Those Gray Hairs

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Those Gray Hairs

Does anyone have experience dying gray hair non-traditional colors? I have a pretty good collection of gray hair, and while I've never been interested in keeping up with a regular dye job, and I am considering adding in a fun color. I have maybe one-third gray hair at this point, so I'm curious what would happen if I added pink dye to my hair. Ideally it would dye the gray hair and my dark hair would be left more or less as it is.

I did a brief google, but I'm suspicious that people are so quick to hide their gray hair that they're not messing around like this. My hair started going gray in college, so that's a long time to commit to dying your hair!

Grey hair is usually very stubborn when it comes to taking on any colour (traditional or non-traditional colours).

You'll most likely have to leave the dye on for a longer time in order for the grey to suck it up. The colouring will also be much brighter and bolder than the rest of your hair, so if you're going with a bright colour like neon pink or something, be aware that you will literally end up with a bright in-your-face neon pink on all the grey hairs while the rest will be a much duller darker pink hue.

The hair dye will also fade out/wash out way way faster on the grey hairs than the rest of your hair because it doesn't hold the colour as good as your regular hair will. So within a week or two, the original colour could start to turn weird shades and hues ranging from a pale pink to orangey salmon to yellowy peach to none at all while your regular hair still has a pink tinge to it. It all depends on the hair dye product and its chemical make-up... and your own hair's reaction to it.

Non-traditional colours (pinks blues greens purples) are notorious for fading out into different hues than what you originally started out with. So keep that in mind.

It's also important to note that not all grey hair is created equal. Your greys may suck up that colour like nobody's business and you could end up with permanently pink hair that has to grow out (or dyed over top), or it could be the opposite and the colour fades out within a week or so (depending on how often you wash your hair). It's hard to say what might happen because everybody's greys are different and react differently to hair dye.

Mine is stubborn and fades out the dye super fast (which is more common of a problem with greys), but I have a girlfriend who's grey hair is the exact opposite and takes on colour like crazy to the point of over-the-top brightness, so she has to be very careful with the lightness/brightness and the under tones of the colours she chooses.

My advice to you would be to leave the dye in for just a really short period of time (much shorter than what the instructions say) for the first time, just to see how the grey reacts and how its going to take on the colour. The shorter the timeframe you leave the dye in, the lesser the colour will be and the faster it will fade/wash out. Once you've done a trial, you'll have a better idea of what the end result will be, then a week or so later you can dye your hair the proper way per the instructions on the box (or leave it in longer if necessary, depending on your trial results).

Or you could just go with one of those temporary dyes that wash out, but that would mean having to colour it again after every time you wash your hair.

But either way, I say go for it girlfriend ! It's only hair, if it turns out horrendous you can always dye over top of it or wait until it grows out and then chop it off.... but you might also end up with a head full of gorgeous pink shades that you absolutely fall in love with !

The only way to truly find out is to just take the leap.

Hair is the one thing we can always be whimsical and experimental and have fun with because it's never a permanent thing.

smiley

Thanks for all the tips Brenda! I'll let you know how it goes if I get motivated and give it a go.

Is it even possible to get permanent dye in unusual colors?

My hair began turning gray too at a young age...23! I always had straight hair and had just gotten the best perm of my life. I was so proud of it and went home to check out the back of it in the mirror--and to my horror, I had 50 million gray hairs, and they were now even more pronounced because of the curls. smiley

I too started turning grey at an young age ...after I had my first child....then I started dyeing it...for a long time until about 3 years ago...I stopped because I just got tired & fed up of retouching every couple of weeks!!!

My co-workers were shocked & I began to feel uncertain & nervous about my sudden bravado but I ploughed on, as my hubby was 100% supportive...& now, after 3 long years, I am being told its graceful & dignified by the very same people who gawked open-mouthed at the beginning!!!

But, like you, I too have thought of shading it here & there with a non-traditional colour...but I still have to pluck up the courage for that big a step!!!

@Chitra: I'm always pleased when women stop dying their hair because it makes it easier for me to not dye mine! It's hard to go gray when women 30 or 40 years older than you don't have gray hair. Also, your hair looks lovely.

@Sondra: My college roommate tried to pull out my gray hairs, but I was not into that smiley

smiley smiley Thanks for the compliment!

Interesting topic!

Although I am much older than you (61), Marisa, I too keep, always have, my gray (I rather like it, actually); however, I too have been toying with the idea of going with one of those unnatural colors. (Thank you Brenda for all the information). I haven't yet worked up the courage and, after talking with a hair stylist about it (I wanted the wine color) I'm now not sure what color to go with but I know it won't be wine because she said it has a base of orange and as it washes out, it will go through an orange phase (yuk for me).

