Why do we get grey hair?
If you're wondering why hair turns white, here's what you need to know. Our hair is naturally coloured by melanin pigments, and, over time, the production of these pigments slows down.
White hair can look good on ash blonde hair. With darker hair, however, the salt-and-pepper look is not always the best. The thicker the white-grey streaks, the more eye-catching they are. Find out about gentle ways to hide grey hair naturally.
How to conceal grey hair as a blonde
Blondes are lucky: white hair is hardly noticeable on them.
If your grey hair is sparse and thin, our preferred approach to cover white hair on a blonde, is to blend the white strands into a subtle balayage. Some professionals apply highlights; we’d definitely recommend a hand painted balayage with baby lights (very thin highlights). This has 2 advantages:
There’s no clear regrowth line.
The free hand painting allows to lift up the colour very naturally, like the sun, something that isn't possible with foil highlights that give a yellow/brassy colour.
Bleaching some highlights won't make your white hair disappear, but the contrast with your natural colour will be reduced, and they will go unnoticed.
If you have thicker white streaks in your blonde hair, an ash blonde balayage in different shades of blonde will work wonder. It will neutralise any yellow highlights and fade visible roots. It’s also very low maintenance compared to highlights or a full-head colour. Read more about the benefits of balayage and why we love this technique.
You also have the option of using a tone-on-tone hair dye in the colour you want to achieve. It can cover up to 50% of white hair. But to cover your white hair completely, you will need to use a permanent white hair colour.
How to conceal grey hair as a brunette
On brown hair, let's face it: white hair shows. And not just a little. All the trick involving fringes and make-up are no longer sufficient when white hair represents about 20% of the hair.
The best option at this stage is to switch to tone-on-tone colour, either on the full head, or on the roots where the white hair is. This requires regular maintenance to avoid very obvious regrowth lines; we recommend a top up every 4 weeks. As always with coloured hair, choose shampoos that are suitable for highlighted and coloured hair and make hair masks part of your hair routine.
How to conceal grey hair as a natural redhead
The most natural and lowest maintenance way for a natural readhead to cover your grey hair is to add low lights from your natural colour using a balayage technique. It will make your greys far less visible whilst avoiding any harsh regrowth lines. In terms of maintenance, 4-6 visits to your favourite hairdresser per year should suffice.
You can also apply a tone-on-tone hair dye overall or just on your roots. Expect to visit your local salon every 4 weeks for a colour top-up.