As I got more grey, I quit with the highlights/lowlights and just went with a one step color. My current stylist is very good about giving the color "dimension" so it looks like a foil rather than an all over, flat color.

Among other things it saves a lot of money. I went to a different hair dresser just for color for a short time and had a reaction to Aveda color. She switched to Redken and that was fine. I then changed back to my regular hairdresser since she would do the one step color (had farmed me out for foil). When I went back to her she mentioned doing something less harsh, process or product I'm not sure. I have no problems with hair or scalp. My hair texture is better with color.

I wish I was brave and competent enough to do it myself but I'm not.

My hair grows fast so I do my color myself - or rather my DH does it and then 3x/year I go in for more extensive color. To have it professionally done every 3 weeks or so is more $ (and time!) than I am willing to spend at a salon and there are other things I prefer to do with that $. Regular deep conditioning will be your friend whether you have the color done or do it yourself. And a quality leave in conditioner after shampooing is a must for curly hair which tends to be dryer anyway. I've noticed a huge difference since being vigilant about conditioning - the in the shower rinse out conditioners don't do enough - they are basically just a detangler.

At 59 I quit dying my hair. It is now a beautiful silver. I was a brunette before and I look much better with my natural color. My hair is now healthier and not falling out as when dying. I am so glad I took the leap to natural.

First - I think you need to find someone that specializes in curly hair for your cuts (if you have not done so yet). I finally did this in my late 30's (and my hair is really more wavy - not curly) and I can't even tell you what a world of difference that made! They cut my hair dry, and "listen" to what I say, and it is a refreshing experience.

Second - products do make a big difference. There are lots of reviews on the site below. I happen to use devacurl, but there are many different brands. I love the devacurl one conditioner, heaven in hair, leave in detangler conditioner and the new creme.

Third- I agree with above, I htink you have to try different brands. I did try a more natural brand last time and overall I liked it. I would love to try henna but I am chicken for the mess!

Here is a link that might be useful: Naturally curly website.

I stopped coloring my very dry, very frizzy-curly hair a year ago. I do not/will not wear my hair in its natural frizzy-curly state and the combination of dying and blow drying/flat ironing for decades finally overcame the effectiveness of deep conditioning. I was coloring every other week, which was added pain. My silver hair is in great condition, but I am beyond the age where it would ever be considered pre-mature, so I do feel it makes me look older. What the heck? I only see it a couple of times a day. The rest of the time, I'm 18 y/o.

DLM - Good point about the deep cond. I've been lax.
Java - Love that the rest of the time, you're 18. Love it.
Thank you to all of you. If it's a tradeoff b/t healthy and colored, I'd rather have healthy, but it's a scary step to take. Color does add shine - at first.

As a salon owner I can tell you that, more than likely, they are using 30% peroxide mixed with the color and that's the culprit. I know all Paul Mitchell Studios use that and, as I'm old world, I refuse to move up higher in volume than 20%. The reason they do that is to speed up the process and, in doing so, the client suffers and doesn't know it but the salon makes more $ as they can gain an hour a day in time and time means more clients. Make sure they only use 20% as, beyond that, your hair gets even more damage. Are you blowing your hair dry, if so, use a lower setting and keep the dryer 12 to 15 inches away from your hair. For maintaining your hair, find a Sally beauty supply and get a 'LEAVE IN" conditioner and that will make a huge difference.

I've never colored my hair, ever. And I hope it will be many more years before I have to start. Every once in awhile I think I may find a few grays, but it's hard to tell...I call them highlights instead!

I color my own hair, and have since my early thirties (premature gray is a trait in our family). My hair is naturally very straight and has very little lift or body on its own. When I color it, the texture of my hair improves dramatically.

I use the ION brand from Sally's Beauty Supply -most recently, the one for aging hair- along with a 20% developer. My hair stays in great shape so long as I consistently use shampoo and conditioner for dry hair.

I too have considered stopping the color, just because it gets so tedious doing this every 3.5 to 4 weeks. But truly, I can't figure out how I would do it -would I just have this gray line moving down my hair length?!?! I have hair about an inch below my shoulders, so that would take more than a year...

It's good to know that someone besides me is spending a bloody fortune on hair color. I started turning gray in my late 20's (I always say my oldest son is responsible for that!).

