The Grey Hair Movement
At HEIR Salon we are finding that lots of our lovely clients are embracing the ‘au natural’ look and now even some celebrities are ditching the dye.
On the Cannes 2021 red carpet we saw a wave of grey haired beauties, from the peppery curls of Andie MacDowell (OMG those curls!) to the effortless silver top knot of Helen Mirren (our fave!). 🤩
With these ladies proving that grey hair can look oh, so, stylish, where does that leave us mere mortals?
Should we embrace the grey?
Well one thing is for certain…‘Ditching the dye is not always a quick fix, but rather a journey that you go on.
There simply isn’t a quick fix’, explains Natalie, HEIR salon owner and educator.
After embracing her natural grey in 2019 Natalie knows first hand what the journey to silver hair looks like!
There are usually three ways you can go about this journey,
1) Go cold turkey and let your dyed hair grow out.
This is probably the least favourable option as the first 6-12 months especially can look like you’ve just not bothered with your hair.
If your hair is past shoulder length you could expect this process to take up to two years before the dye is out. Regular trims will help to keep your hair healthy and cut away the colour.
Or opt for a shorter pixie style to cut away the dyed hair.
2) Opt for baby lights to break up the dye and start to blend the greys.
This option is fairly common but again, this is not a quick fix but rather a journey.
Natalie explains that ‘baby lights can be a great option to break up a dye and help the grey to blend but, lightening the hair which has artificial pigment will mean a warm result. Which usually is not the look clients are after.
To overcome this warmth we highly recommend a toning service on the day of the babylights appointment and possibly even on between appointments depending on how much warmth is present.
On top of this, the correct aftercare is absolutely essential.
To maintain the silver babylights toning shampoo and conditioner should most definitely be used, otherwise the hair will start to appear warm again.
Be warned though, this journey might visibly look like it’s the best option however in the short term you will initially have longer appointments in the salon then you are used to, the cost of your appointments are likely to be higher and the maintenance and aftercare is an essential step.
3) Cleanse the dye.
This option is not for the faint hearted.
It can involve a couple of long sessions in the salon with just days or a week in between appts.
Natalie says ‘as hairdressers we often refer to this type of appointment as a colour correction, the most essential step here would be to strand test and continuously keep an eye on the elasticity (hair strength) during this process.
What we are opting to do in this case is deeply cleanse out the dye to reveal the natural undercoats of the client leaving the hair free of artificial pigments’.
The reason that it isn’t for the faint hearted?
Well depending on the depth the hair starts at (the darker the hair to begin with the longer this step can take) the client will see their hair transition through being red, orange and possibly yellow first.
Yep, we know what you’re thinking, red, orange and yellow is nothing like the grey or silver tone that is desired?!
We hear you! Unfortunately, there isn’t a single head of hair that has natural pigment present on this planet that won’t lift with these warm colours, and when exposed, the natural pigment can also look very raw!
The next step from this could involve a few days break with some conditioning or strengthening treatments before the next phase, which could include lightening again.
All in all, this process could take anywhere between 2-4 initial visits in quick succession to the salon.
The end result?
Well this end result is likely to be the quickest transformation but a word of warning again… this hair is still dyed, it isn’t natural so some growing out might still be required, however the grey hair is likely to blend much better. Aftercare is absolutely essential to this option as well.
Besides the initial time commitment in the salon, home care is likely to include toning shampoo and conditioner to keep the warmth at bay, conditioning treatments and in between toning appointments.
So, whichever option you chose, we recommend a very thorough, in depth consultation takes place first. Skin testing and strand testing will be a crucial step and be prepared to see warmth in your hair before you get to that desired shade.
We have been seeing huge success with grey blending at HEIR Salon, if you want to discuss your options to embrace the grey, follow the link here to book a consultation!