Grey Hair: Should you cover, soften or blend your greys?
Wondering what to do about your grey hair? Whether you want to cover your first few greys, soften your regrowth or take the first steps towards embracing your natural colour, there are several options.
We asked Dan, our Colour Specialist at Obsession Salon & Spa, for his advice on the best ways to deal with grey hair and what you can expect from each approach.
What is the best colour for covering grey hair?
It really depends on how much grey you have and how much coverage you want.
If you’re just starting to notice grey hair and want to hide it without committing to a strong permanent colour, DIA Colour can be a great option. It’s an ammonia-free colour that can provide up to 70% coverage of grey hair, making it ideal if you’re looking for softer, more natural-looking coverage.
Because DIA Colour gradually fades over time, the regrowth line is softer too. However, if you have a higher percentage of grey, the regrowth will become more noticeable as your natural hair grows through.
What if I have a lot of grey hair?
If you have a lot of grey hair and your priority is coverage, permanent colour is usually the way forward. At Obsession Salon & Spa, we have two options.
INOA is an ammonia-free permanent colour that gives a softer, more natural-looking result.
Majirel is a good choice if you have dense grey hair cover as it provides a slightly stronger tone.
Permanent colour does give stronger coverage, but it also creates a more noticeable regrowth line, so you’ll need to be prepared for more regular colour maintenance.
Can you blend grey hair rather than cover it?
Absolutely. If you’re thinking about moving away from regular grey hair dye and gradually growing out your natural grey, there are several ways to start blending your colour.
The right approach depends on your starting point, in particular the colour you currently have on your hair and how light or dark your natural grey is.
It’s worth knowing from the outset that grey hair blending can take time and may require several colour appointments. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and patience is important.
What if my hair is very dark but my roots are very grey?
When you have a strong contrast between a dark colour and very light or white regrowth, one option is to gradually lighten the base colour.
This would usually involve a gentle deep cleanse before applying a new colour over the top. The aim is to gradually work towards a lighter shade, reducing the contrast between your roots and the lengths.
It won’t necessarily remove the regrowth line completely, but by making the overall colour lighter, the difference between your natural grey and the coloured hair becomes less obvious.
It’s also worth thinking about the tone of your existing colour. Very warm, intense shades such as reds and coppers can make white regrowth look even more noticeable because of the contrast between the warm colour and cooler grey or white hair. Reducing some of that warmth and changing the tone of the lengths can help create a softer blend.
Can highlights help blend grey hair?
Yes, another option is to introduce lighter shades throughout the hair, then tone them to a lighter blonde or grey shade.
This can help break up an all-over colour and gradually create more lightness and variation, making the transition into your natural grey less obvious.
But it’s not always about putting lighter pieces through the whole head.Not everyone’s hair turns grey or white evenly. Sometimes it’s much more effective to target the areas where your natural grey is already coming through – for example, lighter elements around the face where white hairs are most noticeable.
This more targeted approach can help blend your natural colour into the lengths without unnecessarily colouring or lightening areas that don’t need it.
Can you lighten hair that already has colour on it?
This is where you need targeted advice, based specifically on your current hair colour.
How much we can lighten your hair depends on the existing colour on the ends in particular. This is because previously coloured hair doesn’t always ‘lift’ in the same way as natural hair.
I always recommend a strand test before starting your grey blending journey. That way we can see what the existing colour will allow us to achieve and we can create a roadmap for the colour appointments ahead.
If your hair has a very dense, dark colour but we can achieve some lightness, we may still want to retain some of that depth. Making the roots dramatically lighter than the ends can simply create a different contrast rather than a natural-looking blend.
How long does it take to blend grey hair?
Grey blending can take multiple appointments, depending on your starting colour and the result you’re aiming for. It can also require a fair amount of patience.
The aim isn’t necessarily to make a dramatic change in one appointment. Instead, we can gradually introduce more lightness and blend your natural grey into the existing colour.
But your patience will pay off! Once we’ve achieved a good blend, the idea is to reduce the amount of colour being applied over time. This gradually reduces your colour commitment and allows more of your natural grey to come through.
How do you maintain grey-blended hair?
Once you’ve introduced lighter blonde or grey-toned pieces, remember that the toner will gradually fade.
Using a colour-saving shampoo can help maintain the tone, while you may also need an occasional toner between your main colour appointments to refresh the result.
The aim is to gradually get you to a point where your natural grey works with the colour rather than something you feel you constantly need to cover.
So, what’s the best way to deal with grey hair?
There isn’t one answer.
For some people, the priority is maximum grey hair coverage and a permanent colour such as Majirel may be the right choice. For others, softer coverage from DIA Colour or INOA may be preferable.
And if you’re ready to start embracing your natural grey, a carefully planned programme of lightening and grey blending can help you make the transition gradually, rather than simply stopping your colour overnight.
The best approach depends on your hair, your existing colour, how much grey you have and what you want the end result to look like.
If you’re unsure which option is right for you, book a consultation with one of our colour specialists at Obsession Salon & Spa. We can assess your existing colour, talk through what you’d like to achieve and, if necessary, carry out a strand test before creating your colour plan.