My hair is straight and fine (skinny hairs but lots of them). Until I started coloring it, it was as limp as wet noodles. At first I did it myself, sometimes with disastrous results. Then I started getting it done professionally with highlights. After I number of years it got so blonde I just went to a single process color. I had that for many years. The last time I went I asked for highlights and lowlights for more contrast. It is not a huge difference but I like it.

What I don't like is the cost. For single process color, partial highlights, a cut and blow dry, it was more than $200. I will only get highlights every third visit. I believe they use Redken products (at least that is what they sell) and I have never had a reaction or flakes.

I asked once about letting the color grow out and they said they usually wait until your roots are really bad and then cut it short. I look awful with short hair so I guess I will be coloring it forever!

I use the ION brand too bestyears, I like the thickening one as my hair is thinning with age. I don't recommend you ever do it as color does improve the texture of the hair. As for growing out gray hair, it's tricky. For lighter colors it's easier but for dark, yes you can use temporary color but it's a nightmare to apply that after every shampoo. Most people let it grow and then cut it short during that loooooong time of growth. My hair never went gray even though all my sisters did. I had dark brown which I turned to blonde when I was 21 and now the new growth is a hen chit brown so I highlight it. I have the pain of coloring the roots and then doing highlights. Luckily darker roots are in vogue now so I can go almost 3 months without touch ups.

I started getting white (not even grey) hair while in high school and I finally started having it colored when I was 30. It was very disheartening to leave the salon with a rich brown natural color and then within 2 - 3 weeks it would start to turn orange. This was partly due to the chemicals in the hair color and the fact that I spent a lot of time in the outside ant the sun was oxidizing my hair.

Every now and then I'd switch salons and then I happened upon a colorist who used Framesi and I've been going to her for 20 years. My hair has been completely white for years - as white as Barbara Bush the elder- and my hair dresser says it's a beautiful color and that I would look great if I stopped coloring my hair. I'm just not ready.

I really like Framesi and I also use their shampoo and conditioner. I think it actually gives my hair more body.

I'm also about 90% silver on most of my head - neckline is still darker. I figure the only way to go natural is to go live in a cave for a year because I do not like short hair on me! My hair is thick, curly and coarse but I also do keratin straightening 2 x/yr to somewhat soften the curl, so that coupled with the color is brutal. I deep condition all the time and still fight dry hair, especially with the winter we've had this year. Vanity is an expensive and time sucking hobby ;-)

dlm, I remember your face from when we posted pictures of ourselves in a post, and I have to say you would look great with short hair and yes short silver hair. You have the face shape and pretty features for it!

roseabbey aren't you just the sweetest! You're my new best friend!!

I cannot recall the name, but about two years again Redken Professional color (salon color) came out with a new oil/gel based color. My hairdresser tried it and I love it--it is more expensive than regular Redken salon color but my normally fine and sometimes dry hair looks so much better since using this product. Every three or four month she puts a glaze on my hair which keeps it shiny. The color does not fade and it's good for my hair--I go in every two weeks to color my roots.

The products I use at home now help, also--Redken (although I heard that L'Oreal was going to buy this line) Nanoworks Pureology shampoo for color treated hair (no sulfates--and it makes a huge difference in not drying out my hair) and a fairly new product that I received in my Birchbox a few months ago--"It's a Ten" leave in spray hair product, and also the creme "It's a Ten" conditioner that you leave on 5 minutes or so after shampooing and then rinse out.

These products are fabulous--they control frizz, make hair easy to comb, give it body, shine, it's soft but not fly away.

I saw them in Target the other day and they're getting great reviews--I stock up and also give them as gifts. I threw out all the other styling products.

I hope you find something in all these recommendations from other posters that works for you. My hair is in much better condition now (I'm in my 50s) than it was even before I started coloring my hair. The products are so much better.

Demi, what hairspray would you use for humid weather to control the frizz?
TIA!

My hairdresser used a couple of the It's a Ten products on me and I agree they are excellent. But they are so highly fragranced I can't use them :-(

ellendi I find the John Frieda leave in spray works really well to control frizz. I've tried so many over the years and this one is easy to find and inexpensive.

Thanks Dlm. Both my DH and I don't like heavy fragrance. I'll look for the John Frieda.

