Hair Colorists: Blonde Over Grey

Not to everyone who knows your hair is mostly grey.

Yes. Go for it, OP.

Is your ethnicity northern European?

More natural than if you colored it any other color, in my experience. I love that look. A blonde tint on gray hair usually comes out a great color. Of course check your skin tones in good light and figure out if you need ash or golden or pale or sandy, etc.

What's your skin/eye coloring OP?

Does Dotard tRump's hair look natural?

OP if you have a part in your hair don't do it. Within a week your roots will start showing, if you don't have a part in your hair it will take longer to be noticeable but even if you like it be prepared for the routine of constant recoloring the roots.

True, R7, also, OP will not be able to do the roots himself. Doing roots properly requires someone else to do it on your head.

Make it platinum, OP, and the gray roots will complement the platinum color nicely

I have fair coloring and blue eyes. My natural hair color before grey was dark blonde, but if I color it I'll go a lighter than that.

Since COVID I've only gotten my hair cut once, and it's now pretty long, down to my mouth (but it's styled in a wavy side style). It's the same length I had in college, and I think the grey is too aging.

I dunno. I'd hate to do it and hate it then end up cutting it all off. Could I try a temporary formula, like Just for Men?

Don't use Just for Men. The color doesn't hold for more than a few shampoos.

OP, honestly, if you're going to get it done - it's best to go to a salon and a good stylist will know exactly what shades and undertones to use.

If you must use a box, go with L'Oreal Preference. It has the best, long-hold coverage for grey.

But I would suggest starting with a stylist and transition to box thereafter if price is an issue. But be sure to ask the stylist if they are going for cool/ash or warm/gold undertones so you know which box to use.

Thanks r11!

A pale ash blonde, slightly warmer than gray, should look okay OP. I'm attaching a photo of a shade range that should work for you. Use purple shampoo in between visits to prevent it from going brassy - it really works. And DO NOT let anyone talk you into highlights because those can easily look very dated. If anything, go for lowlights, especially if you have any areas that are more salt and pepper than solid colored. Go for it! What's the worst that could happen? If it looks like ass, you can easily change it.

Great post R11. This is what I would suggest too OP. Get it done in a salon first time, watch carefully and then do it yourself from then on. The most natural way would be to get foils so not all the hair was colored. Once you are 90% gray as you stated in your OP there is no way you can go to having 100% colored hair otherwise it will look badly fake (the blond equivalent of boot polish with harsh regrowth).

I'd get two colors - a dark blonde and a lighter blonde (in whichever tone suits your skin) using foils/wrap and color approximately only 60% of your hair. Using foils/wrap would mean that you don't get harsh looking root regrowth either.

Are you planning to get your hair color done professionally?

I had a middle-aged male colleague who dyed his hair "blonde." I'm not sure what his pre-gray hair color was, but he had blue or green eyes. His dyed hair looked yellow. He was unpopular and another colleague commented that his hair looked like he used Kool-Aid to color his hair.

Point is: blonde can be tricky.

[quote] Get it done in a salon first time, watch carefully and then do it yourself from then on.... I'd get two colors - a dark blonde and a lighter blonde (in whichever tone suits your skin) using foils/wrap and color approximately only 60% of your hair.

R14, you've got to be kidding. I'd like to hear back from OP to see if he would be willing to try to do this.

Yellow hair on old people always looks fake.

It will look beautiful, OP. Stunning.

Tell your colorist you want the "Michael Alig" and not "The Rachel."

No I'm not kidding R16. That's what will look the most natural and show the least regrowth. Reading my post - I don't think I've made myself clear enough OP.

You can't dump a box of blond color on your hair and cover 100% of your hair otherwise it will look horribly fake, everyone will clearly see the hair color and you will get solid lines of regrowth. Everyone will laugh at you and think you are an old queen.

I don't know if everyone else posting in this thread is a trained and experienced colorist but I am. I don't do it any longer but I know what I'm talking about.

If money isn't too much of an issue then do what I have suggested with the foils/2 colors and only 60% coverage of your hair. It will look excellent.

[quote] Yellow hair on old people always looks fake.

I beg your pardon.

[quote] I don't know if everyone else posting in this thread is a trained and experienced colorist but I am. I don't do it any longer but I know what I'm talking about.

R19, I'm not doubting your knowledge. I'm doubting that the average person is willing & able to do this at home (two different hair colors, foils, but only on 70% of your hair).

R20 - Graham gets that done in a salon. It's professional.

60% R21. And I totally agree that the average person won't be able to do this at home on their own.

I posted best outcome scenario so that OP looks great and OP can make his own decision on whether to get it done in a salon or look like this:

A buddy at the gym who showers there dyes his hair dark brown, but his thick bush is naturally medium blonde. It looks very weird. In his case, he should dye his bush the same dark brown color. Would you have the same issue if you dyed your head and then the carpet does not match the drapes?

R14 that's probably more work than I could maintain. Also, in my 20s I got highlights once and hated it -- looked like a calico cat with three different shades of hair.

