I found my first grey hair the day before my 16th birthday - Happy Birthday to Me!

I am now more than twice that age (but only just ), and have to dye my hair. I have a 3-inch wide strip of grey hair in my fringe off to one side, and more than a smattering of greys everywhere else. Oddly enough, there seems to be more at the front that there is at the back (this handy information I got from my hairdresser).

I tend to dye my hair at home (as this is waaaaay cheaper than having it done at the salon) - Cubby does an excellent job. If I'm of a mood, I will lash out occasionally (after about a week or two) will have highlights then. It seems to stretch out the time before I need to colour again.

I'm not vain by any stretch of the imagination, I don't really care about my hair. I just get tired of people telling me "Gee - you've got a lot of grey hair". Really.

The saddest day was the day I found a grey hair in the downstairs garden.

*sigh* You know you're getting old when......

The "sparkling" remark reminds me of what my husband used to say - he was a biker, a Harley Davidson rider. He always referred to his hair colour as "chrome", rather than grey or silver.

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The main problem with white/silver hair is that it 'yellows'. Sometimes I use a blue shampoo but you have to be careful with that as it can go the other way.

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Sue, this is very popular here. People often refer to elderly ladies as the "blue rinse set". This is particularly true for those ladies who join organisations such as the Senior Citizens and the Bowling Clubs.

Naturally dark blonde with streaks (people have paid good money for that effect)
About mid forties I started getting some grey at the temples. I like it, adds even more variety;) I never plan to colour it.

I did threaten my daughter that once I hit sixty I will have a tight perm and a blue rinse!

When I was working in theatre, we called the Saturday and Sunday afternoon matinée audiences "The Blue Sea". Very popular time for the more mature ladies to catch a play.

Okay - have just had a new haircut that I am just loving.

It cost me $50, which for me personally is a ridiculous amount of money to spend making my hair shorter. Usually.

The appointment lasted for over an hour, and I walked out looking younger, and the young lass styled my hair to hide my grays. There was no colour involved.

I've had a number of positive comments - Young Josephine has earned her tip (which is not customary in Australia) for my next visit.

I too am going grey. I am 51 years old, and have been going grey since I was in my early thirties. I only colored my hair twice in my life. The first time was in the late 70's when I had a friend 'streak' it, which was popular then and then I had total color put in in the early 80's. Didn't like it much so I just let it go. My Grandmother, had the most beautiful white/silver hair as does my now 81 year old Aunt. I'm just hoping that mine will do that also someday. Mine now looks like it is streaked. It's not really grey streaks but is more the white/silver color. I have had people ask me who colored my hair and I just say it is colored by "God". But my real question is, if anyone is still reading this topic, is what age do all of you think that a woman should cut her hair short. Like I said I am 51 and my hair is down to the middle of my back. My hubby (of 33 years likes it). My Mother-in-law, (God love her, couldn't have hand picked a better one) thinks that women once they turn 40, should have short hair, no longer than shoulder length anyway. Just wondering what some of you women thoughts were on that subject.
All of you, Take Care.

Oh, I know, I hear that all the time, see magazine articles that make us older women with long hair sound like death warmed over.

I also have long hair and just turned 50. I like it, my husband liked it, I don't really care if fashionable people like it or not. They also wouldn't approve of how I dress, so sucks to them!

I don't like my hair too short, as I have a round face, but if it's too long it's unmanagable. So I keep it about to just below my shoulders. Looks nice and full when I bother to "do" it, otherwise it's usually just pulled up in a ponytail or held back by my shades. Today I put color on it as I am attending a party this weekend and wanted my hair to be fresh looking, so for the next few days I have that "new hair" look. By Monday it'll be back to the shades and ponytail, sans grey.

I am so agreeing with you agony. Believe it or not, my hair is growing faster now. More than it has in the past 30 years. I know this because when I was pregnant for my son, it fell out and I had to have it chopped up to my shoulders to just even it out, and it just hasn't grown much since. But as weird as it sounds, in the past six months or so, it has been growing. Weird. Maybe it's the 'old folks vitamins' I take (Centrum Silver). I am the type of person, though, that just doesn't care what anyone thinks. If my hubby (of 33 years) likes it that's ok by me. I'm not out to impress anyone except him. He has long hair too, that he always keeps in a pony tail. He is a handsome man.
People also probably don't agree with the way I dress either. I am such a jeans and t-shirt, jeans and sweatshirt kind of person, depending on the weather, and yes I love the hippie type shirts which I buy on this really cool website called hippieshop.com Just put the www. in the front of it and you can check it out, all of you wannabee hippies out there.
But anyway, agony, thank you for responing to my post.
Take Care.
Kathy aka GrandmaHippie

I was very surprised when I got my first grey hairs (30s) as neither of parents were grey (bald, yes - Dad!) and Mum died at over 80 with natural black hair. I have my hair coloured (a lot!) and would love to go pure white as I could then have really whacky, loud, neon colours! ;-)

Oh, and I'm *growing* my hair too! It's about to my shoulders (just!) now and I want it long enough to put up. (Wasn't 'being able to put your hair up' the traditional sign that the little girl was growing up?) Maybe I'd better start. LOL

In response to GrandmaHippie (loving the moniker, by the way), I have recently been informed by my Mother In Law that it was time I cut my hair short, so that I could "look respectable like other women of my years".

