“Fed up of being sat in that salon chair every four to six weeks for a color touch-up and feeling like you almost need it done every three? Gray blending is the perfect solution,” says colorist Charlotte Rowley. Meant to extend your color and make your gray grow out seamless, gray blending has become more in demand as the silver hair movement continues to gain steam.
“In the day and age of natural blending color, why should gray-haired clients miss out?” wonders Rowley. Think of gray blending as a balayage-esque technique for those with silver strands. Want more insight? The experts dive in on the benefits and process below.
Featured experts
- Charlotte Rowley is a professional colorist
- Rosie Baylis is a gray blending expert
What is gray blending?
“Gray blending is a specialist coloring technique that allows clients to transition from dyed hair to their natural grays in a soft, seamless way,” explains gray blending expert Rosie Baylis. “Rather than covering the gray with solid color, the aim is to blend it using advanced placement techniques that work with the client’s natural tones.” Rowley notes that it’s the perfect soft transition for clients trying to extend the life of their color.
The technique is not one size fits all and should be tailored to each client’s hair texture, skin tone and lifestyle, says Baylis. She notes that in most cases, it will involve “extremely fine highlights (also known as micro-weaves) that mimic the natural scatter of gray hairs and make the grow-out almost undetectable.”
The benefits of gray blending
Low maintenance
Gray blending has the potential to make the stage of going gray much smoother. “Gray blending will create a seamless blend and look much more natural,” says Rowley. When done well, clients can go months between appointments without harsh demarcation lines, making it more low-maintenance than most gray hair routines, says Baylis.
Empowering and freeing
Going gray can sometimes become a strain on your confidence or sense of self, but it doesn’t have to be. Baylis says many clients describe leaning into gray blending “as a deeply personal decision that reconnects them with their natural identity.”
Healthier hair
“Blending techniques are often gentler on the hair than regular root touch-ups or harsh box dyes,” says Baylis, making gray blending a better option for maintaining hair health.
Personalized treatment
“Every transformation is custom-designed; this isn’t about trends, it’s about the individual,” says Baylis. “Each transformation is entirely bespoke. No two heads of hair are the same.” In the past, going blonde might have seemed like one of the only options for those trying to transition to gray slowly, but that’s no longer the case as there are now many options, says Rowley. “You can still keep a more brunette look without it being high maintenance like block color.”
Preparing for your gray blending appointment
Before your gray blending appointment, you’ll likely have a consultation with your colorist. Rowley says it’s important to discuss how much gray you want visible and your end goal—do you want to eventually be mostly gray or just extend the life of your color for longer? She says it’s also helpful to know whether you see yourself as blonde or brunette and whether you want a slow transition with time to adjust or a big shift in one session.
How much does gray blending cost?
As with any hair service, the price can vary greatly depending on location, the professional doing it, and what it includes. We’ve found that gray blending tends to cost anywhere between $150 to $600. “This may sound expensive but remember you’re stretching your appointments out much longer with this style of coloring, so actually, this is an investment,” says Rowley.
On the high end, getting a gray blending transformation from Baylis would cost upwards of $7,000. “This reflects the time, expertise, and bespoke nature of each transformation, many of which span six to eight hours in the salon and include comprehensive aftercare.”