I like the ash blonde idea . I'll find a good colorist and see what he/she advises. I wanted to put the idea out here first to determine if it was even a good idea or not.

The pic below is my hair.

This is a good dye job, but you'd have to have it done professionally- to weave the gray with the gold. Obviously he's of the age where he's all-gray now.

What color is your chest hair, OP? I'm just a bit younger than you, and grey chest hair started coming in on my pecs this past year while the hair on my head is still solid brown (even though I keep it in a buzzcut).

Chest hair is still mostly light brown with a few greys.

What about your asshole hair?

How do I bump up my white hair into Mike Pence territory? Is that platinum?

Find that Marilyn Monroe thread where her hairdresser gives her a quick solution using common drug store products to dye her pubes.

You've got a great hairline and gentle curl/body R24.

Foils aren't highlights - foils are a way of controlling how much hair gets colored. What I have suggested is similar to Jeff Bridges hair color in R25. The gray is still there and the color is believable. That's about 75% coverage and is applied with foils/comb through.

Just don't dump a box of color on your head is all I suggest. 60% colored and 40% gray. I'm right about this.

With a bit of practice you could comb/brush through the color on your own at home. There are HEAPS of YouTube videos on how to do this yourself at home.

Anyway - good luck! Best to get it done in a salon the first time if you aren't familiar with coloring hair.

It's already dyed blonde, Kellyanne. We've seen your grey roots.

OP, if your goal is to look natural, then forget about adding color. Almost nobody over 50 looks naturally blond, even with the best artifice.

Don't try to go ginger like Redford.

R14 I've always admired Martha's color, would this work on me?

Your hair is already so grey you should work with what you’ve got and just use a blue or purple shampoo and get a platinum look.

R35 / OP, I'm not the professional colorist, but I think Martha Stewart's color would work on you. Maybe toned down a little.

But ... I don't think you realize yet ... This is not going to be DIY, not going to be cheap, and I think the maintenance (time, frequency, and money commitment) will be more than you anticipate.

Your hair looks great to me, already.

Why not get wig?

Is Melania's hair a wig??? Serious question.

Gordon keeps it fresh.

They’re all gonna laugh at you, op.

OP/R24, your hair looks great as-is, honestly. Leave it!

JFM Control GX blonde shampoo once or twice a week after shade is achieved. John Freida Blond highlight shampoo and blond conditioner everyday. My hair soaks up the Freida stuff.

There is nothing that looks more fake than dyed blond hair. Real hair, whatever color, is comprised of more colors of hair than you can count. All together they make up the hue of the hair. Dyed hair is only one color. The darker dye jobs can get away with it, but blond can not. It's bad enough on a female but dyed blond hair is 10 times worse on a man. It makes a woman look trampy and makes a man look stupid.

Here's a prime example of dyed blond hair on a man. It looks like doll hair.

I'm with r42, OP / r24. Your hair looks really good as is. You've got fantastic tone, volume and thickness. Don't do anything but take excellent care of it.

Grey hair on a man is hot. Don’t dye it OP!

OP, I said above I love blonde toner on gray hair, but after looking at your gorgeous hair, I predict if you color it, you will go from hot daddy to auntie.

R44, you are correct about the hair in the photo. The one-color factor is because it has to be bleached out extremely pale and then toned (dyed with a pale color) blonde. That's why gray hair can look really great with a blonde toner. It doesn't have to be bleached, and it retains that quality of having every hair a slightly different color.

50? It's over, dear, no matter what ghastly color your hair is.

Women can get away with a certain amount of artifice that men just can't. It's always obvious when an older man dyes his hair. He's trying to be something he isn't. It looks great now. Push the platinum or leave it alone.

Leave some grey in. You're not fooling anybody. So make it a stylistic gesture rather than a hapless attempt at trying to look younger.

OP, make sure you try a sample on your skin first. Get Just For Men and try some on your elbow for a few hours to see if you get an allergic reaction to it (itching bad). Prof colorists use the same ingredients. Reactions happen to about 10% of guys. If so, you got to use Henna or something else.

OK after reading the comments I'm leaning towards keeping it, but will still consult with a colorist in person to make up my mind. I don't dislike my grey -- I finally embraced it when I turned 50 in February and have been enjoying growing it out (used to have haircuts every 4 weeks). And I'm not trying to look younger, it's just that I caught my reflection in a mirror at the grocery store and was shocked at how grey/white my hair was. It's like I turned into my dad overnight.

But I'd hate to have taken the time and trouble to grow it out this long to risk hating the color (and look like an "auntie" as R47 put it LOL) and cut it all of again.

Ugh to be continued....

This look would be flattering for any man.

I've been fighting with my cousin for 40 years and counting about Krystle Carrington hair color: he pretends she has premature grey hair and I say she has ash ash ash blond hair (geez, just look at her roots man, if you're a man). My cousin in the meantime got 80 gray hair and I still have none. I win. OP, will you too?