Ready to embrace your grays, but don’t know where to start? If you’ve been coloring your hair for any length of time, you’re probably used to the stark line of demarcation that becomes more visible with growth. And when your natural color is graying, that line can be even more noticeable. So, how do you stop dyeing your hair and embrace gray without that horribly awkward grow-out phase? This expert-approved guide will take you fully gray in a smooth, strand-safe way that grows out gorgeous.
Featured Experts:
- Matt Rez is a celebrity colorist
- Taya Tkachuk is a pro-colorist and educator
- Rita Hazan is a celebrity colorist
Go Gray Without the Awkward Grow-Out
Expert colorist and color educator, Taya Tkachuk, explains that adding highlights around that line of demarcation can help hide the abrupt change from gray to color. “A smooth gray transition is all about blending and softening the contrast between new growth and previous color,” she says. “I usually recommend starting with highlights or babylights around the hairline and part line to blur the demarcation line. Sometimes we’ll also tone the rest of the hair to reduce warmth and better match the cool tone of the natural grays.”
You can also work to eliminate your base color to reveal more gray and white strands outside of new-growth. “I would start eliminating a base color that’s covering the white hair either by lightening the formula over time or by using more of a highlighting or low-lighting technique to transition out of the base and break any lines of demarcation,” says celebrity colorist Matt Rez. “The exact method would depend on the client’s percentage of white versus pigmented hair. Gray is a grayscale, no pun intended. So, how much foiling is done to eliminate the old base color (if there is any) all relies on percentage of white versus dark [hair color].”
But still, this is a process, and typically not a one-and-done treatment.
“I’m not one who will go in and get rid of all existing color at once to do a salt and pepper foiling pattern to recreate the natural gray pattern of the client,” Rez explains. “I like a more conservative route and to let the natural gray pattern come in with my help.”
Your Timeline to Going Gray
Both of these approaches rely on transitioning your strands overtime, keeping them healthy along the way. That means going completely gray can take a bit of time.
“Going fully gray can take anywhere from a few months to a few years or longer, depending on your method,” says celebrity colorist Rita Hazan. “Natural grow-out is slower and influenced by hair length, growth rate, past dye and genetics. Blending with color can speed things up but needs regular maintenance.”
You can expect to transition over a minimum of a few salon appointments to maintain the health of your hair.
Hair Care for Your Transitioning Strands
