop. Many of the important women in my life never colored at all and went gray naturally. I think the most important factor is how _you_ feel about it.  Jaime on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947204 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 03:02:49 +0000 Jaime 1947204@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Congratulations on your decision and Happy Birthday! I honestly can't see the grey in the pictures but I predict great things. Completely unbiased opinion of course! DonnaF on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947201 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 02:18:58 +0000 DonnaF 1947201@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Also, happy birthday! I don't really see your gray/silver, but regardless your hair looks great. Glad you finally found *your* hair person. My guy is cutting down his days in preparation to retire, so eventually I will have to find someone else after 30+ years. Good to *see* you around again! MsMaven on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947184 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 00:08:38 +0000 MsMaven 1947184@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Looks gorgeous--what a happy grow out story. After coloring it for so many years it's hard to know what it will look like, and in my case it was scary, but I'm happy I finally let it go natural.  deb on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947183 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 00:08:29 +0000 deb 1947183@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your natural color is beautiful! cindysmith on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947181 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 00:03:17 +0000 cindysmith 1947181@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love it! I let mine go grey a number of years ago. Mine is silver like yours, and I actually get so many compliments on it, it's kind of surreal JAileen on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947170 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 22:58:57 +0000 JAileen 1947170@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Your hair looks gorgeous. I went grey five years ago. I used to volunteer at the food pantry at our senior center. Old men my father’s age would occasionally hit on me, thinking I looked young for my age. So be prepared for weirdness.. Mainelady on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947167 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 22:47:14 +0000 Mainelady 1947167@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Happy belated birthday and congratulations on your decision to go gray! I think the color of your hair and the cut are beautiful on you! I see no line of demarcation, so anticipate a nice smooth transition for you. I decided to go gray 14 months ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I had dyed my hair for 30 years and it was dark brown, so my stylist had a lot of work to do to help me transition to my natural hair color without looking like a skunk. She has done an amazing job. I still have a few inches to go before the length of my hair is all dye free. We add a few highlights to the dark patches underneath and apply toner, as needed, to keep my hair from looking too yellow. Jenni NZ on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947166 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 22:23:56 +0000 Jenni NZ 1947166@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Happy birthday Shiny! I come firmly down on the side of letting the colour grow out. But only from my experience. I agree that it is important to have our hair feeling like "us" and that is probably a big reason people keep dying their hair, self-perception. Yours is looking stunning! Your new stylist sounds like a sweetheart. I do agree with Anchie that you may be treated differently. I have embraced that on the whole, that I may look comparatively older than someone of my same age who does still dye. I am 57. It does hurt occasionally, but then I remember all the time, money and hassle I save, and box on :) Hope you embrace it. Maybe read Mainelady's posts about it? Joyce B on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947165 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 21:55:02 +0000 Joyce B 1947165@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You look fab in that hairstyle! Happy Birthday from me too. UmmLila (Lisa) on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947162 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 21:11:06 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1947162@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Looking good -- Happy Birthday!! Aquamarine on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray/page/2#post-1947154 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 20:13:36 +0000 Aquamarine 1947154@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nice to see you! I can’t really see grey, just a lightness on top. I think it will look so nice on you when it’s all white/grey, and probably not all that different from what you have now. I am a bit jealous since my hair is very dark, and I don’t think I could stand the grow out period. But I am mighty sick of coloring every 4 weeks, and still having to use color marker in between to hide the roots. Cardiff girl on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947148 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 19:38:19 +0000 Cardiff girl 1947148@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think that both the colour and cut look fabulous on you.l m sure that being a silver vixen will suit you perfectly! shiny on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947140 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 19:03:27 +0000 shiny 1947140@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Missed you all too -- I still lurk daily and always read the blog, no matter where we are. We have just been so busy lately with work /vacation and traveling, I haven't had time to do much else. NAS dragged me back to the forum and I had been following all those threads with keen interest. But we were away on the road for so long, I couldn't participate in the sale until really late. Came home from Minneapolis to find a pile of packages from Nordie's! Also, I'd just been so unhappy with my hair since we moved and the 2+ years I was trying to find a new hairdresser. When the hair is not quite right, I don't feel like myself, and I don't feel like taking WiW pics and posting them here. Angie on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947135 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 18:39:40 +0000 Angie 1947135@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Happy belated birthday, Jennifer. Your hair looks GREAT. And it's only going to look better and better as it greys completely. EXCITING. I'm loving this strategic hair decision.  