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Grey matter

Kate Mahon
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Photography: David Gubert/Styling: Julie Russell
Photography: David Gubert/Styling: Julie Russell
Going grey is always an issue up for debate on whether it can look chic and elegant, or conversely is overtly ageing.


According to stylist to the stars, Diva Poulos, “Very few women can wear grey hair well. Similarly to how a young woman can wear no make-up and look fresh-faced, yet older women need to wear more colour, the same concept applies for hair colour. Women need colour to lift older, duller skin tones.”

George Giavis concurs, "As a colourist, I’m not a big fan of grey hair, but I loved Meryl Streep’s hair in The Devil Wears Prada. Yet you need to be very confident to wear grey hair well."

Your say: How do you wear your hair? What are you favourite colours? Tell us below...


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User comments
Due to genes I started going grey in my late teens. I would always dye my hair until my scalp had had enough and I had allergic reactions.At the moment I get 2 different coloured foils, using my grey hair as the base.I find that a caramel and darkish blond mixes well with the grey and the tide mark is not so noticeable. I am 60 yo now and haven't had foils put in for a long time, so I am going to have a short cut and hope it looks good. I may be old but I still want to look good.If it doesn't look ok, Back to the foils for a few more years!
Hi ladies I started going grey at the lovely age of 10. Ever since the age of 13 i have been dying my hair and to tell you the truth i do it myself now as im such an expert at it. I would like to stop dying it as the colours look really false. I have had to change my hair to blonde now which looks more like yellow, not pretty at all. I feel that i need to still dye it as im only 25 and dont want to look older then i already do. I think it plays with your mind and effects all confidence as well. If there was a permanent fix i would jump at it no matter how much it costs. So dying it for me is a temporary fix. Its really annoying as i have more grey then everyone in my family so hidding it is the only way i feel more my age.
When I was a teenager I was tinting my hair interesting shades as it was very dark and I was a hair stylist. However, I was already going grey and in my twenties stopped colouring my hair, which fortunately went a clean grey and not a yellow grey as my Mum's had done. People do assume that you are older if your hair is grey but who cares. The secret with grey hair is to use a blue based shampoo and have a very good haircut, which on most people needs to be short. If we are still colouring our hair as we age then we need to go lighter than our original shade as this is more flattering. For example, a head of hair coloured bright red when we are sixty is decidedly false, as is a head of black hair, and can be very unkind to the wearer.
Like Wozzie29, the sight of the 'tide mark' appeals to me less than overall grey hair. I was using semi permanents then, regretably, had it permanently dyed a few times. Now I'm in the process of growing in the grey but blending with a semi again. My advice to anyone going grey is don't use a permanent colour but continue to blend with a semi until you are sick of it or ready for grey. We can still add colour with makeup, clothing and jewellery. Look your age, but good for your age! Who are we kidding with a head of vibrant coloured hair - no-one. And really I don't think grey looks any worse than streaks and foils growing out.
I had no choice. I developed an allergy to MPD which is m-Phenylenediamine. This horrid stuff is being added to all hair dyes be they permanent or semi permanent (I phoned every brand and asked if they had colours without it and was told no straight away so it must be a common question) as well as shampoos, detergents. polymers, glues, and dyes in leather and textiles. Most of the mpd is imported from China. Studies are out there looking at the relationship between use of hair dyes (particularly dark ones) and two cancers of the immune system, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and multiple myeloma. So now my allergies have settled and my immune system is healthier while my hair is grey. Many women tell me how lovely it looks, but when I aks them to join me they run a mile ! As I said, I have no choice. And even knowing of the dangers would I if I could? I just don't know. Perhaps deep down I am relieved to have had the decision taken away from me ...... VERY deep down.
I refuse to colour my hair and be a slave to the hairdresser.The older I get the more I love my " silvering " hair with its interesting mix of salt and pepper colours and I love seeing a gorgeous head of silver hair on other women. Go girls, let's just grow old gracefully , we can always add colour with a nice bright lippie, hat or some bright clothes.!
I am 52 years of age, My Mother is 70 years old, I have taken example of my Mother and have not colured my hair, just allowed nature to take it's course. I feel if one has a good haircut and is well groomed, we should be confidate in our selves and Thank God each day that we are blessed with. My 3 younger sisters and many female friends comment that I should colour my hair. However I do not feel the need . I am happy the way nature is taking it's course with me. Viva La Grey Hair
I was always a dark blonde , and when my hair started to go grey I coloured it. This began when I was about 29. After many years I decided to let it go natural. To my surprise it was a very light silver , nearly white unfortunately exactly the same as my Mums. must be the genes I guess. I get many compliments about the colour. Of course I am not really happy with the silver hair, so to tone it down I use a Silver toner which last about 4 weeks . Last time I went to the hairdresser I had dark purple streaks added to it Again I get many compliments and my hairdresser has lots of new customers to get the same on theirs .
I started greying prematurely at 8 and after I had my second child, the process accelerated until now in my mid thirties, I am almost all grey. I don't colour my hair as I have been at different stages of grey for most of my life and people are used to my grey hair that no one makes any comment anymore. I do also occassionally get surprised when I see photos of myself and how white my hair is.
I finally decided to let my hair be it's natural grey because I hated the tide mark that became visible within a week or so of having it coloured. Finally, I felt I couldn't be bothered. I'd still like to have some steaks but whenever I see other people with streaks or foils, it looks like zebra stripes, darn it. I am, however, still occasionally surprised by the grey haired woman staring back at me in the mirror.

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