At What Age Should Women Stop Colouring Their Hair?

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Are you considering transitioning to grey hair? If you are one of the many women who are considering transitioning to grey hair completely, you may find yourself more confused than with an answer.

Truthfully, no one but you can make that decision. The choice to stop dyeing your hair and go completely natural…and grey… is one many women battle with as early as in their twenties.

In the end, it’s about the way you feel about yourself inside and out! Some women choose to put down the dye bottle at 30 and others continue well into their nineties. It’s a matter of preference and a choice only you can make.

Transitioning to Grey Hair

Personally, I stopped covering my grey at 51. The maintenance, cost, and seemingly constant appointments at the salon made the decision an easy one. I knew I was ready to make the complete transition to grey.

To help with the transition, I cut my hair super short to make the transition stage immediate and have loved my silver linings ever since. Some people actually think I have highlights!

I’m never one to encourage drastic, dramatic decisions, but if you are someone who enjoys a good shake up of a routine or style, this may be a good way to embrace the change.

With all the benefits of going grey, I still think about returning to the salon on occasion. Whenever I see younger pictures of myself or see someone with fabulous highlights or some funky colours like pink or purple, I get a tinge of the maybe’s. 

But, then I remember the upkeep and hassle, and I am firmly rooted in my decision to go grey and stay.

And I have to admit, during this time of lockdown, I am so thrilled that I didn’t have to worry about roots!

At what age do most women decide to go grey?

The most searched queries on my website surround going grey and making the transition in general. 

Recently, I polled my readers to get an idea of when most women decide to go grey. With more than 22,000 respondents, here are the results:

At what age did you stop colouring your hair?

• age 50-59 – 32.91%
• over age 60 – 26.14%
• age 40-49 – 21.08%
• age 30-39 – 7.76%
• under age 29 – 1.71%

Another 7.46% said they would never stop dyeing their hair and a surprising 2.94%, said they had never coloured their hair. 

I don’t know how they didn’t fall into the temptation in their younger years because I changed my hair colour more often than my underwear in my teens and early twenties!

How do I transition to grey hair gracefully?

If you have never dyed your hair, you are at an advantage over those that have. But, if you have been a colour loyalist for years, you can still go cold turkey. 

To avoid harsh roots and keep up your appearance, consider grey-toned highlights as you grow your colour out. Then, gradually reduce the highlights until your roots are completely grown out. This is also paired well with a fresh haircut to remove the dead ends and the last bit of any remaining colour. 

Also, you may find that your current hairstyle no longer works with grey hair. Stay on the more youthful side of grey with an edgier haircut. A shorter cut alone can speed up the greying process, too.

But, I must warn you: going grey is not an easy transition. More than likely, your hair will look as if it has abandoned all reason. As the colour recedes from your roots, your hair may become a frizzy mess for a while. This was one of the main reasons I decided to cut my hair short to make the transition. But don’t fret, this too shall pass.

Remember, it’s simply impossible to judge what your full head of grey hair will look like when your grey roots are next to coloured hair. This can be very deceiving, as you can not really tell what shade of grey, silver, or white your hair will be until the transition is complete.

My advice: wait it out. You may be pleasantly surprised at what nature has given you.

Regardless of how you make the transition, make sure you are still nourishing and properly caring for your hair. As we age, our hair becomes more brittle and needs a little more TLC than usual – no matter if you are grey or not!

Tips for greying gracefully:

• Keep your grey locks gorgeous with the right shampoo and conditioner
• Maintain a regular haircut schedule
• Invest in hair products for your hair type
• Practice extra self-care with moisturizing treatments

The great thing about making the transition to grey is that it’s not an irreversible decision. If you do go grey, then decide you don’t like it, you can always go back to dyeing your hair. It is just hair, after all.

I hope sharing the poll results and tips help you make a decision either way. Remember, it is your decision and you can always change your mind. As long as you feel great and confident, it is the right decision for you.

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