What is Grey Blending?
Grey blending is when your natural hair colour is turning grey, maybe even salt and pepper, with different shades of white and grey coming through at the roots. You might have been colouring your hair for a long time, but now you’re tired of the upkeep and want to embrace your natural colour.
A popular technique for this is called grey blending. This is where we begin growing out more of your natural hair colour without colouring your roots. We add highlights (and sometimes lowlights) to soften any harsh lines. This creates a multi-tonal, blended look so your hair is no longer one block colour. When highlighting, I weave small sections of hair and leave some in between untouched. This way, not all of your hair is coloured, giving you a softer regrowth and less maintenance.
Who is grey blending for?
Anyone with grey coming through who wants to enhance it rather than hide it. Whether that’s just a few strands, or most (or all) of your hair is grey, white, or salt and pepper.
Is transitioning to my natural grey a long process?
It can take 1–3 years, depending on what you’re starting with.
- If you’ve been dyeing your hair a dark brown, it will take several sessions to break down the old build-up of colour. It usually starts off warmer, with more caramel tones, before gradually becoming lighter and more blonde.
- If your hair has already been coloured lighter, closer to blonde, the process is quicker.
- Regular haircuts also help, because the more old colour you cut off, the sooner you’ll reach your natural grey.
How long should I leave between appointments?
I recommend colouring every 3 months until you reach your goal. This allows as much of your natural hair as possible to grow through while keeping it in good condition.
I also suggest treatments like K18 during your appointments it’s fantastic for maintaining hair health.
Is there anything I can do between appointments?
Yes! You can have a toner.
A toner helps neutralise brassy, unwanted tones. Hair naturally fades warm, which can make the highlights next to your natural grey look even warmer. A toner refresh about 6 weeks after your highlights can really help keep that soft, blended look.
What is a hair toner?
A toner is a semi-permanent colour that cancels out brassiness, yellows, or orange tones. You can’t go lighter with a toner, it can only darken slightly or neutralise unwanted shades.
- Toners last up to 6 weeks, but they fade with each wash.
- The less you wash your hair, the longer it will last.
- Toners are not damaging to your hair.
Maintenance once you’ve reached your goal
Once you’ve fully transitioned to your natural colour, you’ll see the true shade of your grey. Sometimes, there may be areas that are a little darker. If so, a few carefully placed highlights can brighten these areas. This only needs to be done once or twice a year, making your routine super low-maintenance.
Toners will also still play a role you might have one alongside your haircut or whenever your hair feels a bit dull.
Final thoughts
Embracing your natural grey hair can actually make you look younger! As you go grey, your skin tone changes. That dark shade you always wore may now wash you out and make you look older. Working with your natural grey instead can brighten your overall look.
And remember, “silver fox” doesn’t just apply to men!