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.

I love Excellence also, but like sleeper, my grey roots grow in so fast that I have to dye my hair every 3 to 4 weeks. I too, am not ready to go grey, as I don't have enough to look elegant, like Meryl Streep did in Devil Wears Prada. My grey isn't spread evenly like salt and pepper, it's in odd chunks, so I probably won't stop colouring my hair until it's all grey. I could try a very light blonde so my regrowth wouldn't be so evident against a lighter colour, but I currently use golden blonde, as it gives my face more warmth.

Susan, what a pretty girl! I think you're hairstyle is very becoming on you. It would be easy to wear in different ways, too, and to jazz it up for an occasion. I like it very much. HERE is my haircut, not me in the picture, but my style. My wonderful stylist has helped me discover my quite curly hair and to take advantage of it. I can wear it curly, or sweep it back or blow it out to be poufy or sleek......anything. She has convinced me to not color my hair and I am loving the S&P and streaks at the temple. I used to think that I was a drip-dry kind of gal, but it's really not true! I have several products that I use religiously and a couple that I've only recently been introduced to. Another Dove soap user here, for as long as I can remember. I also use two products by UNICURE, an odd ball brand but I'll cry if they stop making it. My mother sent me my first bottle when I was in college. I use their blue shampoo but it is their conditioner that I purchase by the gallon. Seriously. I use it after the shower all over, absolutely on my wet hair as a leave in conditioner/volumizer/bodifier. I wash my face with it at night and apply it to my face after my shower and before makeup. The stuff is a magic elixer for my hair, especially! Limp, thin, and fine textured hair by nature but not what I end up with with a little bit of the Unicure. If I don't use it, my hair ends up flat. My hair stylist introduced me to Paul Mitchell's Conditioning Sculpting Foam with Flexible Hold. It has a red top, if you look for it. Applied to towel dried hair in a small amount, it turns my thinning hair to what appears to be very thick. I use it when I'm going to let my hair air dry or style it. After a brushing, my hair is left bouncy, full, shiny, and soft. I had no idea that a styling foam could do that. My night time moisturizer is coconut oil, sometimes day and night in the winter. Susan, do you have the eyebrow product on in the picture? If so, I don't think it would be dark enough for me. Your brows have the perfect shape, by the way.

I have always had coarse/frizzy, and very thick, hair which is not the same as curly/frizzy hair. The best way for me to tame it is to blow it completely dry. That works mostly fine in the winter, but in summer/humid weather, I need to use product. For my hair, Straight Works by Paul Mitchell gives me the smooth shine. It‘s put on while hair is damp and then blown dry. I’m only 52 but have a lot of gray and my hair grows very fast which means coloring my roots every four weeks. I have no desire at my age, especially since I still have kids at home, to go gray, even though it’s becoming more trendy. I’ve noticed that as I get closer to time for coloring, the texture of my hair gets coarser, so I have started using Straight Works more often in the winter. My daughter, who also has very thick, coarse hair that is also curly/wavy sometimes uses It‘s a 10 that has been mentioned above.