This summer’s hottest trend in hair is accessories galore, think cute headbands, scrunchies, bows and claw clips. Could this really be time to relieve the Fergie-bow joy of my youth? 

One shop that seems to be knocking it out of the park this season is Anthropologie. If you’re closely following this year’s hair accessory trends then do check out their fab selection of beautifully patterned pieces. I was particularly drawn to these cute headbands.

Some women can pull off the headscarf look with grace and finesse. I am well aware that I am sadly not one of those women. However, if you are able to carry off this style then this beauty would be a great way to accessorise a simple white t, blazer and jeans.

For days when you want to get out of the house quickly I’ve found these budget-friendly knot headbands from New Look a really handy way to get your hair out of your face.

Barrette’s work really well on medium or long styles as you can clip back a ponytail in a jiffy.

Have fun experimenting!

The post Don’t disguise, accessorise with this Summer’s hottest hair accessories appeared first on The Grey Area.

1.) Get the right cut

Whilst there’s no doubt that a regular trim will keep your hair looking it’s best, there really are are no hard and fast rules when it comes to wearing grey hair. A lot of hairdressers recommend shoulder length or above to prevent your hair style from ageing you. However, this view is pretty outdated – long grey hair can look equally as fantastic, and can actually be easier to maintain than shorter styles. It really comes down to personal choice. If you are looking for some stunning style inspiration check out Vogue Fashion Editor Sarah Harris, Actress Andie MacDowell and author Annika Von Holdt for some wonderful examples of luscious long grey hair.

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2.) Get a good haircare routine

Regardless of your hair colour, less is usually more when it comes to haircare. Daily washing can impact your hair’s natural oils making it appear dry, which will in turn increase the appearance of flyaway hairs and frizz. Shampoo and conditioning products are a lot gentler these days so it’s certainly not necessary to leave it weeks between washes, but if you can wash your hair every other day it might improve its condition. 

If you are looking to up the shine of your hair then using a conditioner each time you wash it should help. When using conditioner, simply apply a small amount just to the ends of your hair and comb it through with your fingers.

3.) Find the right products to suit your changing hair

Whilst there’s no doubt that a regular trim will keep your hair looking it’s best, there really are are A lot of women find they need to overhaul their haircare products once their hair turns grey. Grey hair can often take on a yellow tinge and there are many purple-tinted shampoos that are specially designed to counteract this. Be prepared for a little trial and error to find the right products to suit your own hair and the frequency in which you need to use them. Some women find purple shampoos are too much on their own but get great results mixing a small amount with their regular shampoo. You might also only need to wash your hair with specialist shampoos occasionally to reap the rewards.

4.) Reduce heat styling

It can be so tempting to reach for the heat styling products to maintain your locks but if you can keep their use to a minimum your hair will thank you for it. Heat products dry out your hair which can lead to more frizz and a brittle texture. If you really can’t go without your heat styling products then a lot of women recommend the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer. The product promises low heat styling and a flyaway hair attachment that helps straighten and smooth hair without the heat damage. At around £300-400 the Dyson Supersonic is not cheap but if you are really keen to reduce the heat damage to your hair you might consider making the investment.

5.) Accessorise

Hair accessories can be a great way to freshen up your look without having to visit the hairdresser for a dramatic restyle. Many of the highstreet brands now stock their own ranges so you can keep your look current without having to break the bank.

Last summer we saw the trend for bows, headbands and headscarves really taking off, proving that hair accessories are no longer just the domain of school girls.

6.) Reduce Frizz

Once your hair starts to grey you might find that it starts to look a little more frizzy due to the sebaceous glands, which are attached to your hair follicles, secreting less oil. So if you are keen to cut down on frizz you might need to make a few tweaks to your haircare routine to accommodate your changing hair. If you are keen to keep your haircare regime simple, a lot of people recommend using a tshirt towel on your hair. Simply use the towel to gently pat dry your hair (never rub it dry) before wrapping it round your hair to soak up more of the moisture. Then comb through and apply a small amount of serum. Ideally you’ll let your hair dry naturally. However, if you aren’t keen on wet hair on your neck you could always plait it if it’s long enough (also helps to create those lovely loose beachy waves) or twist it up into a chignon. 

