At some point in our lives, greying hair becomes a topic of conversation. What’s the best way to hide it? Should I let it grow out? Is there an alternative to all-over dye? With premature greying on the rise, driven by stress, mineral deficiencies or genetics, more people are looking for ways to embrace their changing hair.
Enter: grey blending. Offering a softer alternative to the traditional cover-up, this low-maintenance technique is quickly gaining momentum. “The goal is to make regrowth less noticeable and create a soft, dimensional look,” explains Maria Dowling of mariadowling Salon. “Instead of masking your greys, you integrate them using highlights, lowlights, glosses or toners.” The shift has been gradual, propelled by celebrities showcasing their natural silver on the red carpet and a collective desire for a less demanding beauty routine, especially when single-process colour often requires salon touch-ups every three to four weeks.
“Ever since COVID, I have seen a massive rise in women embracing their grey hair,” says Rachel McDermott, artistic director and colour expert at Pastels Salon in Dubai. “Full-coverage colour can be dense, so I’m noticing that some of my clients see their greys within a week. It’s not because the colour hasn’t been covered – it’s the growth. If you go for grey blending, it will camouflage that harsh regrowth so that you don’t have to visit the salon so frequently.”
Compared to traditional colouring, grey blending works with your natural hair, using micro-highlights and strategically placed lowlights tailored to your specific greying pattern, easing you into your silver era. “For subtle blending, add fine highlights and lowlights throughout your hair to create multi-dimensional tones that camouflage greys,” Dowling suggests. “This is a perfect technique for all hair colours and works on those that have 30–70 percent grey.”
Transitioning can also be done slowly to make the shift feel natural. “I would always try to gradually embrace the grey blending, especially for someone with full colour regrowth,” explains McDermott. “I would change it to a semi colour to allow the greys to be camouflaged first, and then it is about how the client feels from there.” For blondes, cool-toned highlights and pearl glosses make greys look intentional, while for brunettes, caramel, mocha or soft chestnut lowlights help them blend seamlessly, according to Dowling. Redheads can look at copper or strawberry tones as they work best for warmth and dimension.
Thankfully, at-home maintenance is straightforward, with an emphasis on moisture to help dry strands and preserve tone. “Make sure you use a purple shampoo if you have blonde or silver tones to prevent brassiness and always choose sulphate-free shampoos to preserve your gloss and toner,” Dowling advises. As we hope to make salon visits fewer and farther between, grey blending presents the ultimate luxury: low-maintenance hair and an emphasis on ageing gracefully.