This post was edited by ellendi on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 18:42

I was one click away from trying ESalon last night and thought I would see if anyone here has tried it...
I tend to go cheap on my hair as well
yet when I do breakdown and seek a pro
I always wonder why I waited so long.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.totalbeauty.com/reviews/product/6503272/esalon-custom-formulated-hair-color

I get highlights about 3 times a year and get it cut at that time as well. In between times, I trim my long bangs myself. I am getting more and more gray and something that is working for me right now is to buy a semi permanent color that washes out in about a month. I will put in on when I cannot stand my hair any longer but am not ready for another highlight. It doesn't cover ever single strand of gray, but rather most of them. I feel safe trying it because it is semi-permanent. I figure if I hate it, I'll just scrub it with some dishwash soap! I haven't had to do that yet thank goodness! But it does tie me over and gives it a little life and dimension until I can get back into the salon.
I'll probably will be one of those little old ladies someday that dyes her own hair and it turns out bright red or coal black. I can see it now!

Demifloyd, is it chromatics?, it seems to be redken's version of Inoa, which has been around a few years, it's a
no ammonia hair colour .

Mitchdesj--Yes, I think that's it!

Love it--my hair looks and feels, and behaves so much better.

Posted by ellendi (My Page) on
Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 16:18

Demi, what hairspray would you use for humid weather to control the frizz?
TIA!

*
I've been a convert to L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray which has been available in the US for several years now. I haven't used anything else since I first bought it. It's a little pricey ($13 a can) but a can lasts me probably 5 months or so--you don't need much, it does not give you "helmet hair" and you can brush through it and restyle easily without stickiness.

I was just admiring a woman at church yesterday who had beautiful silver hair. She looked fairly "young" and it looked great. She had a good haircut that was flattering for her. Sadly I'm pretty sure I'll never have the beautiful silver hair. Either way I won't stop coloring my hair until I retire. I'm already one of the oldest people in my company and I don't want to bring any more attention to that fact.

forboystoo - I tried e-salon once - not really impressed. The quality of the product is good but I didn't see any difference that would make me spend substantially more each month. The whole kit is put together well and all the items are quality (gloves, brush, applicator etc) but your results will still be only as good as the application no matter how nice the tools may be. They had a first time discounted price but then you are on a subscription timed by your needs and the price doubles if I remember correctly. I cancelled the subscription within days after using the first time so I wouldn't be billed.

Dlm~ I hate getting sucked into those subscriptions.I found so many boxes of ProActive piled in my sons room before he told me he no longer used the stuff.
If I were on top of things I would cancel like you did..
But I know myself too well.
Thanks

Going silver was the best decision I have ever made to my hair. I am 59 and I look better and younger with silver hair, Silver hair will not age you as long as you keep it styled trendy. For the first time in my life - I love my hair. Too bad this society has an issue with natural hair.

yvette, I agree with you. I am the same. I am complimented all the time about my hair (and complexion) and do not look like I am about to turn 60. As a matter of fact, I got hit on today at the gym by a much younger guy :>)

Thanks Demi, I'll look for that one too.

I color my fine, wavy hair myself to brighten it and blend in the gray with the blonde. $8 every two months. I don't blow dry it much, and it's not too dry. Color is one note . . . until the gray shows and then it just looks like I have "frosting" lol!

I REFUSE to pay the ridiculous prices for professional coloring. Even when I tried it several times, I didn't notice all that much difference. And i don't have an extra $200 every six weeks to spend on my hair. YMMV

Probably the most helpful advice here is from the salon owner-- make them use the less harsh formula.

I've been coloring my hair since my late twenties when I started to go gray all at once. I also attributed it to my oldest child! I go every three weeks; foils /lowlights every other time, root color in between, and a haircut every time. Occasionally there are small changes for the seasons--- a bit darker and longer in the autumn and winter, brighter and shorter in the spring and summer. I wear a chin length pageboy/bob, all one length, parted on the side, tucked behind my ears. This style looks good on others in a beautiful silvery gray, but like someone else mentioned, I can't go and live in a yurt for a year while my hair grows out from a massive short cut. It's expensive having this done every three weeks, but at least my hairdresser loves me :-(

In addition to the chemical reaction/ hair problem, the OP has a problem with the hairdresser following her directions. If you keep telling them not to "texturize" your hair and they persist in doing it, you should switch salons. They are supposed to do what YOU want.