The Silver/Grey Hair Trend Is Not What You Think

The “Granny” Hair Trend Is Making Grey Hair fashionable

Beautiful images of women with silver or grey hair are all over the internet right now. Several times a week, I have guests ask me if they should let their hair go grey. Generally, I’m not a fan. Most people look best in warmer colors, and hair color is an important accessory as makeup. Some women with very cool skin  tone and the right coloring pull it of well, but I usually encourage my guests to keep coloring their hair.

When it’s time to segue into letting your hair go grey, there are a number of ways of doing it. The goal is to make the transition between the colored hair and the uncolored hair less noticeable. We can foil in color to make less of a line of demarcation, slowly lighten the color over time, or us a color technique that doesn’t cover the grey completely. None of the options are fantastic, but over time they get the job done, and you can let you color go natural.

Actual grey hair

Lately I have had a lot of women come in with pictures of the “granny” hair trend, where the hair is toned silver or grey. In fact, on the day I’m writing this, when I search “grey hair”on the internet, there are more pictures of bleached hair toned grey than actual grey hair.  They are a fashionable alternative to more traditional platinum or champagne toners. It’s no surprise silver is so popular at a time when so many colorful pastels are being worn.I love these colors, especially the silver ones. I have several clients I use these colors on to great effect.

Unfortunately, many people have seen it as an opportunity to transition into grey hair. Visually, this makes sense. Why not color my hair grey, and just let my hair grow out? There are several reason why this won’t work.

First, in order to get to a silver or grey, the hair must be lightened to a very pale yellow, almost white. If you have artificial color on your hair, this very unlikely to happen. In an effort to avoid having to color your hair, you will have to undergo the most time consuming, expensive, and damaging color process you have ever had. And it may not even work. I have had consultations with several clients this month asking me if I can fix the bad results they got from stylists attempting to accomplish this. Some hair will not get that light and still be in acceptable condition.

Secondly, your hair that is growing out is still not going to look anything like a silver double process blonde. Natural grey hair has lots of variation that can’t be faked well by a colorist. You will still have crazy regrowth. In order to maintain the look, frequent toning will be required. Silver and grey hair after a few weeks will simple just look super blonde.

If you are very blonde, and are already lighting your hair very light, the granny trend is a fun way to change it up. There are many different versions of the silver and grey, from very light to dark and steely. If extremely cool tones work well on you, there are many to choose from. Avoid these colors if you have a warm undertone to your skin, and be prepared to refresh the toner frequently to maintain the look.