Looking forward to seeing your future, colorful, selfies, Marisa. smiley

Well let me know how it goes Rose! I'll let you know if I ever take the plunge.

manic panic has non traditional colors that are semi-permanent. I've always liked them! I've only ever had neon pink hair as far as 'odd' colors go but I much enjoyed it! I started graying at 15-16 or so but I was also a natural blonde for a very long time so they weren't really noticeable until my hair started getting dishwater blonde/light brown around my early 20s. I don't dye my hair, I think far too much attention and anxiety are given to things like that but I did have fun having funky hair colors smiley I did partial bright blue and green for awhile (go seahawks!)
My grays took the manic panic dye without issue but I don't know if it matters that my grays are actually more silver/white than gray? Certainly check them out smiley

Manic Panic dyes are what my friend who is a magic mermaid uses, and they tend to give good colours which fade "well", from her pictures.

Good to know, Sylvan; however, I just have to ask, what is a magic mermaid?

Lol. Her hair has been purple, pink and teal for 90% of the 10 years I have known her! "Mermaid Hair" is a frequently used tag for that colour combination, "Galaxy Hair" is another one.

I think I need to keep an eye on this thread. I have a wish to have blue hair, but I've been a bit skeered off it by my hairdresser. I am not sure my hair is coming out grey, it seems more white. Also - it's not changing fast enough for my taste. Maybe I'm just weird.

I use a semi permanent glaze type color by Chi. My gray is probably only about 10% and mostly still the under layers of my very straight hair I hide it pretty well. So, my results with this may be different than the average. I typically go 3 months without even thinking of retouching my roots. I also didn't go anything too far away from my natural. Only about 1 shade and more to bring my shine and red highlights back so not like a regular cover up job. I told her when I started I only wanted something to bring the sheen back. My hair had become so dull and lackluster. I've noticed though after about halfway (6 weeks it isn't as red highlights per 'se). SHe also noted to me when I started about a year ago that a lot of ladies going gray didn't like it because the glaze wears off the gray fairly quickly. That doesn't bother me, maybe because I don't have as much yet, but I've always longed for the day my hair would be white/silver like my grams... but like someone else said... it's taken way too long. I started getting my first grays about my 43rd birthday... so 5 years in at 5-10% obviously changing very slowly. Although it is coming in very wryly and curly as all get out, so eventually as I have more it will be harder to hide. smiley

I also started to go gray early and now am very light headed!!! Its more of a silver gray tho near white just like my nanna had.... so I am pleased I always wanted her color hair.... I used to dye but the touch ups etc... well... had to go... I am a nanna and nannas have gray hair so I wear mine with pride smiley

I have indigo blue at the moment. I get it professionally done and maintain the richness of my color with Overtone conditioners.

^ I love the indigo blue Marcia!

In my late twenties I first noticed a few odd strands of silver but no more than 2-3 at a time so a very slow start which is fortunate. I don't dye my hair at all so when I do end up going grey I am hoping I can continue leaving it alone, I have brown hair so it would be pretty noticeable though.

I notice a lot of the women at my workplace have dyed their hair, usually blond, but you can tell from the roots that they have gone grey. I feel like lots of women have grey hair but they all hide it, whereas men just wear it.

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one starting to get grey hairs at a young age!

Thank you! For the record, I didn't dye my hair to get rid of the gray either. Only in the last few years have I gone to radical colors LOL.

@Marcia: I've been thinking to try those Overtone conditioners. Have you tried them without any other dyes?

I'm almost 50 and only have a couple of gray hairs. I got that luck from my mom. I'm not interested in a permanent dye, but has any one tried those new wipe in wash out colors? My DH is really conservative and I don't think he could handle it if I colored my hair, but if I did it while he was on a business trip, he wouldn't care.

I have. when I use them I don't isolate the color to just what I have died (way too much trouble) so it covers everything. For me what I use gives me a over all indigo cast and my blue is quite dark. I use both the intense and the regular. Once I tried purple. I got purple all over! I also sometimes use teal.

Now all this being said, what you get in terms of coverage of gray depends on your hair. In other words it would look same for everyone. My suggestion is to pick up a couple of samples and try a streak unless you go at it with abandon lol.

Did it wash out well? Without a hint of color? How long did it take to wash out if it didn't wash out in the first wash?

I really only have like 3-4 hairs of gray, so it's not for gray coverage, just because I've always wanted to dye my hair funky colors and been too scared to do so.

Since I die my hair blue I have never worried about washing it out. So I don't have those answers.

Being a brunette color will be different for you. My daughter uses the daily conditioner on her brown hair to keep it purple. I don't use it that often.

Marcia, I like that shade of blue. I am not daring enough to try a non-traditional colour but think they can look great. I am going grey and used to dye mine quite a bit but have given up for awhile as it was getting expensive and I just didn't have the time.

Overtone is temporary and they make browns and blacks