For short gray hair, stacked layers cut from the middle of the back to the nape of the neck are a great way to add volume and texture. You will be able to see the color depth in your hair, even with the gray! The levels of layers give your hair a lift, and an ashy shade of blonde allows blending in your graying hair.
"The most common hair care mistake that can damage gray hair is over-washing it," says Lauren Udoh, hair creative director of Wig Reports. "This is bad because it can strip the scalp of its natural oils, which are essential for keeping hair healthy and protected."
You want to avoid shades that are too similar to your natural coloring; beiges, creams, off-whites, stone grays, taupes, etc. These colors will only wash you out and emphasize your gray tones.
Neutral shades like soft blonde, mushroom brown, light copper, and caramel blonde balayage are the easiest to blend gray into (and maintain over time without wanting to shave your hair off).
“Stick to black, navy, pure white—never ivory—and all the jewel tones like sapphire, royal blue, ruby, fuchsia, magenta, purple and violet,” says image consultant Sandy Dumont, who has wardrobe-advised individuals and corporations for over 30 years. You'll also want to stay away from certain shades.
Purple shampoo has been used for decades by hairdressers, mostly to help tone and neutralize blonde and gray hair, getting rid of brassy or yellow tones for an overall more cool-toned look.
Blue Shampoo: Which Is Better for Gray Hair? Purple shampoo is a more ideal choice for gray hair than blue shampoo. While they both counteract brassy tones, purple shampoo gets rid of yellow pigments in light hair, and blue shampoo neutralizes orange and copper tones in brown hair or dark hair.
Lowlights, which, unlike highlights are actually a few shades darker than your hair, bring out the most natural look versus using brighter traditional highlights, says Michael Canalé, Jennifer Aniston's longtime colorist and creator of hair care line Canalé.
To counteract the more coarse and often wiry texture of gray hair, it is important you use a good daily conditioner and, as needed, a deep moisturizing treatment once a week. A shine boosting spray will also give you a smooth and healthy look.
The best color to blend with gray hair is going to largely depend on your base color. With that said, light base colors like platinum, ash blonde and light brown mix best with gray hair. Because gray hair is similar in tone to these hues, it makes them look almost undetectable when they're blended.
Chocolate, deep caramel and toffee, rich auburn reds and deep blonde tones all work, but try to avoid going too light or insipid feeling with colours. Grey is usually naturally warm, and it's usually best to embrace and even enhance this rather than trying to cool things down with blue tones.
Silver Fox. Silver, ashy, blond, and platinum are indeed the most popular hair color choices for women over 60.
Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and Blacks in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.
Baking soda is a great natural remedy for gray hair, as it helps to clarify the hair and scalp while also restoring vibrancy and shine, especially if you're struggling with hair loss. Plus, baking soda can prevent discoloration due to exposure to sunlight, extreme dryness, or other factors.
First things first, we want to let you in on a secret — there is no difference between silver shampoo and purple shampoo. Just like purple shampoo, the term silver shampoo refers to a pigmented shampoo that's purple in color and helps neutralize brassy, yellow tones in blonde and silver hair.
Silver shampoo is also perfect for natural grey hair which can develop a yellow tinge from exposure to elements such as wind, rain and pollution. The shampoo can help correct this brassy colour, as well as strengthen hair fibres.
If you leave purple shampoo on too long, it can make your lighter gray hair take on a gunmetal gray appearance. If this happens, no worries as it will fade in a short while.
The takeaway. Yes, gray hair can turn brassy and dull—but a purple shampoo can easily brighten up the silver strands.
Caramel, honey, gold, copper, and strawberry give a healthy brightness that makes us look and feel younger. (Framing your face with lighter shades draws the eye away from any complexion concerns, as well.)
“The best eye shadow shades for gray hair are taupe, navy, brown, and plums,” says celebrity makeup artist, Nydia Figueroa. And if you're looking to add brightness, choose one with “a bone matte color or even a color that is a little brighter than your skin tone to pull the look together,” Figueroa explains.
As mentioned before, gold jewelry does not go that well with grey hair. It's not a complementary tone and can easily make you look washed out. Regardless of if you have silver-colored hair or white hair, or primarily grey hair, you should not accompany your outfit with gold jewelry.