# Questions about letting your gray hair grow out **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511 "2016-06-16T12:21:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/21 "2016-06-16T17:37:12Z")
I spent a few years dying my hair blonde, and then a few years highlighting it, and then a few years reminding it that it was strawberry blonde, and then a couple of flat-out dying it red. In 2008 I said the hell with it. I don’t like spending two hours at the salon; I don’t like doing it myself because it’s messy and I’m not good at it. So I went to the salon and said, “I’m going to grow my hair out and never dye it again, and I don’t particularly want roots, what can you do?” Stylist recommended highlights, lowlights, varying shades, and commenced, and three hours (and $200) later I walked out of the salon with the idea to just let it grow out. Expensive, but worth it, as it looked good then and has not looked bad ever since. Surprisingly, my hair was not that gray. It grew out pretty well. She gave me kind of a skunk look which looked intentional, and that carried me through the next year and people said my hair looked great. I also pretty much stopped cutting it except for a trim a couple of times a year. So now it’s all natural and waist length, and there is gray, more noticeable when I wear it up, but really, less gray than I thought there would be.\* I did always have a natural blonde streak, which I guess now is a gray streak, but with the rest of my hair it still reads as blonde, pretty much. Depends on the light. **Amateur Barbarian** , yes, there are gray dyes, and there have always been gray dyes. The really surprising thing (to me) is that younger people are dying their hair gray or highlighting with gray. At first I assumed it was a misstep with the purple dye (happened to me, a long time ago), but I think it’s intentional. \*It was about chin length when I did this. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/22 "2016-06-16T17:51:13Z")
What **MoonMoon** said. If you want to continue covering the grey but without hassle, try the Jon Frieda shampoo/conditioner for brunettes. A friend of mine used that until the permanent stuff was out of her hair. As someone who was a redhead for most of her life, when the white staged a hostile takeover, I started using Jon Frieda Sheer Blonde conditioner. It lightened the remaining red enough to be good camo for the white without drying my hair out. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/23 "2016-06-16T17:52:08Z")
I pull the gray ones out one at a time, with Swiss Army Knife tweezers. Can’t really recommend this regime. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/24 "2016-06-16T18:21:55Z")
Thanks all; these are really good suggestions (except the one about shaving my head. Really, **Little\_Pig** , what are you _like_? 😉 ) It just so happens I have a hair appt this weekend, though only for a trim. I’ll ask the stylist what he thinks, though I’m pretty sure he’ll suggest some costly, three part color job. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/25 "2016-06-16T23:17:04Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The last time a person in my life looked into it, there were no “gray dyes.” Do they exist now? Gurl! Where you been? It’s a trend at least a few years old now. I think it looks fabulous, but I’m afraid I’m terrible at upkeep, and don’t have enough grey yet to make the switch to au naturel. Google image search for grey dyed hair. Some really gorgeous stuff here: [grey dyed hair - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=grey+dyed+hair&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6mKfG1q3NAhUG2GMKHXMQCb8Q_AUIBigB) ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/26 "2016-06-16T23:54:03Z")
Do you dye at home or at a salon? The recommendation I’ve always heard is to start going with a lighter shade of your color as you age. So whether you go for permanent or semi-permanent dyes, perhaps start dialing your chosen color lighter with each subsequent touch-up. This may be easier to achieve at a salon. As a side benefit, you could start gradually rocking a cool reverse ombre style while your hair grows out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Why\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b782af/32.png) [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/27 "2016-06-17T00:22:38Z")
Did a little hunting online, and found this. I’d recommend a little more research before trying it, but “Ammonia and bleach free” sounds less damaging than anything else I saw. People are fairly picky about their hair, so 4 out of 5 stars is probably the best you’ll get without paying a lot at a salon. YMMV. > [@](#): > > Gently removes permanent hair color > Safe and easy > Ammonia free and bleach free > Recolor the same day. > 4 out of 5 stars. [http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/color-oops-extra-strength-hair-color-remover/ID=prod2180463-product](http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/color-oops-extra-strength-hair-color-remover/ID=prod2180463-product) **WOOKINPANUB,** if you don’t know how much grey is even in there, let it go a month or three before you do anything to it. ('Til you _have to_ do something.) Maybe you have that streak, just wiry. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. If nothing else, you’ll have more of the natural variations you are going to grow into to help your stylist make a plan! 