Missed you around here. Lovely to see you pop by.  shiny on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947123 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 17:48:54 +0000 shiny 1947123@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, my new stylist recommended I use the Blue Malva to see if it tones down some of the yellow, especially now as it's growing out there's a two-tone effect going on from top to tips. I think our water in our new place is fine but I've been traveling so much, who-knows-what in hotel water may have yellowed my hair a bit. Not sure if it's that or how the coloring (more golden) has faded over time. Anyway, we used to have a huge bottle of the Blue Malva and my husband loved it and used it more often than I did! This was back years ago when I was dying my hair a lot more platinum, and when hubby first cut off all his dyed hair and went gray overnight. He started getting grays at a young age, in his 30s. When we met he was dying his hair himself-- sometimes brown, sometimes red. Then one day he had the hairdresser cut off all the dyed ends and came home with a short hair cut and it was all gray & white -- think George Clooney. It was such a shock initially, as he looked entirely different all of a sudden! But now I can see the temptation to do the same. A few more months, I could probably get a pixie cut and be done with it.  Suz on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947121 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 17:24:52 +0000 Suz 1947121@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Agreed -- it's much cheaper to go silver than gold! :)  My hair is blue-ish silver. With white (or lighter) highlights in the front around my face, just where we used to lighten the blonde streaks most. I was a natural dirty blonde. You may find that nature gives you all the highlights you need.  My brother and I both went completely grey within 6 to 8 months of our mother's death. We'd both been greying gradually before that, but it accelerated. His natural colour was lighter than mine and so is his grey.  I like that Kevin Murphy shampoo, too. It's soft and gentle and smells nice. I also use the conditioner.  I've also used Aveda Blue Malva, L'Oreal Serie Expert, and Clairol ShimmerLights. I like the Aveda and Kevin Murphy best. I don't use the violet toned ones more than once a week.  shiny on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947114 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 16:37:42 +0000 shiny 1947114@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, I love your hair! I am tempted to cut mine short again, and may do that when it's grown out enough that cutting the last bit of color makes sense to speed up the process.  Bonus of not dying and shampooing infrequently: I can afford more frequent hair cuts. shiny on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947113 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 16:34:33 +0000 shiny 1947113@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks all! Many asked what shampoo & conditioner I'm using: Kevin Murphy Angel Wash. The angel wash is for blondes. The brand makes other versions for different hair types. It is parabens, sulfates, and silicone free, and for me that was just the ticket. Prior, I'd tried to go no-poo and my hair just couldn't make it past 2 days without looking like a flat, messy, itchy, smelly grease pit. I'd also get that waxy feel too. But once I switched to this shampoo and used it for awhile, I discovered I could go longer and longer between washes without any problems. I can go about 5 days now. (Note I still rinse my hair every day -- in warm water in the shower). Which is great, because as I go more and more gray, my hair is drier and drier.  Joy, I also have scalp psoriasis. I've had it since my teens. In recent years it's been very stubborn and flaring often and long. But, it has completely cleared since switching to this shampoo. Of course, I may simply be in remission, and it's a coincidence. I just do have to wonder if I have all along had some sort of contact reaction to sulfates, parabens or silicones -- which I now steer clear of, I don't even use any other types of hair products. Do you use prescription Clobex shampoo for yours? That stuff works great for controlling flares, though I have not had to use it in awhile now.  Nina, there is definitely "silver" in there! And a lot of it. Silver in quotes as it is white, not gray. What my old stylist told me is that all gray hair comes in white. It's just that it reflects the colors around it. So if your hair is dark, the white hair will initially look more gray or even blue. This is what my husband has -- he started out looking gray-blue. It's still like that in the back, but in the front he's now pure white as there isn't any remaining brown hair to reflect.  KnittingGene, yes I am always envying stylish silver ladies! And have been just so tired of dying it all the time. I didn't know how to gracefully go natural -- but apparently it's easier than I imagined.  My impetus was hair envy: my SIL is a natural light blonde who's never dyed her hair at all. She's going silver naturally and it looks fantastic. So pretty. It occurred to me that maybe if I went natural my hair would do similar, though it's not quite as light as hers (I have a lot more dirty blonde tones as well as some strawberry blonde).  Anchie - I figure there will be prejudice (ageism) regardless of whether I dye or don't dye my hair. Also I feel fortunate I work for a company that truly values their older employees. That was not so, 5 years ago, when I worked for a company that as soon as you turned 55 you were offered a package -- whether you had gray hair or not. Linda & Janet, the plan is to grow it all out, then decide. It may be that I wind up putting in just a few highlights around my face. We shall see. The new stylist thinks I may not even need that. (Incidentally she has silver hair herself -- she's quite young, probably in her late 20s -- has it dyed that color on purpose. She says her mom is about my age and going through the same growing out process).  And yes, Janet, I know what you mean about it looking more drastic on darker color. Awhile back in pursuit of a new stylist my hair was dyed with lots of lowlights. It was annoying because as soon as it started growing out it looked like there was snow or dandruff all over my crown! That's when I switched to another stylist who dyed my hair way too light all over, which was okay as it blended right in with the whites and allowed me to go a long long time between cuts. I think what my old stylist did was brilliant in that she took the time to dye each lock of hair in similar tones to what it already was naturally -- hence why it's growing out so gracefully now.  Runcarla, yes if I pull a lock straight up you can see the demarcation line much more clearly. I think it's more than 2 inches but I haven't measured with a ruler. In this photo you can see it at the crown -- the lighter pieces are silver for a few inches then yellow down to the ends. Underneath in particular there are strands that haven't been colored at all, and some are dark blonde, and some are pure white. One of the pure white streaks is right at my forehead -- but you can't see it unless I pull my hair back.  Becky, yes I may have to tweak my color palette. Luckily I wear mostly cool tones anyway, and in recent years have increasingly adopted a fairly neutral color palette. Suz on "Going Gray!" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/going-gray#post-1947100 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 16:12:56 +0000 Suz 1947100@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Welcome to the club! Your hair looks terrific. I am obviously biased but I enjoy my grey. If you make it a style statement it becomes part of your look and distinctive.