Ask The Experts: Is Grey The New Blonde? July 23, 2019 16:57
If you’ve been toying with ending your relationship with hair colour and embracing your natural grey – maybe now is the time, while grey hair is so on trend.
There is no reason to fear going grey and every reason to celebrate your changing hair colour, but there are a few things to think about before you make the switch
Known in the industry for her extensive background in training and education, as well as being a Master Stylist at Morgan & Morgan Hair Collective since 2001, Jennifer Morgan @jennifer.morgan.hair is the go-to girl with any colouring conundrum and her passion and skill set are enviable in the hairdressing community.
So in this blog we asked her to give you the low down on what you need to think about when it comes to colouring (or not) grey hair!
Un-pigmented hair (that's right, its not actually grey - but lacking in any colour) affects all age groups, whether you’re young, middle-aged or more mature. It happens due to your genetic makeup and is caused by the absence of pigment in your natural hair...you simply stop producing melanin (the natural colour pigment)
For the past few years many of our clients have been embracing their natural grey hair or going towards more of a silver hue and we have seen more women grow out their hair colour than ever before
Since the rise of social media our clients are getting to see so many great looks and ideas and grey is no longer considered a negative. But there’s grey and then there's grey - it might be that you need to complement your existing silver with professional colour to keep things looking fresh
We have had a few clients recently wanting to grow their colour out and embrace their natural locks, however it’s important when changing your hair colour to consider what’s right for you, your personality and skin complexion rather than just following trends.
If you are tired of the commitment and the maintenance of your existing hair and looking to make a change the first step is to grow out your exisiting coloured hair (this may need a little help from one of our colourists) to see what you have to work with and whether it suits you
So if you’ve already been having a full head of colour and want to go grey, you have the following three options:
1. Either cleanse the existing colour out, pre-lighten and tone it grey in one step.
2. Start highlighting and low lighting instead of having all over colour - this is more transitional.
3. Say to hell with it and just grow it out.
The first option will get you there immediately, the second more gradually and the third is painful and long!
Either way we need to do a thorough consultation where you can really talk about your lifestyle, likes, dream hair and colour history. Your colourist can look at your skin and eye tone to get the best colour for you. Don’t treat a consultation as a chore, it’s a chance for you to work with your colourist to tailor and cost up the perfect look for you.
Looking at your skin tone is the absolute key to an anti ageing hair look. Colour placement around the face and the right shade everywhere else is essential. What looked good 10 years ago may not look so good now so don’t just go for the shade you had when you were young. As we age, our skin loses pigment in the same way our hair does, and it also changes with the seasons, so a quick analysis at every colour appointment to make sure the colour is working for you is always worth doing, even just a tiny tweak can make a difference.
Interestingly we have had a few clients transition from full head colour (the "paint on the regrowth and blitz all the white hair type) to fully naturally "grey" only to decide they want to have some fun its their hair and are not quite ready for completely natural
And that's an interesting point...for just as many clients colour their hair to enhance their nutria colour (with highlights, or balayage, or the multitude of rich shades we use every day we are now seeing many of our "grey" clients move to a softer more blended combination of highlights and lowlights to enhance their hair
If we stop thinking about colouring in terms of "hiding" something and start looking at "enhancing" your natural hair (whatever that is - grey or otherwise) it opens up a whole new world!
In most cases, if you chose to enhance your natural hair with colour, the overall effect will be lighter than when you were younger. The best was to blend the un-pigmented hair is with shades of blonde, but our colourists can give you the best advise as to what they might look like
Most people will start to get some grey hairs by the time they’re thirty, and often by the time they’re in their sixties up to half of their hair will have turned grey. Some diseases may cause premature greying such as diabetes, pernicious anaemia, or thyroid problems, however going grey is an inherited trait. A
Contrary to popular belief grey hair is not necessarily coarser and it may well be finer as most people’s hair gets finer with age. It can also become drier as the oil glands function less effectively as we get older and this may give the impression of being coarser so extra TLC is a must!
Products we recommend for grey hair are from the Alterna Anti-Aging collection - there is a complete range for all types and textures including stying products to ensure your hair health
We would also recommend having manageable hair as this will allow for easier styling for a sophisticated look. It doesn't matter whether you want short medium length or even long hair...as log as the hair is healthy lookinging
It’s a very good idea to tweak your make up to compliment your new grey hair – for example dying your eyebrows to add definition to your face.
