Monday, October 18, 2021

To dye or not to dye?

When Paige started school back in September of 2020 she was 4 1/2.  She came home one day and said to her mother, "where are the eyes in the back of my head?"  After a discussion it turned out her teacher had said she "had eyes in the back of her head."

Her mother told her that only grow up's had eyes in the back of their heads!!  Honestly these kindergarten teachers also need the patience of a saint, and have arms like an octopus.  It must be like herding cats trying to control 20 odd 4 & 5 year olds!!  Rather them than me.

Now why I bring this up, is I went to get my hair cut the other day.  After they have finished they hold up a mirror at the back of your head to make sure with how it looks at the back.  I got quite a shock when I saw how much grey hair I had at the back.  As I don't have eyes in the back of my head, I never see what's going on there, hence the Paige story.

Now back to the title of this post.  I normally dye my hair on a regular basis, as I am not fully grey yet.  For some reason I didn't do it after I got it cut in September.  As my hair is short, the dye will be fully out of my hair by the time it is cut twice more.  Maybe even the next time if I get a good chunk cut off.

So I am thinking of biting the bullet and not dying my hair and seeing what my "real" head of hair looks like?  I am just concerned that as it is not fully grey yet, I will look old, washed out and tired!!

For the more mature ladies out there, what age did you stop dying your hair?  Or do you just keep on colouring it?




19 comments:

Frugally challenged said...

I love my grey hair! I'm sill surprised when I look in the mirror and see how grey I am but I love the look. My skin is still quite good and I like the softness hat I see. No way would I want to dye!

Practical Parsimony said...

I am a mature 75 and I have not quit coloring my hair yet.

I subbed for a first grade class and it almost killed me. The office staff could see how tired I was and asked cautiously, "Would you want to do this again?" I said,"No." So, the next day they called me for kindergarten. I almost died. And, I realized why I prefer high school, why my degree and teaching certificate are for high school.

These kids lied to me all the time about what they were supposed to do!!!

Joy said...

I don't colour my hair at all - yes, it's going grey (silvery gray, I say!!) and I like it that way. Keeping it in good condition, nice and smooth and shiny, is what I like to do.
xx

Angela said...

I'm 66. I started dyeing my dark brown hair in my 40s when the odd grey hairs came through. By the start of the pandemic I was "box-dyeing" at home once every 10weeks or so. The last time was March 9th 2020, a few days before I caught covid (a month before my 65th birthday) . I decided to stop. I have not dyed it since. As I usually bought the dye on bogof or 3 for 2 offers, I gave away the spares so my resolve would not weaken. My hair is now about 15% grey. My daughter gave my a bottle of purple shampoo which allegedly makes the grey less yellow. I'm quite happy with the change, and concentrating on the condition. Now I've stopped dyeing it feels healthier and softer. What's really weird is that on Zoom calls it still looks dark brown! I'm glad I did it. And saving £30 a year.

Karen said...

Fifteen years ago I embraced my grey. The thought of putting yet another chemical on my body made me quit.

My Piece of Earth said...

Years ago a friend suggested I dye my hair, so I did. It turned orange... because I had a perm in my hair.......never again will I do that.
I am almost 80 years old, no more perms, and have not had a colour since that terrible episode
My hair is grey with some of the original brown, short and straight, I like it that way, and it also feels healthier.

maureenlthompson said...

I had my youngest son at 42 and I was already going grey. I kept it dyed until he left school at 18 so he wouldn't be teased for having an older Mum. I was 60. Haven't dyed it since and I am very grey, almost white on top but my husband and I like it just fine

Mary Ellen said...

My Grandmother died at 93 and still had dark brown hair - really weird -but then my Mom died at 96 and had very dark brown hair with little gray in it - I, at 74, was following in their footsteps - dark brown hair and only a slight hint of gray - lucky me. BUT then I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and after chemo had no hair - now a year later my hair has grown back in a steel gray with lighter silver here and there. I go back and forth - dye - don't dye - put in silver highlights - can't decide - I don't hate the gray and so many people love it - but it is a very dark steel gray - not salt and pepper. It can take two years after chemo before your hair returns to it's natural self or not. So I'll live with my gray hair a while longer - thinking about it - and really being happy I have hair. I was without hair for a year - that in itself was depressing - decisions decisions - some women look great with gray hair and some older women who dye their hair look like old women who die their hair - and so on...

Jackie McGuinness said...

I am still dying my hair (and a good few years older than you). I wear my hair probably a little shorter than yours. I only have grey/white hair at the front sides.

angela said...

I stopped dyeing my hair many many years ago. Before I started going grey
And yes now I have grey hair and my natural colour. Slowly the grey is becoming more and more noticeable
I don’t care. I really don’t.
During the many many lockdowns the only issue I have is the split ends I have that need a definite trim
Other than that I’ve not worried bout hairdressers.
Let the grey show I say. It proves we have survived everything life has thrown at us and we are still here

Donna said...

I have never dyed my hair .. it has gone from being blonde to arctic blonde. The grandbabies called it "silber" as it started changing colour some years ago. I don't think it was ever a fashion statement .. more that I like wash and go hair .. no time to mess with it. :)

Jackie said...

I have never dyed my hair, and my stylist won't even think of doing so. She says my "Arctic Blonde" looks like highlights. I am not completely grey either.

God bless.

T'pol said...

I decided to go gray this year. I am 54 and have very few gray strands at the back but, my temples are all gray as if done on purpose. I think it looks kinda cool.

Linda said...

Have never dyed my hair, can not see the sense in it as roots start to show fairly quickly and that isn't natural.

Margie said...

I've never coloured my hair--mainly due to laziness--and started getting grey hair about 10 years ago? The grey hair seems to cluster at the front, so eventually I'll fulfil my Cruella De Vil dream. LOL.

Margie said...

P.S. I heard that the some of the younger generation (20s or younger) actually dye their hair grey/silver because it's a cool trend in 2020/2021...

William Kendall said...

Since I shave my head every other day, I don't notice grey, aside from some in my beard, which started going that way after a very stressful time in my life.

Maggie said...

I asked my hairdresser the question about letting the grey do it's thing a while ago and her answer was grey is aging, whatever the shade of grey. It's personal choice i suppose, I will be 60 in December and don't consider myself old enough to go grey yet.

Rose said...

I am laughing with tears in my eyes from the Eyes in the Back of Head story....as for teachers. Some people are just born to be teachers. And school bus drivers, too for that matter. I am not one of them...my girls had some of the best teachers. But this one...you never heard her raise her voice...never saw her even look stern. But her kids were the best behaved kids in school. One of my daughters had her and just loved her.

{{{SIGH}}}

Tuesday was a mixed bag type of day. Had the appliance repair guy come again to install another circuit board in the fridge.  When hubby got...