Contrary to what society tells us, gray hair is not a thing to be embarrassed by. Comprising your natural beauty and age should not be scary. It’s not difficult to transition to gray hair, and it can be easier if done correctly.
Are you tired of dying, low lighting, and highlighting your hair constantly? Isn’t it time to embrace your natural grays? Women prefer their natural gray hair instead of touch-ups, as gray has become a trend. Transitioning to gray hair can be challenging. If you’re not sure where to begin, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few tips on transitioning to gray hair based on your hair color. Scroll to find out more!
Ways To Transition To Gray Hair
- The Cold Turkey Method
In the cold turkey method, you let your gray hair grow without putting any effort into it: no touch-ups or anything else except for a haircut here and there.
Cold turkey is an economical way to transition to natural gray hair since it doesn’t require salon visits or harsh chemicals. Nevertheless, the only downside of this method is that it is a lengthy process that requires patience and a lot of time.
After the transition to gray is complete, it may take up to 20 months. You can experiment with makeup and explore outfit shades that complement your new hair color during this time.
Wear hats or wigs to hide those pesky demarcation lines (were newly grown gray hair and dyed hair meet). Additionally, you can try wearing headbands or scarves to solve this problem.
- Salon Transition
The salon transition method is incredibly excellent for women whose professions demand them to be in the public eye. Using this method, you hire a hair professional to handle the transition. Your stylist dyes your hair with an ashy color, which helps hide the sharp difference between your roots and hair ends.
Transitioning this way is faster than going cold turkey. A salon transition is, however, quite expensive and may require several salon visits to achieve the desired results.
There are three most common methods when it comes to the salon transition process:
Method 1: Stripping the old hair color with a hair color remover. This helps change your hair color from dark to a lighter shade, which makes the transition easy.
Method 2: Your hairstylist will lowlight your hair with a darker shade to make it brown. As time progresses, your hairstylist will decrease the number of lowlights and let your natural hair grow in. However, this approach will require frequent visits to the salon.
Method 3: Highlight your strands with a gray color, so your hairstyle does not look weird where your roots are different from your ends. It will also allow your gray strands to blend in with the rest of your hair.
- Dye Strip Method
You dye only a strip of your outer hair in this method and let your gray hair grow underneath. This process requires you to re-dye the outer layer of your hair several times until you are ready to expose your gorgeous gray hair. It can be done at home quickly and doesn’t require frequent visits to the hair salon. However, this method is not suitable for people who are severely allergic to hair dyes.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to the dye strip method.
Step 1: Dye your crown hair with a shade that matches your natural hair color.
Step 2: Part your hair in the middle, and let the newly dyed hair color drape over your grays.
Step 3: Repeat the process after 4-5 weeks.
- Cut Short
Growing out your gray hair fully will take some time. However, opt for short hairstyles like a pixie or a bob cut if you want quicker results. Cutting your hair short helps reduce the growing out phase.
The transition to gray hair varies for people with different hair colors. Let’s take a look.
Transition To Gray Based On Your Hair Color
- From Blonde To Gray Hair
Transitioning from blonde to gray is easier than transitioning from any other hair color and does not require any special effort. The cold turkey is the best for transitioning to gray hair from a blonde. Since blonde and gray hair are of closer shades, growing it out requires minimum effort.
- From Brown To Gray Hair
It may take 6-12 months to transition to gray from brown hair. But during this phase, your hair roots and ends may look very different. Opt for the strip-dye method if you have brown hair. This procedure will help grow your grays.
- From Black To Gray
Transitioning to gray hair from the black can be challenging. If you have black hair, salon transition and a short hairstyle may make it easier for you.
- From Colored To Gray
If your hair is colored with a darker shade, it may be difficult to transition to gray because the distinction between your gray roots and colored ends may look very obvious. However, you can color your hair in a lighter shade, such as platinum blonde, ash, or metallic blonde, to make the transition easy.
Even after you successfully transition to gray hair, you need to keep a few things in mind.
How To Maintain Your Hair After Going Gray
- Avoid exposing your gray hair to the sun as it may turn your hair brassy yellow.
- Use a rich conditioner to prevent your gray hair from drying out. You can also apply a conditioning mask twice a week to keep your hair moisturized.
- Environmental stress can make your gray hair look dull. Hence, it is best to wash your hair every alternate day to keep it healthy and fresh.
- Stay away from thick, heavy hair care products that may weigh your hair down.
Some Additional Tips For Transitioning To Gray Hair
- Embrace Your Roots
The first step in transitioning to gray hair is embracing your graying roots. However, if you are concerned about letting your roots grow gray, visit your hairstylist and develop a plan to make the process easier for you.
- Realize That It Is A Slow Process
Whether your hair is colored or not, growing out your gray locks is a lengthy and slow process. Hence, you have to be patient.
- Upgrade Your Style
Gray hair can make your complexion appear dull. Thus, choose colors that enhance your skin tone and compliment your gray hair. Change your wardrobe and makeup to go with your gray hair.
In A Nutshell: With the proper steps, transitioning to natural gray hair from colored hair can be fun. The tips mentioned in this article will help you embrace your natural grays with grace. So, sit back, enjoy this process of transition, and rock those gorgeous, platinum tresses.