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Hi. I did check the archives to see if there was any advice or even a personal oppinion regarding this topic, but I might just not have been able to find it.
Im starting to go silver. Now my hair is rather dark, and it's getting noticeable. Pretty much in my beard as well.
Now I am certainly not to worried in the least, but I sort of would like to know people oppinions of colouring hair as other gents and ladies who noticed it suggested that I think about it.
So your thoughts please, and if I do decide to do it, does anyone know of a safe, natural and preferably green product that could work.
It happens to alot of us and I say welcome to my world. I've been going grey since I was 18 and having my hair go grey does not bother me and it's alot more tougher. However if you are asking about covering it, perhaps some of our other members would like to chip in.
Happy to part of the silver club.
Cheers,
John.B
Hmmm. Never thought of it in that sense of things. Just some women I work with (By the way my work is cool with long hair) all colour their hair to hide grey hair. They said it makes me look a bit older.
It's all in the back though...so it's coming in in strange ways.
My wife used to colour her hair - getting progressively more red as the years went on. The one day I asked her - "who are you lying to?" and she stopped. She won't admit that it was my comment that stopped her though.
And - if I do say so myself - her hair looks much nicer with lots of grey sprinkled in it than it ever did coloured.
Oh - and mine is pretty grey too. I have a grey patch on my temples that when I tie my hair back, I call my "brain racing stripes" - usually to a chorus of groans about the bad joke.
AndrewB
Thanks Andrew. Right now I dont even care about the grey anymore. Im more concerned with how freaking hot it is here in Toronto. I wore a baseball cap and I think Im cooking.
My hair is thick, so it's very hot at the moment. *Steaming*
Perhaps the silver might deflect some of the sun. White after all is better than dark to keep a man cool.
Small world - I'm in Toronto too (today) - visiting corporate head office with my hair in a bun and a flashy tie on. I went out to lunch and the bald guys had to sunscreen their heads :-D
AndrewB
Welcome to the city. Hopefully you will get to enjoy the weather and the sights and it wont just be work for you.
Why so scared of getting silver hair? I think long silver or white hair look good,so why bother dying it? Go ahead and no worries. :)
Do nothing a all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going grey gracefully, whatever your age.
That's my feelings, anyway....
I have to agree with you there Jim. Still I don't see many in your hair.
Cheers,
John.B
Don't have that many yet, although my wife enjoys giving me grief over the ones I do have (she's a bit older, and doesn't have any yet). The ones on my head are scattered about, so they tend to blend in pretty well unless you look closely. They're a bit more prevalent in my beard, including a couple of large patches on my chin.
But like I said, as long as they're still growing, from scalp or chin, I'm a happy guy.
My wife is 8-9 years younger than me and gives me grief about grey hairs. As long as it is attached I can always colour it, although I only use natural dyes like henna, etc., so I agree I am doing fine as long as it stays on my head.
Silver has been the hottest hair color for men for the last several years. If you look around at billboards and print advertising, there are loads of young men with silver hair. Just think of yourself as Celeborn or Inuyasha.
As to coloring your hair, do you want a monkey on your back? With long hair you usually have a part, and if you have a part, you have to touch it up constantly.
Well...that sells it to me right there. I dun think I want to have to do that all the time.
Or as the old saying goes "get you roots done dear"!
To active for that nonsense. Would not have enough time. :)
Im starting to go silver. Now my hair is rather dark, and it's getting noticeable. Pretty much in my beard as well. . . .
and if I do decide to do it, does anyone know of a safe, natural and preferably green product that could work.
I believe silver or grey in your hair is much preferable to green.
Natural silver, gray, salt & pepper or white highlights or streaks at any age add interest and depth to long hair. Let it go natural !! In time you could be the new "White Tail".
WWT (Walter White Tail)
I don't really disagree with the replies below that it's fine to have grey, silver or white in your hair, but since you asked about a safe, natural and preferably green product, I suggest henna.
I've used it and it works really well, enhancing the gloss as well as the color of the hair. I wouldn't bother with the boxed stuff from health food stores. 100% body-art quality henna is the way to go.
With dark hair, you would most probably see a little bit of red in your hair in bright sunlight, with the grey strands being a more noticeable red. On some people, it's a very flattering look. You could also mix in some indigo for a browner tint.
Beware, though, you WILL get some red, and henna is PERMANENT (i.e. don't count on it fading away over time.)
If you change your mind and decide to give it a try, there's loads of information at the Henna for Hair website.
Henna for Hair
I think everyone covered this quite well. My only thought is if you were to colour your hair then later decide you want to stop as it grows out you have two colours and it looks well you know.
Short haired guys it's easy as they just buzz it off when they want to change colours. When your a longhair it's a bit more involved. Or you could buzz it off also but if you post about that then we tend to frown a bit. We see too many "I cut my hair but am regrowing" posts for our tastes.
Kevin
LOL, well, at least we haven't seen any "I cut my hair but glued it back on" posts yet (lol)!!
Now THAT's a pic I'd like to see!
