Are you going through that moment where you ask yourself, "should I keep dying my hair or just go for it and let my natural gray come on out and shine"?We've been there and done that and let me tell you, it's worth transitioning to natural color. I had skunk hair about every two weeks, so the maintenance was just getting to me.
It took me about a year to fully grow the dyed part of my hair out. If I were brave at the time, which I wasn't, I would have just got a super short haircut and then let it grow out. But I didn't, so, therefore, I chose to highlight with blonde coloring so it wouldn't be so noticeable.
I'm going to share with you tips to help you with your transition from well-known companies such as Good Housekeeping and others.
Good Housekeeping had 5 tips to go gray.
- A color correction can save you from growing it out. You have the option of essentially getting a "color correction," but instead of correcting it your natural or dyed color, your colorists correct it to be more like the gray shade growing in.
- The transition process is more like getting highlights. It's best to wait for at least 2-inch growth before beginning the process of highlighting.
- It can take a while and get expensive. If you've never lightened your hair before, you could find yourself in the salon for an unexpected length of time during the coloring process. The initial highlighting session isn't the only thing that can take a while. It can take anywhere from six months to a year to fully go from color to gray. But there are simpler, less expensive ways to transition to gray.
- Some upkeep is required before your color is fully grown out. As with going platinum or any cooler blonde shade, you may find that the gray "highlights" get a little brassy. The highlighted parts turn a bit yellow once the gray toner starts washing out. Your colorist may also recommend coming in for more toner or glosses during the course of your transition. Usually, you will have to gloss every once in a while to keep the brassiness at bay. To help keep warm yellow tones at bay with less frequent salon visits, consider using a purple-toned shampoo like Clairol Shimmer Lights. This balances out brassiness and keeps your gray a gorgeous silver shade.
- It's an adjustment but worth it.
Here's a progression of my hair which took about a year to fully grow out the gray.
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| Christmas 2008 |
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| July 2009 |
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| October 2009 |
- Transition to Gray Hair with Lowlights. Lowlights will help to soften the transition to gray. They require little maintenance in the future – the only trick is to add lowlights that would pair well with your natural hair color.
- Transition to Gray Hair with Highlights. If you can’t stand waiting and worrying about how your grown-out roots look, you can ask your hairstylist to blend your gray hair with highlights. This way, you will be able to make this transition little by little. And no one will notice any striking changes in your appearance.
- Balayage for Gray Hair. There are many ways to get highlights: you can try ombre, babylights, chunky streaks in your hair, etc. But the most popular way of blending gray hair with highlights is with the help of the balayage technique. Ask your hairstylist to choose the shade and placement that will suit you best.
- Transitioning from Blonde to Gray. If you’ve been a blonde for a while and you decide to grow out your naturally gray hair color, you’re pretty much in a winning position, as you don’t have to make any special efforts to achieve this. Embrace your hair growing gray and soften the demarcation line between gray roots and the dyed blonde hair lengths.
- THIS WAS ME! Brown Transition to Gray Hair. If you are brave and want to go from dark brown to gray, you’ll need to keep in mind that for 6-12 months you will have to be patient enough and pay more attention to your hair. Again, to make the transition less noticeable, you can ask your hairstylist to highlight your hair to make your natural gray strands look purposeful. Or you can focus on styling – various hairstyles will help you look neater while you’ll be growing out gray roots.
- Salt and Pepper Hair. When gray hair appears uneven and gray strands mix with darker ones you get the so-called “salt-and-pepper” effect. You can also use highlights and lowlights to achieve a similar natural look. Try tinted balms and the technique of gray blending for hair that will allow you to try on a new style without causing much damage to the hair.
- Best Haircuts for Going Gray. The silver shine in a combination with a stylish haircut delivers elegance and gracefulness to the whole look. So, your next step to your natural gray hair will be to choose the right haircut. Will it be a short crop, a medium bob, or a long layered hairstyle? Pin
- Short Haircuts for Transitioning to Gray Hair. Of course, it is easier to go gray if you have a crop. Short and medium-length cuts for gray hair are much easier to care for as they require less time for styling and hold their shape better. So, if you are ready for radical changes in order to successfully grow gray hair, go for a short hairstyle. Get rid of dyed hair in one fell swoop by getting a buzz cut. Shaved haircuts usually suit oval faces with proportional features and a beautiful high forehead.
- Additional Tips for Transitioning. There are a few tips that will help you avoid some common mistakes and achieve the best result while transitioning to gray hair. For example, stylists advise not to lighten natural salt-and-pepper hair color more than three levels in a single process.
- Gray Hair Upkeep. Now that you know how to go gray, you’ll need to learn how to take care of it. Here are some simple tips. First of all, use a purple shampoo to neutralize the undesired yellow pigment. It will give silvery radiance to your natural gray color. Try to minimize the usage of hot appliances. Since gray hair can also turn yellow after heat treatment. Use a hairdryer or a curling iron only when necessary.
I hope this helps you in your journey to go gray. If you have questions or helpful hints to the rest of us, please comment and share your knowledge.
Sending our love and best wishes,
~Kelly
Sassy Silver Sisters
Cathy, Rhonda & Kelly
💓💓💓
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