Unfortunately, there are a lot of changes we need to take into consideration as we age. Our color in general becomes drab and washed out, so the brighter hair colors look harsh and fake, while those qualities can look just fine on younger women. And hormones make our hair thinner and brittler, not to mention losing its gloss and softness. I recently had to cut my hair in a bob, and doubt I'll be able to have it past shoulder length again without clip-ons; it was breaking off enough past that so it just looked ragged and damaged.

I've never been a constant colourist, and it's not likely I'll start now... but that regrowth line is something to be seriously considered now in a way it didn't used to be.

My original natural colour is dark brown, and I've always liked to throw some red in there whenever the mood strikes, and then just let it grow out naturally until next time. When I started getting greys, it was amazingly cool to have easy vibrant red streaks... I loved that effect! Now there's more grey, I still love the streaks, but the regrowth line if I don't recolour is more bothersome. I left it for a while at one stage, just to observe how how the colours grew out (ymmv, but for me, following my curiosity easily wins out over any social disapprobation). I discovered I really like the way the softer grey frames my face and the stronger colours make their presence known at the ends (my hair is heavily layered, with the longest length about to the bottom of my shoulder-blades) ...and I thought it would be nicer to work *with* the phenomenon than to be fighting a constant battle against it.

So what I've been doing for several months now is designed to continue that look, but with softer transitions between colours. I'm using henna/cassia/indigo as a gloss for gradual colour build-up instead of all-at-once, and I alternate colourings. So sometimes I'll use cassia concentrated on the roots (which I find is not exactly *clear* over the grey - gives a slight golden tinge, but the colour isn't strong enough for regrowth to worry me); sometimes henna on the mid-end sections (I make a high ponytail and colour from the band outwards); and sometimes henna with 20% indigo on the ends (ponytail again, but only applying to the last couple of inches). The ponytail method suits me very well - it's how I cut the layers into my hair, so the colouring "layers" blend in with the hair-length layers well. And the definition is imprecise, so over time the colours grade into each ther more subtly. This means I'm actually colouring far more frequently than I ever have before, but so far it's fun enough and simple enough that I'm ok with that. And when I get bored (which I'm liable to do), it'll grow out gracefully (*s*). And if I don't a have a different crazy idea to run with, I can restart it any time...

The gloss! Oh, yes... the gloss - I should explain that. Instead of mixing a large bowl of henna/etc to a mud consistency and painstakingly applying from the scalp outwards being careful not to leave any gaps, wrapping and leaving to develop for hours and then painstakingly washing out the dried mud (which is a lovely ritual that I plan to still treat myself to on occasion), I mix a few tablespoons into a conditioner base (store-boughten if I'm lazy, home-made when I feel like it (egg/olive-oil/cider-vinegar)). It's runnier than a traditional henna mix. The vinegar will activate the henna if I'm making up the base myself, or otherwise I'll stand the mix in hot water to warm it beforehand. (Cassia and indigo don't need pre-activation.) I mix about half a cup to a cupful, and start the cassia at the roots, or the henna/henna-indigo at the ends and work it in as far as the amount I've mixed will go. I leave it in 10 to 30 minutes (or as along as it takes me to deal with heel callouses or ragged fingernails or some other boring task I set myself to accomplish while I'm already in the bathroom). The cassia doesn't leave a mess on my skin, so I don't need to be super careful around the hairline; the henna/henna-indigo doesn't go on my scalp, so ditto. I do wear disposable latex gloves, but that's probably from old habit rather than necessity - it doesn't take long to apply, so the henna isn't likely to stain (maybe need 'em for the indigo phase). It's nowhere near as large a time and effort investment as a traditional henna treatment; also less messy than a permanent/semi home colour - similar amount of effort to a colour "rinse", but it doesn't wash out in six washes...

All of which doesn't amount to a recommendation that anyone else use my idiosyncratic method... Rather, I remembered as I read Bibia's "growing out and looking ick" that I had a moment (or several, *eek*) during my "observation" phase when I looked in the mirror and thought "ick" and nearly ran straight off to recolour the whole lot. But thanks to a strong lazy streak, I held out long enough to narrow down that "ick" response to the small part I *really* didn't like, and to notice what parts I did like very much. And now I'm *really* happy with the outcome! I'm so glad I didn't rush to do something without taking that time...