To be or not to be - gray

[softthings]

@ dogmama +1 to what mickchick said. as a hairstylist, we almost always will fix stuff like that for free. sometimes you just can predict how hair is going to hold on to a color. especially if you are going light to dark and especially on gray. gray is just a resistant hair texture sometimes. annoying lil buggers i tell ya. good luck!

[tctrek]

I just found a new colorist/stylist, too! Amazingly, she's right down the street and I had never paid attention to it. I've been coloring my own gray for years... I have long dark brown hair, but I'll bet that I'm actually about 50% gray. Then I broke my wrist (bike crash) and couldn't do the coloring myself, so in a panic I called this salon down the street and made an appointment.

They knew right away that I was coloring my own hair and started taking steps to condition it and even out the color. Wow, it's been only 3 visits and my hair looks completely different.. more natural, more shine and way healthier. I just had a Brazilian Keratin treatment done and it's amazing. My hair is super silky and straight instead of frizzy, even after I have it in a ponytail under a bike helmet! I'm in love with this salon.

I'm just not ready to go gray and I may never be ready. As long as my hair looks this good, I'm not going to think about it.

[softthings]

tctrek, which salon? i used to live in atlanta. and congrats on the fabulous new 'do!

[tctrek]

It's called Salon Greco. It's actually north of town in Suwanee.

[lph]

Reviving this thread! 'cos I am about to Go Grey.

No, I don't "feel" grey, at 41 (and I am grey, maybe 60-70%), but I'm ready to try not caring. I hate the yellow colour my dyed hair goes in summer. I don't like even thinking about that I should wear something over my hair in the sun. I'm pissed that men get to go grey and still look cool and sexy while women who are grey look "old". Sure, many women in their forties (and thirties) don't have grey hair, but then again, many women DO.
etcetcetc.

Anyway, I sort of have to try a new hairstyle since I'm cutting a fair bit off. Does anyone have any tips? Any good sites to browse through?

I have a longish face and dry curly hair that goes frizzy easily. So I'm a bit wary of cutting it too short. Any ideas or pointers? Haven't had a "hairstyle" since I was a teenager so I'm a bit out of it.

[GLC1968]

I'll be very curious to see what you think of being grey at 41!

As I think I posted, I tried it but ended up coloring again. I was grey for about 5 months I think. At the time, my self image was in the toilet, so being grey just made it worse. I often wonder how I'd feel about it now that I'm in a better place. I may try it again before my personal target at 50.

Anyway, when I did it, I let it grow out as much as I could (which might be easier for you being blonde) and then basically buzzed it off. I think it was an inch long or so and I had my stylist at the time try to make it look a little edgy with pieces around my face instead of just getting a buzz cut like my husband wears! I'm lucky that I have very thick hair so that I could wear a cut *that* short and still look polished. The photo I posted earlier in the thread was about 3 cuts after the initial one.

Searching for short, grey hairstyles online mostly got me images of Jamie Lee Curtis...but you might find one or two that would work for you.

Definitely post pics after you do it!!

[shootingstar]

I don't have your type of hair, lph so really I shouldn't give any suggestions on cut/style. Except whatever you choose, may the cut look elegant under whatever weather conditions and even after taking off your helmet.

I'm getting abit more grey strands but it's not obvious or much...considering the fact there has been some significant life-changing stresses in past 5 months. I think there's other aging factors I have to remember: it's more the fact the air in Alberta/the prairies is much drier so people might wrinkle...faster.. We get alot more sunny days than Vancouver. Way more than Toronto.

I'm more concerned about my skin vs. my hair colour..which the latter is still natural.