Gray hair has been gaining popularity for the last several years now, which has a lot of women who started going gray now regretting their decision to cover their natural hair color with dye. While growing out your grays can definitely be daunting, there are ways to do it not only successfully — but in style, too! You may have your fine hair techniques nailed down or know how to style your long hair, but it’s a good idea to put together a gray hair toolkit, too. Keep reading to learn how to grow out your grays the right way.
First things first, there are no hard and fast “rules” to growing out your gray. You can decide to go your way and just let it grow out from the roots if you want to. When you look in the mirror, this can take some getting used to it, but it’s a statement-making move if you embrace it. It exudes confidence to let people see that you were gray and were dyeing your hair to cover it up, but now you could care less! Don’t be bound by rules when it comes to growing out your gray — just had to get that out of the way from the get-go!
When you decide to grow out your gray hair, and you want a little help from your trusted stylist, it’s a good idea to make the appointment before your roots start showing. They can give you some lightening treatments to the color you’ve been dyeing your hair and let the change come on a little bit more naturally. If you’ve been dyeing a fairly dark color, the lighter hair tone might be a change you weren’t ready for. In this case, embrace the lighter hair and go bold with your eye makeup or lipstick shade to draw attention from your hair to your face. This process takes longer and is a financial investment, but it’s one that’s worth it if you don’t want to wait for the grow-out approach.
While you’re embracing your gray hairs, you’ll quickly realize that they require a little more tender loving care than your colored hair did. Gray hair can be coarser and sometimes frizzier than your dyed or natural hair color before it starts graying. That’s why it’s essential to invest in a hydrating conditioner and other products to take better care of your hair than you likely ever have. Incorporating hair masks into your showering routine once or twice a week is an excellent idea. Especially during the harsh and dry winter months, you want to nourish your hair with moisture. You’ll also want to ask your hairstylist about what specific styling products you need. If you use heat on your hair regularly, you’ll need a higher temperature for the gray hairs, so make sure to invest in heat protectants as well!
Some women decide to go big or go home when they start going gray. This means they choose to cut all their hair off or even shave their head. Aside from the fact that nothing shows off a gorgeous face like a chic and short haircut, this saves you the pain of having to grow out your natural grays or going through expensive and time-consuming lightening treatments.
If you decide to make the proverbial chop and just start over, be prepared for a bit of a shock, but embrace it for the exciting thing it is! You’ve come this far, baby, and having your natural beauty shine with your entire short ‘do of white or gray is not only empowering but gorgeous. You can also play with makeup more than you typically would or start wearing statement jewelry to draw attention to your face — not to mention a chunky gold necklace pairs phenomenally with a short, gray haircut.
Whether you’re graying in your twenties or you’re approaching sixty, going gray can be an exciting but still emotional time for anyone. If you embrace it, you’ll do just fine. And remember, there’s nothing that a bold, red lip can’t fix! Here’s to you, beautiful!