7.) Buns, Braids and Plaits

Buns are the go-to style to get your hair out of your face and a messy bun can be a great way to create a relaxed summer look. If you are worried that wearing your hair in a bun might look ageing then go for a higher bun.

If you remember wearing your hair in a French plait back in school then it might be time to revisit that trend because plaits and braids are a great way to style your hair, particularly if you’re going to a party or event. In the last few years hair braiding has skyrocketed, with loose plaits, fishtail and boxer braids becoming ever more popular thanks to Youtube tutorials. And if you aren’t sure where to start then check out this handy step by step braiding guide, suitable for long to medium length hair – we particularly like the loose Dutch braid.

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8.) Create natural waves

If you are trying to ease up on your use of heated styling products but still want to wavy hair then salt spray might just be your new best friend. And while there are a whole host of products on the market, it’s actually really easy and far more cost effective to make your own product at home. Simply fill an old spray bottle with 1-2 tablespoons of sea salt and 1 cup of hot water, ensure the lid of the spray bottle is on securely and shake well for a few minutes until all the salt has dissolved into the water. To use, simply spray it liberally on damp or dry hair and use your fingers to scrunch the product into your hair.

9.) Work with your natural hair type

Alternatively, if beachy waves are too bohemian for you, and you already have a slight wave to your hair, you can activate these these waves with a few light mists of water in a spray bottle, which will create a softer less ‘done’ look. 

10.) Activate the previous days hair products

A hairdresser trick is to spritz your hair with a little water as this can activate the previous day’s styling product without the need to add more, which can weigh your hair down.

Final thoughts

Remember you are the expert on your own hair and while it’s great to look around for expert tips and tricks your hair is unique and no one knows it better than you so start by deciding on what you actually want to achieve from your hair (cover greys, or just enhance what you already have etc) and go from there.

The post 10 Tips for Styling Grey Hair appeared first on The Grey Area.

Dyeing at home can be more convenient but it can also get a bit messy. If you are new to dyeing it can take a bit of practice to get a colour you’re happy with and to achieve consistent results. But you can’t argue with the price: you can pick up a box of permanent hair colour from around £5.

At the salon your colourist will have the expertise to guide you to selecting the most appropriate shade, and in their capable hands you are more likely to get consistent results. There’s no mess for you to clean up and a lot of people like having that bit of time to themselves. The biggest downside though is the cost, as salon prices can be in the region of £100 (prices do vary).

Chemicals in hair dye

A lot of women are really put off the idea of using chemicals on their hair, so if you are looking to cover your greys it’s worth being fully in the know about some of the more common chemicals present in hair colour before going down that route.

Ingredients in hair dyes vary from product to product but some of the most common chemicals to look out for are:

• Ammonia
• p-Phenylenediamine
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Lead acetate

Hiding grey hair regrowth

If you do choose to dye your hair you’ll need to consider how to maintain your colour as your roots start to grow out. How visible the regrowth is will depend on the colour of your hair and how much grey you’ve got coming through. Hair regrowth can vary but on average your hair grows around ½ inch a month so it won’t be long before your natural hair colour starts to show through.

If you can’t quite face monthly visits to your colourist then there are a lot of clever products you can use to cover up your grey roots until your next appointment.

Hair dye root sprays

One of the most popular products is this one by L’Oreal because it provides effective coverage and long- lasting results. A word of warning is that a lot of users recommend trying out the spray on a piece of paper before going straight on to your hair as the results tend to be better if you aren’t too close to your scalp!

Touch up powders

Charles Worthington instant root concealer powder is constantly topping the best seller charts because it’s both affordable, effective and simply washes out with a quick shampoo at the end of the day.

Nice and Easy Touch Up Powder by Clairol is an easy to use cream that is reported to give 100% grey coverage and an even blend.

Root Touch Up Pens

A lot of women swear by root touch up pens as they’re a small, portable solution that fits neatly into your handbag. They’re a great option if you’re looking to just cover the odd grey hair here and there, rather than large areas of grey roots. We love this one from Bumble and Bumble.

