Tips and tricks to help you go grey in style

Going grey can be a tough process, especially for those with darker hair where the contrast between the shades is much more noticeable. But there is one easy way of making this transition less jarring, and that would be to preemptively dye your hair blonde.

Although it might not be the answer for everyone, Faith Williams, owner of leading blonde specialist hair salon BLONDEE, said that going lighter could be the key to blending greys and avoiding those dreaded monthly touch-ups.

“If you are going grey and don’t want to have your regrowth done every four to six weeks, going lighter is a great way to help blend your sparkles so they won’t be as contrasting as they are when you have a solid darker colour,” she said. “Instead of getting your regrowth done every four to six weeks, you may get up to six to 10 weeks depending on how light you go.”

Going blonde and getting the right shade

Going blonde is no small feat, especially if you have a naturally darker hair tone. Plus, with ageing inevitably comes the appearance of thinner and more brittle hair meaning adding dye could do more harm than good.

According to Faith, if the condition of the hair is already compromised and the hairdresser doesn’t think it can handle the dye, they might suggest a home-care routine instead that includes going into the salon for regular trims over a period of time until the hair is healthy enough. But for those who already have lighter hair, a permanent or semi-blonde colour is a great option as it won’t do too much damage thanks to the colour being quite gentle on the cuticle.

Once your greys start appearing, deciding which shade of blonde will mix best with them is the next step. Faith said this is all about choosing the right shade that will not only complement your natural hair colour but also your skin tone.

“Grey hair is a cool shade so depending on what look you are going for, using a little bit of a cream or beige colour can help to add a little bit more colour to the grey and also give your skin some colour,” she said. “Don’t do anything too warm or yellow as that will clash against the coolness of the grey hair.”

Maintaining it the right way

Keeping your hair as healthy as possible is key when using any kind of product or dye. Faith said the first rule is to always take advice from your hairdresser about which products to use at home including shampoos, treatments and styling products that will help transform your style.

“Unfortunately, going blonde means that you won’t have quite as much shine as you would having darker hair, so using some styling products that have some shine in them will help to keep your blonde shimmering,” she said.

But when it comes to home jobs, Faith insisted she never recommends doing any kind of bleaching at home. However, there are some great semi-permanent colours that can help maintain the blonde colour in between salon visits for those on a budget.

“Fabuloso has some of my favourite at home toner conditioners which you can use once a week to help prolong your colour,” she said. “I would recommend searching for a stockist near you as they can help you choose the right shade and tone for your hair and skin colour.”

Embracing the greys

For those who are done with the blonde transition and are looking to go all grey and grow out any artificial colour, Faith said the first step is to go lighter. While sometimes grey hair can look a bit flat or dull, adding in a few extras could be the solution.

“Once you eventually get your hair lighter and remove the artificial colour, micro blonde highlights look absolutely beautiful in grey hair,” she said. “You may also alternate different shades of blonde highlights or you can even do an all over semi-permanent to add the slightest bit of colour to your greys without it creating a regrowth line.”

And unless the hair is completely white, Faith recommended adding in some highlights to avoid that washed out look. In addition to this, having a sharper, more structured pixie cut or very short-styled hairdo could also help make the grey colour really pop!