As a general rule, Mike Liang, advanced colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa in New York suggests going gray when you reach 80 percent non-pigmented or white hair. If your hair starts to feel increasingly dry, brittle, or damaged or you experience scalp irritation, it might be time to ditch the dye.
Some women may begin going gray in their 30s or 40s. But for others, the process may begin as early as when they're 20 years old. For some women, hair can be a form of self expression. When it begins to turn gray, some women think nothing of it or even realize that they love their new silvery strands.
Don't assume that grey hair makes you look older
Hair naturally loses pigment as we age, but stylist Paul Falltrick points out that the notion that grey hair makes you look older is increasingly becoming a misnomer: "Grey shades can be stereotyped as ageing, but a clean-looking grey is stunning" he says.
There are basically 3 main ways to transition to naturally gray hair: to let it grow as it is and be patient (a.k.a the “cold turkey” method), to cut your hair very short and regrow it fully gray, or ask your hair colorist to blend your grays with the dyed hair color.
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.
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).
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.
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.
It depends on your skin tone and your shade of gray. Brilliant white, glossy platinum or shiny silver hair is pure genetic luck. It helps if your skin has warm golden undertones or is a rich color. When gray grows in dull, ashy or muddy, it needs help, especially if your complexion is ruddy, sallow or very pale.
2. 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.
As a general rule, Mike Liang, advanced colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa in New York suggests going gray when you reach 80 percent non-pigmented or white hair. If your hair starts to feel increasingly dry, brittle, or damaged or you experience scalp irritation, it might be time to ditch the dye.
Camouflage roots. To avoid a contrast between graying roots and dyed hair, add highlights and lowlights (no more than two shades darker, within your natural color family), which will blend gray. Or cover up roots with a temporary concealer, which lasts until you shampoo.
According to hair biology experts and styling experts alike, grey hair is more resistant to color than younger hair because of its texture. The relative lack of natural oils in the hair compared to younger hair make it a rougher surface that tends to reject the color being applied, especially around the roots.
Grey hair is healthier than artificially colored hair, easier to manage, and not to mention more affordable (for more tips on how to manage your hair see "Hair's Dirty (Half) Dozen").
Silver, ashy, blond, and platinum are indeed the most popular hair color choices for women over 60.
BEST EYEBROW PENCILS FOR GRAY HAIR
If you prefer darker brows, consider trying dark brown, black-brown, taupe, or dark gray shades. If you prefer lighter brows, consider trying light brown, dark blonde, or light gray shades.
'Cool greys are best paired with cooler colour schemes, such as blue, green, and light purple, while warm greys better complement reds, oranges, and yellows. For fans of the monochrome look, incorporate different shades of grey, alongside white and black, to create depth and visual interest.
For the lips, pink, rose, and coral shades are perfect complements to gray hair.
Grey hair and genetics
The average age for grey hair varies greatly, and one of the main causes of grey hair in your 20s is genetics. The age at which a person's hair turns grey is influenced by the IRF4 gene, and one specific variant (rs12203592) is a marker for premature greying.
False. This isn't necessarily true for everyone, says Sobel. By the time people are in their thirties, most have a few strands of gray hair naturally. While some may continue to gray with each passing year, others may just stall at those few strands of gray for years—or even decades—to come.
In those aged 56 to 60, 86 percent had some grey hair, with almost a third of their head having been covered. But not everyone in their 60s had grey hair. Researchers found that 91 percent of 61 to 65-year-olds have, on average, 40 percent of their hair going grey.
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.
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.
Gray hair is thinner than hair with natural color because its cuticle is thinner. Your hair needs that natural protection from water, ultraviolet rays from the sun, humidity, chemicals, and heat styling. Without that barrier, your hair loses water. So your gray will feel dry, fragile, and coarse.