So I’m 33, and I’ve slowly been going grey for the past ten years. I was hoping that by now I’d have all-over grey or white or something a lot better than what actually happened. Which is, horribly obviously patchy grey all through my black hair. It doesn’t help that it’s falling out at a rapid rate at the same time.
So I want it to be uniform in colour. So what are my options?
I fear dying it is a bit extreme, sudden, and temporary. I seem to recall a product called Grecian 2000 that was meant to be subtle, or so the cheesy advertising seemed to suggest.
Does that stuff still exist? Did it work?
I know nothing about hair products. Seriously - not a thing. Please help.
You should shave your head and have it tattooed a brilliant jewel blue.
Barring that, many dyes are very easy to use. I’ve used Just for Men off and on on my beard for years, and I understand their standard dyes are also pretty good.
I’m not sure if Grecian has been reformulated or not, but in the old days my uncles used it and got very interesting and unnatural colors. It’s supposed to restore your natural haircolor, but they went from sandy blond to grey, used Grecian and then went to a kind of nicotine-stain blond that really looked worse than the grey.
Grecian Formula is the brand name, and it contains lead acetate and sulfur. The lead acetate both coats and is absorbed into the hair shaft. The sulfur coats the hair shaft. The lead acetate reacts with sulfur (both inside and outside the hair) to produce a dark black pigment. The color is permanent (until you hair either grows or falls out).
The FDA in the US has concluded that lead-based products like this are unlikely to be absorbed through the skin of the scalp (but no guarantees). There are big warnings about not using these products anywhere but the scalp, and about washing your hands after use.
The problem is usually that the Grecian Formula eventually leaves the hair a matte dark color. (It accumulates with each application.) Not a problem if your natural hair color is dark brown to black, but a big change otherwise. It’s the same color all over, and thus can look fake… there are no natural highlights. If you ever decide you want to use a different product (such as a standard hair dye), you’ll have to grow out the hair completely, because you can’t dye over the treated hair.
I wonder why there have to be special hair-coloring products for men? I’m sure the products for women can be way-better matched to your natural color. L’oreal makes some really great natural-looking colors.
Probably for low-maintenance. Not many men can be bothered with doing a lot of work on their hair - they want quick, simple, harmless, and okay-ish results.
Or at least, I do.
Looks like dyeing is on the winning side at this stage…
prof. stylists normally have really great solutions…maybe ask your hairdresser uhm excuse me barber what he or she thinks would work best with your hair since he/she knows your hairtype and all alot better than any of us do…that way you’d also find something that’s safer for your hair as well
I’ve been graying for some years, and have a skunk-stripe up the middle. What is wrong with accepting this as another card that aging has dealt into your hand?
As my Father has observed: “I’ll take hair-forget the color.”
As a joke for my 40th someone gave me some Grecian. I have been grey since my early 20s and it only has gotten worse.
Although I never cared about being grey, I decided “what the heck, lets find out what I would look like without the grey.” A full bottle did not change the color. A second bottle did nothing either. I checked and rechecked to be sure that I was doing everything properly, and as far as I can tell, I was…
Dunno, maybe I have some super-immune grey, but for me it just didn’t work…
I was going to suggest this, and see that MustangSpirit_WildnFree beat me to it. But it’s a good idea for a several reasons:
[list=1]
[li]Grey hair is notoriously resistant to dye[/li][li]You are new to the whole process[/li][li]A hair dresser will match your natural color better, if they are half-way competent. People with very dark hair often go “Elvis Black” which always looks fake. Even if your hair is truly black, a dark brunette shade will look more natural dyed.[/li][li]Your hair dresser can blend the gray better (s/he can see the top of your head), and make the transition from gray to no gray less obvious[/li][/list=1]
Do a little shopping though. Some places will charge you an arm and a leg. Here in the U.S., you can pay hundreds of dollars for some celebrity “colorist” or you can pay $40 at the place around the corner.
IAN a hairdresser, and this is all IMHO, of course.