Highlights 

Rather than choosing to fully colour your hair you could opt for highlights. Yes you are still colouring your hair but the process is a lot more subtle and a good hairdresser will be able to cleverly blend in with your natural hair colour, so if you are wanting to grow out your greys the effects won’t be quite as harsh as giving up colour completely.

Hair Accessories for grey hair

Hair accessories are a great way to change up your style or hide greys. We’ve got an article on some lovely headbands for covering greys just over here.

But what if you’ve started colouring your hair and you’ve now changed your mind?

Once you decide to go for a full all over colour the process of going naturally grey does require a little more consideration. One route is to go cold turkey, stop colouring your hair and allow your natural hair colour to grow out. A lot of women shy away from this route because of the time it can take. 

World leading colour expert Josh Wood say’s “When you do decide you want to start to grow the grey out, you’ve got to be committed as there will be a period of hard regrowth and realistic about the timeframe. The quickest I’ve ever seen anybody be able to transition was around nine months, but realistically, it probably takes around 18 months to get to a point you’re happy with.

“The first step in the process is to purposefully leave a little bit of grey regrowth around the hairline, so it starts to break up that harsh regrowth. It looks a bit more natural and helps to introduce a bit of grey gradually. If you’re going to a salon, you should talk to your colourist about having a lighter tint around the hairline for a few weeks, then introduce some kind of highlights or balayage. This will help break down the demarcation (the line between the grey and your coloured hair). It’s much less noticeable to grow grey out into a lighter blonde shade.”

The post Should you dye your hair? appeared first on The Grey Area.

Whether you want to make the best of your naturally grey hair, or you’re wondering how you’ll need to change up your hair care routine as your hair changes, you need to bear in mind that as your hair goes grey it may well become a lot drier and finer, so if you are looking to make grey hair shine naturally then products that boost moisture are going to be your new best friend. Having said that you might also want to make a few tweaks to your haircare routine to give your silvery locks an extra helping hand.

Change up your shampoo and conditioner

As your hair changes it’s a good time to think about changing up your shampoo and conditioner to make sure it’s working for you. A lot of women who have decided to stop colouring their hair to go grey naturally choose to go for products that boast more natural ingredients to give their hair a break from chemicals. Your hair may well thank you for it! I’ve recently started using this Faith in Nature Aloe Vera shampoo and conditioner as I’m keen to try products with a more natural focus on ingredients that don’t leave my hair feeling so heavy.

Once hair is predominantly grey you might want to invest in products specially designed for grey hair. But shampoo is just shampoo, right? Yes and no, some women find they can carry on using their regular shampoo with great results, but depending on the condition, type and colour of your hair you may find that your grey hair can suffer from dryness, discolouration or take on a brassy hue, especially if you are a smoker or you use a lot of heat to style your hair. A lot of women I’ve spoken to get great results from using purple shampoos to enhance their greys (also suitable for blonde or coloured hair) and this one from L’Oreal consistently comes out top in ‘best shampoo for grey hair’ reviews.

Invest in hair oils and serums

Because grey hair has less natural moisture some women find that their hair appears frizzier and less light reflective, so maximizing shine is key. Apply a high-shine serum or balm to damp hair before styling can help give it a boost. You can also try adding a small amount of serum to your hair after drying to tame and smooth fly-aways. You need to experiment to find what works best for your hair as too much product can end up weighing your hair down and making it look limp. I’ve been using this one from Pantene for a couple of years now and it’s my absolute favourite. I use one or two pumps to my hair after I’ve washed it and it tends to minimise frizz if I’m leaving my hair to air-dry. If I’m hair drying my hair I’ll often add an additional pump after drying to tame fly-aways and add extra shine and it never leaves my hair greasy like some other popular brands I’ve tried. It also has a really pleasant subtle smell and one bottle tends to last me months, even with daily use.

