Going grey? How to enhance, hide or blend grey hair
Grey hair has always got a bit of a bad rap – let’s stop that.
Whether you want to blend it, hide it, or flaunt it, our goal is to achieve an evolution of your personal style. We’ve sat down with Declan Haworth, Colour & Technical Director at Blue Tit London to chat about all things going grey.
How to hide grey hair, when grey hairs are just starting to appear?
“I would recommend a semi-permanent colour. It’s a much more translucent finish. It’s not going to give you that opaque coverage. It’s just going to soften the grey… kind of tone the grey (and) make it look a little bit softer. It’s going to add a bit more warmth to the grey because grey often is inherently very cool-toned.” Declan Haworth, Colour & Technical Director at Blue Tit London.
Can highlights cover grey hair?
Highlights are commonly used when grey hair starts showing, Declan says, “It’s a bit like a trompe l’oeil in the fact that you distract the eye from seeing the greys and you focus more on the lighter blonder pieces.”
How to blend grey hair?
Declan recommends using translucent colour formulas: For first-time colour clients or those wanting a softer look, Declan says a slightly more acidic permanent formula (booked as a semi-permanent). Instead of completely masking the hair with opaque coverage, it tones the grey while injecting warmth into the strands to combat the naturally cool, “cold” tone that people often dislike about grey.
Aiming for a softer grow-out? Because of the translucent formula, it gracefully fades away over an average of 8 weeks. The Oway’s H Nectar series delivers a translucent finish that subtly darkens and tones the grey. Because it fades entirely over a period of 8 to 12 weeks, it’s great for those with short hair who get regular haircuts without being left with a disjointed panel of old colour where the hair was chopped away.
Can you dye grey hair blonde?
Declan says, “Can we make grey hair blonde? Absolutely, we can achieve that by using regular hair colourant.”
How to hide grey hair on brunettes with highlights?
Declan adds, “…by adding blonde in and around all the other areas it detracts it from looking kind of Cruella Deville.”
- The Sarah Jessica Parker approach: Declan points to celebrity Sarah Jessica Parker as the ideal example of a natural brunette successfully managing her grey hair with highlights.
- Weaving blonde around the grey: Instead of trying to totally hide the grey under a solid dark dye, blonde highlights are strategically placed in and around the grey sections.
- Softening solid chunks: This technique deliberately leaves the bright white pieces of grey hair present but surrounds them with blonde highlights to break up any solid chunks of colour. This detracts from a harsh, stark contrast and allows the natural dark base, the silver greys, and the blonde highlights to blend together dynamically.
There are some incidences where permenant colour would be used, “…let’s say, for example, a client has got chunks of grey around the perimeter of their hairline, but the rest of their hair is very dark. We could use something that is medium tone in colour in a permanent colour… it will tonalize and kind of subdue and blend that grey hair.”
How to transition to grey hair?
Declan says, “Instead of growing grey hair out, get hair lightened and go for an overall grey appearance and a grey look… Achievability on that is very nuanced. It depends on what has been used on the hair previously… from dark hair to white may not be achievable in the first session so sometimes I would recommend going for more of a steel or graphite grey to begin with”.
How can you embrace going grey?
Leanne at Blue Tit Peckham works her magic on her clients white hair. Once the decision is made to embrace the grey you can work with your stylist to have some fun – use toners to enhance the hair or colour can be easily used to give a fresh look.
How to go grey with dark hair?
“I would underpromise and overachieve versus suggesting to a client that we’re going to be able to bleach that really dark brown (especially if it’s artificial) colour out and get you white because that may not be achievable in the first session. So sometimes I would recommend that they may need to go for a more graphite or a steely grey to begin with.”
Can you dye grey hair dark brown? And does skin tone affect your choice of hair colour when hair starts to grey?
As hair loses pigment, our skin often follows suit, becoming more translucent. Maintaining a very dark, solid hair colour can sometimes create a sharp contrast that feels a bit overwhelming for the complexion. Your stylist can advise the best colour for you.
What if my grey hair looks ‘drab’?
Grey hair transitions differently for everyone, some go snowy white, while others find their natural silver feels a bit muted or flat. If your grey feels ‘drab,’ we specialise in adding the tone and dimension needed to make your natural silver look vibrant and intentional.
How do you approach colouring for greying very short hair?
Making the colour look natural is key, Declan adds, “I aim for a bit more translucence, tonalizing the grey hair. It gives that darkening appearance, but the luxury of it is over the period of let’s say 8 to 12 weeks, it fades away. So, as they’re having their hair cut they don’t end up looking disjointed.”
What’s the main request when colouring clients’ hair to cover grey?
“For it to look natural. One thing they love is that people don’t know that their hair’s coloured. They just often get compliments that they just look fresh. No one identifies that they’ve had their hair coloured. They just think they look rejuvenated.” Declan continues.
You can also go grey whenever you want too…
Grey isn’t just something that arrives uninvited – it’s a hair colour in its own right. If you fancy grey as a colour choice – and yes, that option is always on the table, whenever the mood takes you – our colourists will get you there with the depth and dimension to keep it looking intentional rather than accidental. Here’s some looks from our salons…
Come find your grey transition stylist
Whether you’re hiding or embracing your grey we can walk you through your choosen route, come in for a consultation at your nearest Blue Tit London salon.
About the stylists…
Declan Haworth is an experienced Stylist of 20 years, Colour & Technical Director at Blue Tit London, a Hair Educator at the Blue Tit Academy and is also part of the Global Creative Team for Oway. Make an appointment with him at Blue Tit Walthamstow. Check out more of his hair stories here.
