The grey hair trend is forever evolving… for the better. Whether you’re just starting to notice the odd grey strand, or are finally ready to embrace grey hair for good, there are ways to go about it that will protect the overall health of your hair.
How do you transition to grey hair?
Nicola Clarke, creative colour director at John Frieda and the woman responsible for the aspirational manes of countless A-list celebrities (think Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Madonna and Kate Moss), explains how she would approach taking a client grey using highlights: “The first thing I would do is to establish whether you have as much grey as you think you do. Some people think they’re really grey, and actually they have more of their natural colour than they thought.” This would make going fully grey more work in the long run, she explains. “You would end up with dark roots,” says Clarke, who noticed far more women coming into the salon wanting to embrace, rather than hide their grey hair after lockdown.
Good things take time
“Be willing to block out the time,” says Clarke, who explains that shifting already highlighted hair towards grey can often require back to back appointment slots. With someone who is growing their old colour out from a tint, she says, she often suggests back to back highlights. A process that “can take up to a day”, she warns.
Don’t forget about hair health
Clarke also cautions that lightening the hair to go grey can compromise its overall health. “You will be bleaching out a lot of old colour, so your hair may feel dryer than normal. This needs to be taken into consideration – arm yourself with plenty of hydrating hair masks and conditioners.” That said: “Once the transformation is complete, the top up [appointments] would be months apart, as opposed to weeks.” (You could call it a silver lining.) “There is a chance you might need an ash toner once a month if you’re a brunette,” points out Clarke, “as the grey colour throws up a lot of gold or orange shades, but the toner would counteract any of these brassy tones.”
What to ask your colourist when transitioning to grey hair
“When you’re with your colourist, ask for a colour blend,” says Adam Reed, hairstylist and founder of Arkive Headcare, adding that he recommends a bespoke approach depending on how much grey you have. He also suggests bringing in pictures of grey hair shades that you like – but also those you are not keen on. “Finding a colour that blends in with what grey you have and your natural hair – as they are two totally different colours – is important, but it’s also key to choose a colour that you like.”
Why highlights help with transitioning to grey
“One shade will always show up more on natural greys,” points out Reed, which is why a blend is often a better option. “Going lighter can really help as the existing grey pieces will already be lighter than your natural hair, but remember that transitioning to grey with highlights is all about blending them in,” he says, especially when you are beginning to go grey, but far from all the way there. “It’s about scattering the strands with highlights until you go completely grey,” says Reed, who points to Sarah Jessica Parker and supermodel Kristen McMenamy as two women who made greying look good. We couldn’t agree more.