Greying and growing long hair

Greetings,

This looks like the place to come to for support of long hair in general. I'm in my mid 50's and have felt the urge to just let my hair grow. It is now about an inch below my shoulders. Doesn't look at all the way one is led to believe by some hairdressers and folks who think the solution to aging is a hair cut. I wear it up most of the time and find it much easier to care for long than it was short. And it just feels right for me.

My next move is to stop coloring and allow it to show its true color(s) -- a mix of grey, auburn and brown I think. (I don't recall, its been so long).

Any ideas on how to resist temptation to cut it all off and let it grow, or to go back to coloring it. My hairdresser tells me there is no easy way to make the transition and those are my two options. I am thinking of wearing headcoverings during the winter -- but am also looking for positive ideas and feedback from others who have done this;

Thank you!!

Deeanne

Greetings -

(I went and signed up and am using deeanne instead of friendly spirit).

Kathy, your words are very helpful. My "root" issue is that my hair has been a light red for years. My real hair color is probably a mix of grey, dark brown and auburn tones. I picture my hair growing in with dark greying roots and inches of the light red. I do not want to cut anything off (aside from trims) and figure it will take years for the light red to grow out.

This may just have to be something I bear until it has grown out. Hard enough to have long hair at over 50, without it being that blatantly growing out coloring.

I have a somewhat public position in my place of worship, where long gray hair is seen as a good thing -- colored hair is not approved, so I think part of my dread is stepping forth in that community.

Thank you for your words of support!
**
Oh, just came back in to edit -- my hair is layered with bangs and shaping as it looks pretty awful in one length only (my head it just too small -- or my body is too big!). Length of my hair now is 17 inches (from forehead to longest in the back) -- I will look for those supportive shampoos. But, alas, I am one of those people you mention, who have been coloring their hair and now all you can see are roots!

Thanks for the official welcome!

Just having a place where I can come and post - or just read posts -- while doing this is very helpful! I felt kind of out there and alone with this notion that it is OK to have long hair when you're over 50... now I see this is not that unusual an idea; even if it is, there's lots of support.

I am thrilled to have found you all!

Deeanne

I actually just saw two women the other day at one of our local malls who must have been in their 60's. I noticed one of them because she had long straight hair past her shoulders and it was completely white. At first I thought that she was bleaching it, but when I took a closer look at her hair when she was walking in front of me, I noticed that it wasn't bleached, it was her natural white and it looked beautiful. I was also impressed by the fact that she didn't chop and perm it.

Hi- A thought is have the red taken out and dye your hair as close to your natural color as possible, with some lighter highlights at the top that will help transition the new growth to the rest of your head...so you don't see the "line" of grey? then as the color fades, it will hopefully blend in with the rest?

Just a thought.

Good luck

jacqui

Let us know what happens?

Greetings --

So far so good -- hairdresser was just fine since long hair is in -- I did explain that's not why I'm doing this -- I've been looking at women even older than me and wondering how I want to look when I'm 60, 70, even 80 .

Anyway, now I have to battle my own mixed feelings about coloring my hair. He warns that I will be soooo grey and the growing out phase will be skunk-like. Yes, well.... I wish I could just wake up with white hair.

Some of my reluctance is because I have a 13 year old still at home -- I'm old enough to be his grandmother, though no one has said that thanks (I think) at least partly to my coloring my hair.

I go back in a month for 'color' (didn't get any this month) and will try to be strong in what I want. I am weak....vanity vanity.

It seems like a looong time since I was here - I changed computers, got lost and got busy.... This forum helped me so much in my hair growing escapades --

It seems my hair is growing so slow, but it is growing (I can tell by the amount the color is growing out).  My hair has only grown about 2 inches since last I posted here.  I have been getting it trimmed every other month, but I think in my family, hair doesn't grow fast or even get very long.  (My sister just about never cuts her hair - 10 years she's had it long, but it isn't even to her waist).

Is this diet? Genetics?  Lack of fresh air and exercise? (only half kidding with these questions).  Also could be hormones, as my sister and I are both over 50 ...me more so than she.

Oh, well.  The gray is coming in, but there isn't nearly as much of it as my hairdresser used to claim when I'd go in for a color.  It doesn't look horrible growing out, most people don't even notice.

Anyway, a late thanks for the support for older, graying women having long hair.  I feel so much better.  And have had some folks tell me I look great. 

 

 

 

How much do you get it trimmed every other month? That could be enough to keep you from getting longer.

Welcome back, Deanna!

Hmm... 5 weeks since your last trim?  You may want to consider going much longer between trims (and learn to "dust" your own hair to remove split ends).  Time to tell your hairdresser "no thanks" to too-frequent trims and to the unhelpful criticism.