🙂 (And be brave. As long as you are happy with you…Who gives a shit?!) As for myself, my hair is still mostly brown with reddish tints, but there is a fair amount of gray. When the first 10 or so (of many,) showed up above my left eyebrow, (I have a streak. Not as clearly defined as the Mallen streak, but it’s a streak…) one of my friends informed me, “You’d better cover that before everyone notices it!” … “Who gives a shit?!” popped out of my mouth before I even knew it was in there. :eek: :smack: Fifteen years later, and I’ve been dying it once a year for three years. (Medium reddish brown.) I always liked more red in my hair, and I thought I’d better do it before it’s all grey/white and I’m one of the little old ladies with the “oh so red” hair. (You know the ones.) My roots grow in, it’s noticeable, and I don’t care. As long as I can pull the ponytail to the side and still see red, I’m good. If any of my friends has the nerve to say anything, I pull around the ponytail, look, and declare it good. If they then say “the roots…” I say, “Oh, I only see that when I look in the mirror.” If they continue to push it, I explain, “I didn’t do it _for you_!” :rolleyes: I’m not trying to cover the grey, you see. I’m adding red. The grey is resistant to color, and it washes out first. And that’s when I like it the best. 😃 Anything but mouse-brown hair. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/28 "2016-06-17T00:25:11Z")
Mrs. SMV has been dyeing her medium brown hair (as far as I can tell; I’ve never seen her natural color) red, for years. But her hairdresser wasn’t the most skilled, so her grey was noticeable when her roots started growing out. Recently, though, she went to a different hairdresser who did a fantastic job, using more than one shade of red. She also added some blonde highlights, which really set off the red. More to your purpose, they also shade and blend with the grey, so that now that her roots are starting to show, the grey is much more subtle. Now, my lovely wife is fair-skinned, freckled, and looks like a natural redhead, so what works for her may not work for you. But blonde highlights may be something to think about. ---
**Author:** ![BundleOfStix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BundleOfStix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BundleOfStix)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/29 "2016-06-17T00:46:35Z")
I got tired of timing the color jobs: “I need it now, but don’t have time. I’ll wait one more week to make it last longer.” Etc. etc. so I got a short cut and gutted it out. My hair grows pretty fast, so it wasn’t too bad. I did time it a bit so I didn’t have any major client visits or trading events in that first month. I nearly succumbed once or twice, but I made it, and am so glad I did. It looks great and random people come up to me and compliment it. I learned just today that you now can dye your hair gray; my stylist said it is expensive and takes a long time to do it. Be brave and go natural! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/30 "2016-06-17T00:55:09Z")
I started growing out my grey about three years ago. I like it. It is a different texture from the brunette, but it’s like that whether it’s colored or not. Wiry and curly compared to the rest. So maybe some people think it looks crazy, but I like it and get compliments on it. Sometimes someone will try to pick the glitter out. There isn’t any. I did it by dying it with permanent color back to same brunette as natural. From there I let the roots grow out a bit so I could be sure it was dyed the correct natural color, as what I thought it was after 25 years of coloring it every other color, I wasn’t sure how dark my brown was. Once I was sure I was close, I switched to the semi-perm I think I used that three times and then just let it go. My grays are resistant to color, so the semi-perm just did a light brown tint on the grays, and they shed the color faster then the rest of the brunette. I have a Tapatalk account, I’ll see if I can post a pic from my phone. I have no idea what percentage to call how much gray there is. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/31 "2016-06-17T01:11:56Z")
I don’t color my hair specifically to hide the grey. I color it because it’s a boring, dull mousy brown and I prefer red. I’ve been red or mostly red of some shade nearly my whole adult life. As I get older, people assume I am coloring to cover the grey. I wouldn’t mind my grey hairs showing if the rest of my hair could stay red. Not sure how I could go about doing that though. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/32 "2016-06-17T01:23:06Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I’ve never dyed my hair (which is now almost all grey.) > I like to think it makes me look distinguished. 🆒 I decided when I saw my first grey hair around age 32 that I would never dye so I would not face this dilemma. It’s about 1/5 grey, and definitely at the point most women would start dying, and I’m really glad I don’t. I would be a lot of hassle, because I don’t even cut it right now, so dying would be another thing to add to my life I don’t have time for. However, I have one weird grey hair that grows straight up. I have no idea why. I pluck that one. I have curly, sort of unruly hair, but it’s still noticeable once it gets to be about four inches. I think it’s more noticeable because it’s grey, but I swear it wasn’t there when I was all brunette-- or at least it didn’t grow straight. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/33 "2016-06-17T01:39:20Z")
