Off-Topic For those that color your hair...

[videofit]

Mother Nature isn't always right. Some women look great while others look washed out and tired.

Had two friends -- one, Irish born with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, dyed it dark brunette. With her pale, pink-toned complexion, she looked like Snow White.

The other was a natural brunette whose hair was turning gray. She dyed it strawberry blonde. With her blue eyes and freckles she looked like she was born that way.

[videofit]

Now someone needs to tell men to stop dyeing their hair. Does Just For Men have a Shoe Polish line? Boot Black, Saddle Brown and Maroon Red seem to be favorites among the deluded older generation.

[upperwside]

Try a hair colour app. Upload your picture and try on a few shades! Also, if you let your roots grow out a bit and pull your hair back, you can get an idea of your natural grey pattern and shade, see how it looks with your skin tone. If you are ok with it, you can have your stylist (using Olaplex is A MUST).. you can have your hair lightened, and re introduce your natural colour.

[Aunt Famous]

i once read that "encourage" means "to give courage to." Your kind words encourage me to keep writing. (Plus, it's cheaper than therapy, especially with my crummy health insurance.)

Now back to important things, like hair!

AF

Check out my blog at www.typeALC.com

[kathym]

I color my hair at home as I know which colors work for me so the outcome is consistent. My hair is a bit coarse so the color kind of calms it down. I use matrix color that does not include ammonia.

[GeekyGirl]

I'm 42 and have a good bit of gray, mostly in front. My natural color is brown (medium brown, I think...) and I've been coloring it since I was in high school. I switched to all henna/indigo about 5 years ago. I colored it a soft black with the henna/indigo mixture and liked it but decided to soften it a bit to a dark brown. I've thought growing out the gray and actually did let it go for two months earlier this year, just to see how it looks. I thought it would look weird if I kept growing it out, with most of the gray in front and on top, so I touched up the regrowth. Then the next weekend I saw a lady at the farmer's market with gray in the front and on top and dark hair elsewhere, and her hair looked great! So now I'm back to trying to decide what to do lol. I got married in March and did the test grow-out after the wedding, and my husband said he thinks the gray is pretty!

[Malinda]

I was a "redhead" for 30+ years. Last year, I decided to stop the coloring. I tried temp color for a few months, but wasn't happy with the results. Last May, I went to a colorist, and she did a bayalage of a sandy blonde. I was shocked & unhappy at first, but a year later, I love it. I have super curly hair that only looks good when it's long, so cutting it is not an option. I feel with this option, I can grow it out for many years. I am very happy now.

I spent $350 with tip and it was totally worth it!

[Swissmom]

I tried to grow out my hair several years ago and it was an ugly, patchy, wirey, mouse gray color. If it was a nice looking gray or silver I would have continued growing it out. So I think I will keep coloring it for a long time to come. Plus, coloring my hair makes it thicker and more manageable.

[Michelle]

Originally Posted by videofit

Now someone needs to tell men to stop dyeing their hair. Does Just For Men have a Shoe Polish line? Boot Black, Saddle Brown and Maroon Red seem to be favorites among the deluded older generation.

Omg this made me laugh!

[DawnP]

I highlighted my dark blonde/light brown hair and tried to tone down the brassiness for 30 years. Mostly I did it myself, due to the inconvenience of my job hours. I have shoulder-length wavy hair.

Then when I was menopausing I started taking notice of my older sister's natural hair color. She has always been auburn and she now had silver strands that looked like amazing highlights. Natural and light.

So I stopped dying my hair and grew it out. It was painful for awhile, I did frequent trims. I also pulled it into a ponytail or use barettes to pull it back and reveal more of the natural under-colors, which helped. It also helped that the tips looked lighter and blonder and it was kind of "ombre" which is now super-stylish.

My hair is now about 80% light brown & the rest is silvery highlights. I turn 56 next month.

It's such a relief to be constantly battling the brassiness (covering my hair in the sun & at the beach, using toners & anti-brassiness shampoos & conditioners).

Now i wash and blow-dry and save my money!

Last month my daughter finished growing out the highlights she's had in her long hair and when the stylist cut off everything except the bottom 2" of light blond hair, everyone was convinced that she had dyed the top 10" dark brown and bleached the tips - it was very dramatic. But on a 20-something, it looks fabulous and very fashionable.