Paul
Coloring hair requires maintenance, such as touch-ups as the roots grow in, and if using a semi-permanent color, a gradual fading of color. Permanent dies are the most damaging, as they use harsh chemicals such as peroxides. Semi-permanent hair colors are low or no peroxide formulas. Following hair coloring, you need to avoid shamopooing to allow the clor to set in the hair. Then you should heavy condition weekly, with a conditioner meant to smooth down and restore the hair scales, which often can get damaged. Also, timimg the cloring session to the shortest time possible will reduce the possibility of long-term damage. The darker the shade, the longer the processing time. And the shade you pick should be as close to your natural shade (No more than two shades difference), because the processing time is shortest. The least time your hair is exposed to the peroxides and other chemicals, the better. Are you sure you are ready for all the above?
As Chris mmentioned below, henna is an option, and if you use indigo henna, you will have auburn instead of silver. Here is an oldie that is still available, Roux Fanciful Rinse. It is a temorary wash out color that shampoos out. It is peroxide free, does not damage the hair cuticle, like peroxide does. There are other temporary color rinses out there, I recommend you try one of those.
I use a low-peroxide highlighter, which highlights two shades lighter than my natural color. I also use a leave-in conditioner (Such as Redken Hair Butter) after every shampoo/condition. I don't have the problems with brittleness and breakage that many women who color have. Hair is now at mid-back length, and I let my roots grow in over 3 to 4 months, before I highlight again. I am experienced with my hair, don't blow-fry or flat-iron or heat set it.
Finally, you could just go grey naturally, and leave it at that. I am gradually going white, and when my hair gets more progressively white, I will stop highlighting, as the white will provide it's own highlights in my otherwise dark blonde hair. As for those ladies who religiously color their hair, wonder how many have hair past their shoulders? And who forgo haircuts in order to have long hair? Many keep shorter do's, so they are always trimming away the damage from coloring anyway. Silver makes you look distinguished and knowledgable. It doesn't always mean aged. Look at celebrity lawyer Ron Kuby. Ron is 52, has silver locks and beard, and I dare anyone to say he looks "old". With the long hair, he actually looks younger than his peers. See pic in this post and judge for yourself.
Roux Fanciful Rinse
I agree. I came to the conclusion that I was not ever going to get on the "coloring the gray" bandwagon. It bothered me a little at first that I was getting more and more white in my beard and more and more white hair. But I have come to like it. If I look older, then so be it. The idea that white or gray hair somehow should be covered up is just a symptom of the youth-oriented culture that promotes "ageism." I don't really want to look like a teenager -- I've been there and done that and had enough of it a long time ago. Just the same as there is nothing wrong with having a beard and looking like a man should, having white hair hair and looking like a mature person is perfectly fine, and it is only societal biases that tell us otherwise.
MB
Thanks for the overwhelming support and it seems that natural is the way to go. Henna is an option, but I really do think that it's better to let it go.
Im sold. You all convinced me that natural is the best option. And easier on the good o'l budget as well.
Thanks
D
I recently saw a couple of ladies whose hair was "going white" and they both looked great. One had gorgeous mid-back length hair and I wanted to compliment her, but I didn't have the chance.
The other had a shorter style, sort of like a longish pageboy. I did talk with her, and she surprised me by mentioning that she trimmed her hair herself. It looked stunning. She also mentioned that her husband's hair was a little longer than mine -- another person supportive of long hair for men!
Yes, I know it is sexist, but that's my preference.
Nate
I've heard the phrase that on younger men "if it grays it stays" meaning that premature silvering on young men can mean they experience little or no male pattern baldness later. If that's so, consider yourself very lucky!
Has anyone else heard this?
Plus, long silver hair can be gorgeous on a young man in my opinion.
I've never heard that before, but I guess it could be true. My brother found 3 grey hairs on my head when I was 8 and have always had a few, but I'm not greying by any means. (well, my facial hair is, but not much on the rest of my head) But I'm not a victim of MPB either.
Daniel
Personally I think that is a damn cool look!
Far too many grays heads cover it up. I see gray hair as distinguished.
Paul
Hi Doughboy,
My thoughts on colouring hair is to only use organic henna or if you must use the more friendly semi-permanent hair dye and not the permanent ones which from what I've learnt is more harmful to your hair.
My own hair is noticeably silver on the temples and around the ear areas and I am going to embrace it. Ironically enough since growing my hair out the top part of my hair on my head still being it's original colour actually hids the grey on the temples underneath very well. It all depends on the area where the grey is more prominent I guess.
I have never tried to dye my hair any other colour and it would be a hassle to constantly having to touch up your hair with dye every month to keep the silver at bay.
Silver hair in my opinion doesn't necessarily make someone look older. I find women who don't try to hid their silver actually more sexy, and I have actually since some people still in their teens with some silver hair and it didn't detract at all from their appearance.
If you do go down that path just make sure you try to blend the colour naturally if you can, it actually looks pathetic if it's too obvious.
Good luck with what you decide. Just my 2 cents worth.
Duncan
I really appreciate your 2 cents and everyone elses. I have never coloured my hair before. All of the gents I work with do colour their hair though so, it's quite a common practice in my field of work. Many are obsessed with youth or what they percieve as youthful appearence.
Im just gonna let it do what it wants to do.
For instance, right now, it's gone completely crazy...