My response to this? "Bite Me". I have achieved the ripe old age of 34, and have been able to decide on my own haircuts for more than 20 years.

My hair is only shoulder-length anyway - this is what I consider to be short!

Not too many grey hairs yet, and with my naturally dark hair, I am sure they will come in time. But I plan to go grey natuarally. I like my hair with no fuss

Grandmahippie, I think the proper time to get your hair cut short is when it doesn't look good long anymore.
Some women it just suits and some it doesn't. I don't think age has anything to do with it either. My hair is fairly long right now, but I look much better with short hair, always have. It's about time I got it cut again. I think that's one of those starchy old conventions that should have been retired ages ago. Like no white shoes after Labor Day.

As for gray hair, I've been getting them for some years now, started in my mid-thirties. Mostly at the temples, but also scattered throughout the rest of my hair. I wouldn't mind at all if they were pretty, but, like my grandmother and grandmother they are just closer to colorless than any particular shade of silver or gray. Not particularly attractive.
I used to color my hair often--my natural color is sort of a dark blonde, close to brown, that is rather nondescript. I used to call it 'neutral'. I colored it various shades of blonde or red throughout the years. I suppose when I get a nice new short 'do again, I'll probably color it again too. Not sure what shade would work for me now. I'm quite a bit older than when I did it last, but I really don't look much older. (That's a genetic perk from my mom's side, all the women look quite a bit younger than their actual years. I suppose that's compensation for the fact that we also get male-pattern baldness. Not so much fun. My grandmother was almost completely bald by the time she hit her 70s. I've lost a good 1/2 inch of hairline in the past 5 years or so. )

Grandmahippie, perhaps this links with the '60 being the new 40', I always thought long loose hair should be cut by forty, or worn up. These days lots of women in their fifties have long loose hair and look just fine.

Taesma, my hair recedes quite a bit at both sides, has for years.

When I turned 30 a coworker told me that it was time to cut my hair short, that a woman over 30 looks silly with long hair. I pretty much said the same thing ecnalumba said: "bite me". It's been 17 years since then and I still have my hair worn long. I cut it a couple of years ago, didn't like it, so grew it back. Since then many have told me I look better with it long anyway. I agree with Taesma. Cut it short when it no longer looks good long.

Well, my hair is now halfway down my back, still coloured and a *mess* (My hairdresser had a baby! ) I need to drag her back or find another one (Oh, but the trauma! ) I'm delighted at the length and the condition but not the "style". I can now put it in a ponytail, but boy, does it need sorting out!

My hair is also pretty long again, with lots of what seem to be white hair coming in. I really don't think a lot about my hair these days. I streak it on occasion, at least on top. I wear it up. I wear it down. And since it's been much longer even braids when I'm at home. Since this town I live in isn't exactly the the Swiss Alps, I would hesitate to wear it that way going out anywhere. My girls seem to like it, though. The grey I find in it [ white, really ] just means I have less and less to deal with in the way of streaking or frosting, I guess.

It's kind of funny, I read back through all of our posts from last year, including my own which I had forgotten. Having just recently put my own picture in the 'Family, friends, and me', you now all would know I wasn't lying when I said "I have had silver temples for the last five years or so. The saving grace is that I am a natural light blonde with red highlights." I have also heard the *You really need to cut your hair short once you reach 30!* Yeah, well, bite me too! I refuse to spend an hour each morning like my friends with their 'short, easy to take care of styles' that require curling irons, lifting combs, mousse, gel, and that awful finishing lacquer.

My oldest son had no hair when born, it started to grow in as translucent blonde, and around the age of 1 year, a bright siver patch about an inch wide and 2 inches long appeared on one side of his head. No matter where we went, people would comment on it, whoever cut his hair would have to call everyone over to gawk at it, and he informed me he was going to dye it around the age of 12. He never got away with that, but now that he is older (30) and his hair has much more of the red highlight, it really stands out. I have always told him it meant he was special. His way of getting back was to inform me my silver temples simply meant old, not special.

I gave up. That is, I finally just told my hairdresser to do what she wanted and now I'm blonde with very blonde highlights. I have to keep going to get a touch-up on the roots, which is mostly grey and dark blonde, but I don't mind...yet. And I still keep it on the longer side.

I haven't started going grey yet (thankfully!) but my mum did when she was 21. She colours her hair a sort of red with highlights as soon as her roots begin to grow back.

My nanna is completely grey, but hates the colour grey she is so dyes her hair a nice blonde colour.