If you look at a red carpet or scroll through social media you’ll see that grey is very much in. We’re talking about all kinds of colours and styles as well. Andie MacDowell has long waves, and Sarah Jessica Parker has a few grey roots. If you want to accept what you have, there has never been more inspiration available.
If you can relate, you should know that taking care of grey hair is different from what you might be used to. Changes in pigment change the texture, and the new colour lets you mix and match the colours you wear. Here, we’ve asked the experts what tips you should know if you want to grab the grey.
Condition is everything.
Hair can become brittle and frizzy when it loses pigment, but if you use shampoos and conditioners with hydrating ingredients instead of your regular ones, you’ll soon see an improvement in texture. Prima loves the Garnier Ultimate Blends Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner, which cost £6 each.
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“Try to switch between different masks twice a week,” says Zoë Irwin, creative director at John Frieda. Grey hair needs both protein to stay strong (try Palmer’s Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack, £3) and moisture more than you think to move and bounce. John Frieda Hydrate & Recharge Masque, £6.99, will help you get more moisture levels.
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On a brighter note, the rough and wavy texture of grey hair can sometimes help with styling. “People who have always had limp hair may notice that it feels and looks thicker and has more body when it starts to turn grey,” says hairstylist Larry King.
Something is wrong with the water
Now might be a good time to think about how hard water affects hair if you’ve never thought about it before. Minerals and metals that build up on hair make it look dull dark and flat.
Step in Colour Wow Dream Filter, £26, a pre shampoo treatment spray with high tech filters that act like magnets, grabbing and gently pulling out deposits to make the colour clearer and brighter. Or, instead of your regular shampoo use Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo, which costs £32, twice a week to really clean your hair.A purple toner will help salt and pepper greys.
Setting the mood
A purple shampoo gets rid of the yellow tones that often show up in grey hair by correcting the colour. Prima loves the £5.99 John Frieda Shimmering Silver Shampoo. They also help bring back lost shine because cool purple tones like blueish violet and indigo reflect more light than warm yellow and orange tones.
Try an at home semi permanent toner if your greys still need a little help. They have more pigment which makes hair look deeper. We like the Josh Wood Shade Shot Gloss in Icy Blonde, which costs £19 and can be used once a week. Josh says, “Salt and pepper greys will also look better with a purple toner because it will make the lighter strands sharper and give them a sparkly finish look.”
Think pink
Grey strands don’t have any natural colour, so they’re great for trying out fun colours. Peach and soft pink colours make you look younger and fresher. Stay away from mint or blue tones that are cooler and harder to wear because they don’t look as good.
If you want a temporary pop of pink, try Moroccanoil Colour Depositing Mask in Rose Gold. It costs £6.85 and conditions your hair while it colours. They should wash out after one to three shampoos.
Finish in a modern way
Blow-drying can be hard because grey hair doesn’t have a consistent texture; it can be straight in some places and curly in others.
Jonathan Soons, the art director at Headmasters, says that to keep hair looking modern and not too done, you should put the rollers away and use a small bristle brush like the ghd Ceramic Vented Radial Brush Size 2, which costs £15. This brush grabs short frizzy hairs and smooths them back into place while also adding volume Temporary root cover-up might become your new best friend.
Take hold of the grey
If you’re not sure you’re ready to go grey and are worried about how your hair will grow back, temporary root touch-ups like L’Oréal Paris Magic Retouch Instant Root Concealer Spray (£10) and Superdrug Instant Root Cover (£5) are your new best friends.
You can mix them into your roots to hide the growing out phase, which can last anywhere from a few months to more than a year, depending on how much grey hair you have, how long it is, and what colour you’ve been dyeing it.
