am not quite at that stage where I think I'm ready for all gray. (I'm only...48 - wait a minute...there's no way I can be 48...born in 1960....yeah I guess that's right 48 - egaads!) :-) Anyway...maybe I should start just going gray, but just bought the hair color so will use it. I'd love to have a hairdresser color my hair but I can't afford monthly trips to the beauty salon. I just got this shampoo and conditioner from a hair salon, but when I'm out I'm going to use the stuff you suggested. I also have a jar of cholesterol hair conditioner, so I'm going to try that too and hopefully it will make it softer. I used to have such beautiful hair a few years back. Natural curls, and all the hairdressers that cut my hair said how everyone wishes they had hair like mine. Over the past few years I've noticed my hair thinning (going bald) towards the front. I also don't have any more natural curls like I used to and now I have to keep my hair shorter because if it goes longer it just looks stringy. I only wash my hair about once every 3 days. I figured seeing as I sit at my desk every day and only go out of the house once every other weekend to grocery shop there's no need to wash it so much. Thanks for the tips. I should put a post up in about a month with an update of how my hair turns out :-) or if I do end up just "doing the gray thing".