A Hair Expert’s Guide to Going Grey

We have some hot beauty news to report: Going grey has never been more on trend! Whether it’s street-style stars wearing their waist-length locks au naturel or celebs dyeing their strands a shiny shade of silver, now is the perfect time to let your hair go grey. Grey hair is finally being seen as chic and sophisticated—just add a statement lip and go.

However, forgoing hair dye and letting your natural strands shine through can be tough. What causes grey hair? How do you care for grey hair? And what products should you use?

We know that grey hair is caused by a lack of pigment in the hair follicle, which can occur naturally as we age, or can be related to different health issues, like alopecia areata or a lack of certain vitamins.

And while we can’t really stop the process, there are a few ways in which we can lessen the awkward or unpleasant phase. So when it comes to caring for your grey, advice from a seasoned hairstylist and colourist is your best bet. Here are five top tips from Brennen Demelo, L’Oréal Paris Canada Hair Artist & Expert.

How to transition to grey

If you’re thinking about growing out your current dye job to let your grey strands shine through, you may be wary of the awkward transition phase—who wouldn’t be? But Demelo says there is a way to make it less troublesome. While some stylists may recommend switching to highlights and low lights, which would require a professional service, Demelo suggests to “simply let it grow out and start blending your grey hair with the help of L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Beautifying Colour Care.” He also notes that transition is hard: “Some women are just tired of colour because it involves too much time, while others realize that grey hair can be beautiful.” Hold strong, he says, and before you know it, you’ll have lovely silver locks.

How to train your greys

If you’ve noticed a few sneaky silver strands along your hair line or throughout your mane, you’re not alone. “Grey hair can be a bit like steel wool and can pop out at weird angles,” says Demelo. Refrain from grabbing the tweezers to pluck them because “that can split the hair shaft causing more grey hair to come in,” which you may or may not want. Instead, says Demelo, “embrace them with some great grey-hair products—natural grey hair is so beautiful.” Products like L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Beautifying Colour Care , because it “meets all the needs for maintaining grey hair,” he says. One box has all the tones you need to blend your grey and make your hair super-soft and bouncy.

Steer clear of purple shampoo

“Don’t overdo it with purple shampoo,” says Demelo of the popular blond-hair solution. Grey and blond are very different, and grey hair will “absorb unwanted tones from the oxidation of everyday life.” Instead, he suggests a great clarifying shampoo to help keep silver strands clean and shiny.

Grey hair maintenance

Demelo doesn’t think so—grey hair just works a bit differently when you try to add colour to it. “When colouring, the colour may not cover each strand because there is no pigment in the hair shaft,” explains Demelo. “If your hair is stubborn grey, you can pre-soften the grey hair with a low developer prior to colouring, which will open the hair shaft and help the colour grab on to the hair.”