If you're looking to take the plunge and go gray, the first step is to stop coloring your roots. To avoid a harsh line of demarcation, you can head to the salon and have your colorist use the root smudging technique to blend your natural gray roots with the lengths of your hair.
There are three main ways of transitioning to gray hair from dyed hair: the cold turkey method (letting the dye grow out or cutting it out), the salon transition (having a stylist blend your dyed hair to match your natural gray), or the dye-strip technique (a combination of various methods).
GET A HAIRCUT
For folks who have shorter hair, the transition to gray is a lot faster than if you have a longer hairstyle. As an option, growing out your hair for at least 2-3 months and cutting off the dyed parts can give you a fun pixie cut.
22. Neutral Blonde to Ash Gray. Think of the effect you want to achieve at the end of the day: if your aim to dial down your grays, cool-tone blondes will work better than bright silver.
And your hair might feel healthier
While hair dyes and techniques have come a long way since their follicle-frying beginnings, they do still leave some damage. Taking a hiatus from color will help your hair return to its previous state--especially as dyed ends get chopped off.
To avoid a harsh line of demarcation, you can head to the salon and have your colorist use the root smudging technique to blend your natural gray roots with the lengths of your hair. This will allow for a gradual transition between hues as your hair continues to grow.
"To blend that line of demarcation, ask your hairstylist to paint babylights (very thin highlights) throughout your hair," suggests Martin. "This will help to blend those grays in with your colored hair, creating an allover salt and pepper effect."
According to Bellemare, purple shampoo is a great option for those with gray hair as it can help neutralize yellow tones. This brassiness can develop from environmental factors such as pollution, UV exposure, hard water, heat styling and product buildup, says Bellemare.
Root melting creates depth and dimension within your color, creating a 'lived in' look. This look is low maintenance as it lets you embrace your roots and natural color while also having the lightness and brightness of highlights or balayage lower down. A root melt is for clients who love a deep-rooted look.
Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda can be an effective way to remove permanent hair dye naturally because of its lightening properties. Try mixing baking soda with lemon juice, which is acidic, to create a paste. Then, work the paste through your hair, allow it to sit for five minutes, and rinse thoroughly.
Gray blending is a hair coloring technique that involves blending gray hairs with your base color to help soften the contrast between shades. Typically, the process involves either highlighting your hair or adding lowlights.
Some people will begin to see their first gray hairs in their 20s. This is known as premature hair graying and can be caused by genetics and psychological stress. The most notable signs of graying tend to occur in the 30s and 40s and a significant, or full graying, starts around 50 years of age.
You can remove dyed hair color to go fully gray. "Removing hair color can be done at home or in a salon by using hair stripping products that work by opening the cuticles [hair's outer layer] and breaking down dye molecules inside the cortex so they can be rinsed out," she explains.
Neutral shades like soft blonde, mushroom brown, light copper, and caramel blonde balayage are the easiest to blend gray into (and maintain over time without wanting to shave your hair off).
A more graduated haircut such as the 'lob' – a long bob that sits slightly beneath the jawline at the front – is a great alternative. “The subtle layers will frame the face, making it appear fuller.” Softer styling also creates a youthful effect.
Because there are a couple of ways to go about gray blending (more on that later) and depending on how much gray you want to blend, prices may vary. She says that a gloss can be around $150 while doing mini highlights can cost about $200.
Be prepared to wait it out
We are commonly asked how long does it take to grow out grey hair, the quickest I've ever seen anybody be able to transition was around nine months, but realistically, it probably takes around 18 months to get to a point you're happy with.
If your client can't seem to keep their gray hair or roots covered for long, it may be time to discontinue using hair dye. Going to the salon every two weeks for treatment is too often, and along with all the damage it can do to their hair, it can also be expensive over time.
Blending gray hair with highlights and lowlights is the ideal solution if you do not want to cover the gray all over but rather embrace your gray, and enhance your natural dimension. This also leads to a much more low maintenance regrowth with less commitment for upkeep.
Generally speaking, though, you can expect permanent hair dye to last anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks. If you have any concerns about using permanent hair dye on your hair, be sure to speak with a professional stylist before making the commitment.