Lockdown was responsible for some dubious beauty trends, from home haircuts (our fringes have only just recovered) to attempted DIY waxes (never again), but one trend borne out of necessity now looks set to stay - embracing our natural grey hair.
Many women and men took the enforced hibernation as the right time to grow out their grey and have never looked back. Our editor Jo Hoare did just that and shares her tips for successfully embracing the silver.
1. Get some inspiration
Plenty of celebrities are rocking the grey right now and are the perfect inspo. Ru Paul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage has a super glamorous silver streak, comedian Dawn French’s grey crop/quiff combo is modern and chic, and Kiss FM radio presenter Harriet Rose is flying the flag for young and grey.
Instagram is also a great place to follow people on their grey journey. Try searching the hashtags #greyhairdontcare #greyhairmovement and #greyhairtransition to find someone with a similar hair type, shade or texture as you.
2. Remember retouching is there if you need it
Got an important occasion and don’t want an inch of skunk root to be looking at you in photos for years to come?
If you’re going to a wedding or similar and want to cover up for the day, then a washable root spray will temporarily mask your roots.
Opt for a spray for all over regrowth or a wand to touch up odd hairs.
Try: Root Perfect Instant Root Concealer Spray and Root Perfect Instant Root Concealer Wand
3. Consider a cut
If you’re starting to get fed up with growing out your grey, then a substantial chop could be the solution. The more hair you take off, the closer you’ll be to root-to-end uniform colour.
Beware of going too short though. If you’re used to long hair, a big length and colour change can feel like a shock and may leave you feeling like you look older.
4. Work on the condition
Grey hair tends to be coarser and frizzier than your old colour because you produce less sebum, which means less natural oil in the hair. You may also notice a change in the texture of your greys, from straight to curly and vice versa.
Combat this by being careful about heat styling - alternating heat and heatless days, and using a heat protectant, and packing your haircare routine full of oil-rich products.
Try: Argan+ Rescue and Repair Hair Mask
5. Help to shine
Grey hair can be trickier to get that ‘mirror-like shine’ on, especially if you’re used to the reflectiveness of black or brunette tones, but with a little help it can be done.
Shine boosting shampoos and conditioners are the best place to start and straighter styles tend to reflect more light and shine than curls and waves.
Use a round brush when blow drying and your nozzle attachment on your hairdryer to get the smoothest finish.
6. Be patient
Hair typically grows about a half an inch a month, so if you’ve got a shoulder length cut, expect to wait around two years before you’re fully grey.
One way to motivate yourself is to put aside the money you’re saving on salon colours and have a ‘grey goal’ you treat yourself to every six months or so. If you were spending £100 plus every eight weeks covering your roots, that’s £600 a year you’re getting back for yourself.
Missing a salon pamper? Book in for a treatment and blow dry to give you a boost.
Searching for more hair inspo? Discover our spring hair predictions.
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