Go for gorgeous greys

Are you fed up with regular trips to the salon for root touch-ups? Are you concerned about the chemicals you’re putting on your scalp? Has colouring led to an increase in hair fall and a worsening of your hair texture? If you have ever considered going grey, here’s what you need to know.

Think grey, and the first image that comes to mind is that of an elderly person. But now with more and more people giving up hair dye at a younger age, and others going so far as to colour their hair grey, how accurate is this image? Consider the granny hair trend, or #grannyhair as it is popularly known on social media. Women all over the globe are embracing silver locks, with good reason. They have realised that with care, hair — black, white or anything in between — can look awesome. And thanks to this trend, association of grey hair with old age is fast dwindling.

Acceptance
“I started sprouting greys when I was in school,” says RJ Varnika Kundu. “People initially asked why I didn’t colour my hair, but stopped when my greys grew into symmetric streaks. My hair is now a style statement, and every time I go for a haircut I’m asked who does my streaks! People even place bets to find out if my hair is natural or coloured,” she laughs.

On the other hand Namu Kini, co-founder and CEO of HappyHealthyMe Organics, chose to stop colouring her hair as part of her journey towards a healthier, chemical-free lifestyle. “I also wanted my daughters to know that being a woman doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the salon. Anyhow if you are 50 and colour your hair, it will never make you look 20!”

Perhaps not 20, but looking a few years younger is motivation enough for many. Remember though that one doesn’t need to hide greys to look young. If well maintained, grey hair can look as good as coloured hair.

“Greys have a tendency to develop an unflattering yellow hue. Switch to Silver Shampoo. Its in-built toner restores brightness, shine and removes the dull yellows and browns from hair,” says Boody of Blend Bar.

Grey hair can fast fall into the unkempt category because of its natural tendency to frizz. Protein treatments and lots of conditioner help keep fly-aways at bay. Grey hair can look dowdy, but this is easily remedied by a blow-dry, which is less damaging now that your hair is no longer as processed. Style it to your heart’s content! Gone are the days where you would only see grey hair in a bun. Wear it short and funky or long and loose.

Transition
Anyone who’s tried to make the transition to grey after years of dyeing, knows it’s not an easy journey to undertake, especially once that line of demarcation, the dreaded grey strip, shows up. Many women confess that the transition period is perhaps the biggest deterrent to going grey.

“If you want to go grey, apply lowlights (dark highlights),” advises Aurelia, senior stylist at Bounce. “This breaks up the line of demarcation, and helps the grey come in gradually.” However, if hair is mostly grey, then consider highlights.

Make-up artist Shveta Raju suggests using a colour spray to touch up visible greys. “Once the hair has been styled, colour can be sprayed only on the parting, where the grey is visible.” She also suggests cutting hair short during the period of transition, to reduce the ratio of grey to black.

Switch to semi-permanent hair colour, which will gradually wash out in eight to 10 shampoos. Once your hair has grown enough, stop colouring. Going grey can be an interesting journey to undertake, even if it’s just for a while. If you’ve been thinking about it, give it a shot.