Break Out of Hair Colour Jail

Going grey is natural as you get older, and it can start earlier than you think. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, silver roots typically start to appear in your 30s or 40s. But a few grey strands may even appear in your 20s – and that's perfectly normal.

Still, going grey can be upsetting for many of us, leading many women to race to camouflage those roots with hair dye. But once you start colouring your hair and covering grey regrowth, those monthly root touch-ups are a time-consuming chore (and an expensive one to boot). So if you do want to transition to grey hair, where do you start?

If you decide to embrace your grey roots and go cold turkey, the growing-out process can be, well, unattractively skunk-like, especially if you've been relying on permanent hair colour. That line of demarcation between regrowth and dyed hair is obvious at best, and awful-looking at worst. (And you can't wear a baseball cap on your head 24/7 for months, ladies!)

“This is like being in hair colour jail, which is why I think permanent dye is 100 per cent a no-no,” says hair colourist and grey blending specialist Farah Hurdle, who has specialised in the technique for about a decade. But what is grey blending? Do you have to be mostly grey to have it done? Do you need to transition completely to silver fox if you try it? How does it work, and how long does it take? For the answers to all your questions, read on…

What is grey blending?

This professional hair colouring technique involves blending highlights and lowlights (lighter and darker pieces) to integrate the natural greyish roots with the rest of your hair. If you've been colouring your hair, these highlights and lowlights will help break up that stark line of demarcation.

“This added dimension and variation of subtle light and dark distracts the eye so the roots integrate with the rest of your hair,” explains Farah. It's a smoke-and-mirrors trick that looks so much softer and more natural than a single-process (one-colour) dye job. And because highlights and lowlights are added to the length of the hair, not at the roots, grey blending immediately gets chemicals off your scalp, so it's a much gentler and healthier colouring technique.

When should you start grey blending?

There's a common misconception that you must be more than 30 per cent grey to make the transition or try a grey blending process. Not so! “Anyone can start grey blending, even if you have just a sprinkling of a few silver strands,” says Farah, who recommends starting as soon as you see your first grey hairs. “Stay away from permanent hair colour and keep those chemicals off your scalp.”

And again, that may start happening as early as your 20s. “First of all, having a few silver strands doesn't mean that you're old – young people get grey hairs too,” Farah points out. “So, if you see your first grey hairs, don't freak out and get a full single-process permanent hair colour. Instead, just go get a few highlights and start grey blending,” she says. “This is much healthier for your hair, and in the long run, grey blending will give you more flexibility and less upkeep.”

What are the steps in the grey blending process?

It looks a little different for everyone. “The grey blending session series is three appointments spaced about eight to 10 weeks apart,” explains Farah, who slowly transitions each client to her natural (lighter) root colour. “Every single person is different. Not everyone has white roots; some are blonde with 20 per cent grey, and sometimes I just use lowlights on brunettes who don't want to go completely grey and want to keep their brunette colour. It's a very bespoke process.”

“The first session starts with a thorough consultation where I look at the hair colour patterning and answer all the client's questions. I don't apply colour until the second session, which is usually eight to 10 weeks after that, because the client must stop colouring their hair in the meantime,” Farah says. “I need a couple of months of regrowth to see what the natural roots look like, so I can start weaving in highlights and lowlights.” Once your unique grey blend of light and dark pieces is established, colour appointments can be spaced three to six months apart for upkeep.

Do you have to commit to going all grey?

Not necessarily. Grey blending can be a good way to gradually transition to full-on silver fox mode, but that doesn't have to be your goal. “Once you finish your third appointment in the series, it's been about four months. Most of my clients are really happy with what they're seeing and want to keep grey blending, but at this point you can also decide if you want to go all natural,” Farah says. “It's an individual journey.”

How can you find a grey blending expert?

Unless you live in Southern California and can get an appointment with Farah (FYI, she's booked months in advance), she recommends doing some online detective work to find a specialist. Google ‘grey blending’ in your area, and when you find a colourist who does this technique, be sure to look at recent photos of their work on their website or on Instagram, Farah suggests.

Can you DIY grey blending?

Nope. It's fair to want to save some salon money, but grey blending is a process that must be done by a professional hair colourist who specialises in the technique. TBH, if you think using a box hair colour to touch up your roots with one shade is a messy pain in the you-know-what, imagine trying to apply bespoke highlights and lowlights throughout your hair. This is a job for a pro.

If you aren't ready to start the grey blending process and you prefer to DIY your hair colour at home for now, Farah recommends at least switching from permanent to a demi-permanent formula that uses a lower volume of peroxide. Demi-permanent colour doesn't open the cuticle of the hair shaft as much to deposit colour, so it offers more of a sheer coverage that's less harsh on your hair and scalp.

Is grey blending healthy for your hair?

Yes! After that third session in the blending process, touch-ups are much less frequent than if you were keeping up with a single-process colour job. And once your natural colour can grow in, no chemicals are touching your scalp at all.

In general, as we age, we lose natural hydration on the scalp and the hair. “Hormones, especially during menopause, are a big contributor too, and they can have a drying effect on hair texture and scalp health,” Farah adds. Strands that turn white or grey have lost melanin pigment that helps lock in moisture, leaving them drier, more brittle and coarser.

In addition to opting for grey blending over single-process colour, Farah recommends using a leave-in conditioner once a week to keep your hair healthy and hydrated. “It's also important to have your hair trimmed about every 12 weeks to cut off the dry, coloured ends and keep the hair in good shape,” she says.

The bottom line

Going grey can be daunting – especially if you're used to masking your lighter roots with permanent colour. But grey blending is a gradual way to embrace your roots and ease the transition to grey hair. Even if you don't want to be a total silver fox, giving grey blending a try can cut down on high-maintenance monthly root touch-ups, extend the time between hair colour appointments and leave you with a healthier head of hair. There's really no downside!