Do a weekly deep conditioning mask

There are some lovely hair masks and deep conditioning treatments on the market like this sumptuous one from Garnier that smells divine! Giving your hair a treatment once a week can really help to lock in the moisture to help it look shiny, plus it’s just a great excuse to pamper yourself! If you like a long soak in the bath at the weekend then you could use the time to apply a hair treatment too. Simply wash your hair, apply your hair treatment of choice, comb through to evenly distribute. There are some lovely hair masks and deep conditioning treatments on the market and giving your hair a treatment once a week can really help to lock in the moisture to help it look shiny, plus it’s just a great excuse to pamper yourself! If you like a long soak in the bath at the weekend then you could use the time to apply a hair treatment too. Simply wash your hair, apply your hair treatment of choice, comb through to evenly distribute and leave it to work its magic until you are ready to rinse it out. The longer you can leave it, the better! As an additional tip, if you want to minimise frizz it is well worth investing in a jersey t shirt towel rather than using standard towels.

Protect your hair from the sun

The harsh UV rays of the summer sun can cause a lot of damage to your hair. You also need to bear in mind that the sun can discolour grey hair! First up, if you are keen to keep your grey hair looking lush and shiny then it’s a good idea to wear a hat if whenever you can, especially if you know you’re going to be out in the sun for long periods of time. But in the same way you would use sun protection on your skin, there are also a whole host of products available now that are specially designed to protect your hair and scalp from the damaging effects of the sun. My hairdresser recommended this Bed Head by Tigi Beach Bound Heat Protectant Spray because it’s quite light and doesn’t leave your hair feeling greasy like a lot of brands – and the bonus is that it smells amazing!

Cut down on heat treatments

One of the best routes to get naturally shiny grey hair, or how to improve the condition of most hair types in fact, is to cut back on the use of heat. This is much easier said than done because while we know that overusing heat treatments can damage our hair they also help to give our hair volume, waves and help combat frizz. It’s probably unrealistic to expect you to give up your favourite heat tools, but maybe you can lessen the amount you use them if you know it really will make a big impact on the condition of your hair? I found that air drying my hair for the majority of lockdown made a huge difference to its condition: by the time I finally got a salon appointment (about 9 months later) my hairdresser was surprised at my hair’s condition with hardly any split ends or dryness. I will admit that this was easier over winter because we obviously weren’t allowed to leave the house – not so sure I’d be keen to leave the house with wet hair in the depth of winter! So here’s some tips: in the summer months when the weather is warmer you could think about leaving your hair to dry naturally a few times a week. Simply add a little serum or frizz reduction product, pat dry your hair with a t shirt towel and try not to briskly rub it in the towel, you want to be as gentle as possible if you want to lesson frizz. If your hair is long enough, either braid it to create natural movement, twist and pin sections for beachy waves or leave it loose to air dry.

Book a visit to the hairdresser

I’m sure I don’t need to sell the benefits of a visit to the salon! Getting a regular haircut is the first step to keeping your hair looking it’s best. Your hairdresser will merrily snip away the dead ends that always seem to be the first areas of your hair to show damage such as dryness and split ends, this will help show off the healthier hair. If your hair is dry it’s likely to appear a lot more dull. I always find my hair feels really heavy when I’ve not had it cut for a while. As soon as my hairdresser cuts in some fresh layers it instantly adds natural volume and my hair appears more shiny. A lot of salons also offer deep conditioning treatments for a small extra charge, so it’s worth having a chat to them to see if it’s something they’d recommend for your hair. It’s also an excuse for a bit of extra pamper time! Alternatively, if you’re on a budget you could do your own treatment at home. I’ve used much loved brand Cantu for a while now and their leave-in conditioner makes my hair noticeably smoother when I used it as a mask once a week which I rinsed out (I don’t generally get on well with leave in conditioners as I find they just make my hair feel heavy and a bit greasy).

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I started to notice the odd grey hair in my late 30s and I will admit to plucking them out. It was all pretty manageable and I assumed I would consider hair colouring options at a later stage, because that is what you do when you go grey: you cover it up.

By my 40s the greys were coming in more frequently. It seemed that for every hair I plucked four more would appear.  I reluctantly put away the tweezers, it was time to consider my options.