I had a white streak by high school, real Lily Munster hair. Not gray but pure snow white, with the rest of it dark brown. I wore it that way for years but now I color it a light to medium brown that brings up a lot of red in the mix. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/34 "2016-06-17T07:13:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Sadly, quite a lot. It’s not evenly spread through my hair. The stuff in the front is much grayer than the parts in the back – especially around the neckline, I still have a lot of my original color. I’m sure I would look better, or at least, younger, if I dyed it, but for a variety of reasons that I don’t want to unpack right now, I won’t be doing that. Me too. I’ve played with the idea of dyeing mine, but when I see the amount of upkeep it takes, I’m like, nah. The last time I got my hair cut the stylist remarked that she honestly thought I’d had highlights when she first saw me. I was taken aback. She replied, “Seriously, your gray is such that it does look like highlights from a distance. Revel in that!” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/35 "2016-06-17T13:04:20Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I had a white streak by high school, real Lily Munster hair. Not gray but pure snow white, with the rest of it dark brown. I wore it that way for years but now I color it a light to medium brown that brings up a lot of red in the mix. Lucky! **Why Child** , that’s pretty good advice; but can I swallow my vanity and let my freaky grays fly? :o We’ll see . . . Sounds like a lot of you know about hair. Can someone tell me if warm highlights can be toned down or dyed to a cooler shade? I think if mine were more on the ash side the gray would blend better. I don’t want to go so far as to bleach and recolor them (yet anyway) but maybe just start changing the color scheme of my hair. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/36 "2016-06-17T14:50:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The last time a person in my life looked into it, there were no “gray dyes.” Do they exist now? Oh, yes - I was startled the first time I saw it on my 20-something co-workers. Apparently the young ones are adding grey as a fashion statement these days even as the older folks keep trying to hide it. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/37 "2016-06-17T15:11:12Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Lucky! > > **Why Child** , that’s pretty good advice; but can I swallow my vanity and let my freaky grays fly? :o We’ll see . . . > > Sounds like a lot of you know about hair. Can someone tell me if warm highlights can be toned down or dyed to a cooler shade? I think if mine were more on the ash side the gray would blend better. I don’t want to go so far as to bleach and recolor them (yet anyway) but maybe just start changing the color scheme of my hair. Yes, you can go to the salon and ask for them to be toned. You can also try violet shampoo and conditioner (there are lots of brands - go to [Ulta.com](http://Ulta.com) or amazon and search), but your results may vary from dramatic to “maaaybe I can see a difference?” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/38 "2016-06-17T15:54:27Z")
Finally got tapatalk working. I’ll see if a couple pics will post. Lighting is overhead fluorescent and an led desk lamp - [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/871dae40e57fe855e145a74656d4f9c9.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/871dae40e57fe855e145a74656d4f9c9.jpg) And before I had 8 inches cut off, grumpy in full sunlight - [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/75eaa8c63a13d008f1557ebf1061b73f.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/75eaa8c63a13d008f1557ebf1061b73f.jpg) It looks greyer at some times more than others. Haven’t figured out how that happens. I notice it more in pictures than I see in the mirror. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/39 "2016-06-17T15:58:35Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I had a white streak by high school, real Lily Munster hair. Not gray but pure snow white, with the rest of it dark brown. How YOU doin’? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511/40 "2016-06-17T16:54:06Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Finally got tapatalk working. I’ll see if a couple pics will post. > > Lighting is overhead fluorescent and an led desk lamp - > > [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/871dae40e57fe855e145a74656d4f9c9.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/871dae40e57fe855e145a74656d4f9c9.jpg) > > And before I had 8 inches cut off, grumpy in full sunlight - > > [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/75eaa8c63a13d008f1557ebf1061b73f.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160617/75eaa8c63a13d008f1557ebf1061b73f.jpg) > > It looks greyer at some times more than others. Haven’t figured out how that happens. I notice it more in pictures than I see in the mirror. Pretty! That’s what I’m talking about; when the gray is nice and even plays nicely with the other hair. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-letting-your-gray-hair-grow-out/757511.md?page=3)