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).
Be patient with the process.
Aside from the time investment of a salon session, there's how long it takes to fully transition to gray hair, which is anywhere from six months to a year, Ferrara says. "Some people won't have the patience, so they choose to color their hair again," she notes.
But how to blend gray hair into brown or naturally dark hair seamlessly? Less saturated shades of highlights and dyes can make the gray strands less visible. Butterscotch, light auburn, golden brown, ash brown, and pale brunettes are some of the best shades to conceal them.
For grey hair coverage, we generally recommend that you aim to color slightly lighter than the natural hair color level of your client. In this case we would suggest you go for a color starting in level 6 (Dark Blonde) or 7 (Blonde).
Gray blending is a subtle hair color application that oscillates between highlights and balayage. Like a game of chiaroscuro, the colorist will first lighten large sections of hair with a light balayage, then accentuate the effect on a few finer strands to blend in the gray hair naturally present.
Blend Gray Hair with Highlights
One fun option to tackle that gray hair is to head to the salon for some highlights, low lights or a trendy new "gray veiling" technique. Use a mixture of highlighting and low lighting techniques to blend in new colors with your natural hair shade and the new gray strands.
We suggest opting for an all-over color service if you want to fully mask every gray hair on your head with a uniform shade. However, highlighting may be better if your goal is to blend your grays seamlessly.
When you use silver hair dyes, it can last up to 3-4 weeks, depending upon how often you wash your tresses. Using this silver dye, people with light brown, dark blonde hair or dark brown hair can quickly achieve grey shade hair and be able to dye hair dark grey.
Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and Blacks in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.
As of today, there does not seem to be any correlation between the various hair colors vs. the rate of hair turning grey. Melanin comes in two basic varieties, eumalanin and phaeomelanin, which combine in different proportions to create the vast array of hair colors.
The first involves stripping the old dye with a hair color remover, then lightening it to the lightest shade of blonde possible. A base layer is then added over the lightened hair. "The end goal is to get those old, dark ends as light as the roots, while also matching the tone of the gray hair," Deena says.
Lowlights, which, unlike highlights are actually a few shades darker than your hair, bring out the most natural look versus using brighter traditional highlights, says Michael Canalé, Jennifer Aniston's longtime colorist and creator of hair care line Canalé.
Caramel, honey, gold, copper, and strawberry give a healthy brightness that makes us look and feel younger. (Framing your face with lighter shades draws the eye away from any complexion concerns, as well.)
Silver grey hair will look best on olive and fair skin with yellow undertones. If you have a pink tone, your skin may appear red and irritated with a cool grey hue.
Silver, ashy, blond, and platinum are indeed the most popular hair color choices for women over 60.
Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.
Your hair doesn't turn gray — it grows that way.
A single hair grows for one to three years, then you shed it — and grow a new one. As you age, your new hairs are more likely to be white. "Every time the hair regenerates, you have to re-form these pigment-forming cells, and they wear out," says Oro.
Balayage is a smart solution for gray hair because it allows the colorist to specifically target gray strands without touching the scalp. And, because you don't need to do a single process to cancel out a few grays, it's easier on your hair overall.
In fact, hair doesn't actually "turn" gray at all. Once a hair follicle produces hair, the color is set. If a single strand of hair starts out brown (or red or black or blond), it is never going to change its color (unless you color your hair).
Gray Magic adds concentrate red and yellow with wetting agents to replace the lost color pigment and moisture, to 'lock-in' hair color. When added to shampoos or conditioners, will prevent fading and oxidtation for tinted red or warm colors (10 drops per ounce of shampoo or conditioner).