As I’ve never really coloured my hair before, why was I considering it now? The expense, the time spent at hair appointments, touch ups, products. The thought of all the maintenance, and actually just all the extra thought about my hair in general, was pretty overwhelming. But the alternative was to admit to ageing and to accept the natural passing of time. 

I started to worry that I’d look tired and washed out if I didn’t colour my hair, perhaps my partner might not find me attractive, and maybe I’d look more like my kid’s granny than their Mum at school pick-up. And then I realised these were all things I’ve been conditioned to feel about ageing. The more I thought about it the more I realised the presence of grey hairs didn’t actually bother me. Why did I want to hide the fact I was ageing? This was as much of an internal conversation as an external one.

I’ve now come to accept that a battle with Mother Nature isn’t one I can win. However, maybe we can team up and go on this shaky journey together. One grey hair at a time.

The post First Greys: Why I won’t be covering them up. appeared first on The Grey Area.

1.) Go cold turkey

Wash, dry and style – basically do everything you’d normally do but skip the dye and wait it out.

World leading colour expert Josh Wood say’s “When you do decide you want to start to grow the grey out, you’ve got to be committed as there will be a period of hard regrowth and realistic about the timeframe. The quickest I’ve ever seen anybody be able to transition was around nine months, but realistically, it probably takes around 18 months to get to a point you’re happy with.

“The first step in the process is to purposefully leave a little bit of grey regrowth around the hairline, so it starts to break up that harsh regrowth. It looks a bit more natural and helps to introduce a bit of grey gradually. If you’re going to a salon, you should talk to your colourist about having a lighter tint around the hairline for a few weeks, then introduce some kind of highlights or balayage. This will help break down the demarcation (the line between the grey and your coloured hair). It’s much less noticeable to grow grey out into a lighter blonde shade.”

2.) Get regular trims

A lot of hairdressers recommend that you get your hair trimmed every 4-6 weeks to keep your hair looking its best.

3.) Consider cutting your hair shorter

When transitioning to grey hair some women use the process as an opportunity to try out a shorter hair style. 

4.) Consider highlights

If you’re not ready to stop colouring your hair completely then lowlights or highlights can ease the transition by blending some colour in with your greys to soften your overall look.  Josh advises: “There’s probably under 10% of people who have grey that’s silky and beautiful, silver platinum. Most people will need a little bit of help after they’ve grown out their colour as it’s rare to grey evenly. I would always advise that adding some highlights or lowlights for contrast will always make your natural grey hair look more premium.

5.) Accessorise

If the regrowth looks too dramatic for you then try experimenting with headbands and hair accessories. We’ve put together an article full of gorgeous hair accessories just for you over here.

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Get a good cut

A good haircut is the first thing to focus on your journey to grey. Talk to your hairdresser and really ask for their expertise here. If you want to go grey naturally then make it clear from the off that you aren’t interested in colouring and that you want their guidance about making the most of your natural locks – a professional won’t pressurise you! They should be able to advise you on a cut that will flatter your changing style.

Focus on adding moisture

Most people believe that grey hair is course in texture, but it actually gets finer and drier because your sebaceous glands, which are attached to your hair follicles, begin to secrete less oil. Because of this you may want to change your hair care routine to focus more on products that moisturise and nourish your hair.

Invest in serums and balms to boost your hair’s shine

When your hair is drier it can also appear frizzier and less light reflective, so focusing on shine can really help your hair look its best. High-shine serums and balms applied to damp hair before styling can help with this.

Add volume through styling

Some women find that as their hair turns finer it can look a little flat. If this is something that bothers you you might want to focus on adding body and volume through heat-styling. A lot of hairdressers will recommend volumising shampoos, but the jury’s still out as to whether these actually make a difference. Also bear in mind a lot of heat-styling will further dry out your hair.

Be aware of chemicals

Certain chemicals from medications and hair treatments (like perming), smoking and spending a lot of time in the sun can cause grey hair to take on a yellow tinge, but this can be combated by using products like purple shampoos and hair masks designed for grey hair.

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