How to Go Gray As Gracefully As Possible
The last few years have been huge for gray hair. We’ve seen silver hues go from a stigmatized sign of aging to a trendy color choice for all ages. But for those who embrace their naturally graying hair, you know the transition doesn’t happen overnight. Going gray requires more care and dedication than simply waiting for the rest of your head to catch up with your roots. How to make the transition to your natural gray as elegant as possible?
While the transition to gray takes time, there are plenty of tricks to make the most of the process. Here’s what you need to know about how to take the plunge and look your best while you’re going gray.
Once you decide to go gray, stick with it.
Understand that gray hair requires patience. While there may be times when you’re tempted to color your hair along the way, your best course of action is to leave it on. To make the right decision to go gray, it is helpful to have a plan. To some, this may seem like the gradual introduction of a professional colorist; for others, it may mean a drastic haircut to get you into a ” no turning back ” mentality. Read on to find out which course of action is best for you.
Invest in purple shampoo
Whatever your gray hair method, you need to achieve the most pleasing shade of gray possible. The right toning shampoo helps keep that awful copper effect under control. Anyone who has ever dyed their hair blonde can tell you that purple shampoo effectively neutralizes copper and yellow tones.
Why purple? Lisa Fennessy from This Organic Girl explains what the basic theory of color is: yellow is opposite purple on the color wheel, which means the two hues cancel each other out. If your hair has yellow and copper tones, a pigmented purple shampoo will neutralize that heat.
Treat it like getting highlights
Naturally, letting your roots grow is without a doubt the cheapest method, but you sacrifice time and style. Consider getting advice from a professional colorist who can help you gradually lighten up your entire head, instead of sitting back and waiting for your roots to take over.
If you’ve never bleached your hair before, be aware that you can sit in the salon for hours. In addition to a lengthy first session, it can take anywhere from six months to a year to fully transition from color to grey, according to Good Housekeeping . You will seamlessly transition to your new gray look, but all the accentuating appointments can add up to a significant cost over time.
Become completely gray at once
This is the “rip the band-aid” approach. If your roots are already gray, you can simply color the rest of your hair to match. Plus, as your natural grays grow back, the transition won’t be as worrisome – you’ve already prevented it.
Here is our guide to hair coloring and care . One of the biggest downsides to coloring your hair is the constant maintenance (read: time and money). Luckily, the goal here is to achieve a color that will eventually outperform your natural grey, freeing you from the coloring process in the long run. As mentioned above, this may require months of maintenance before you get to this point.
If coloring the entire head is too difficult, you can first color the hair with temporary dyes.
Start the process with a radical haircut
Some people are afraid of the ombre, where the top of the head is naturally gray and the rest of the head is still a different color. (Personally, I think the ombre looks amazing.) If you’re all set, a big haircut is the easiest way to get your whole head gray at once.
However, it is important to consider the potential emotions that come with this kind of change. You will be asking yourself to adapt to two drastic changes in your appearance at the same time, and you will need to manage your expectations accordingly. Take your time unless you’re used to making major changes to your look in one fell swoop.
Keep it soft and shiny
Naturally gray hair tends to be coarse or dry. Invest in moisturizing and smoothing hair masks to make your hair as soft and shiny as possible. For extra sparkle , experiment with rice water . You can also keep your hair healthy by getting rid of split ends yourself.
Find inspiration online
At the time of researching this article, there was no shortage of blogs and Instagram accounts dedicated to the graying process. Not only can you find inspiration in different types of looks, but there is also a thriving community full of people supporting each other during this transition. Most of us grew up assuming that graying is something to be avoided at all costs. Now you can find solace in an online community full of gray positivity.