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.

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.

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.

The post Caring for Grey Hair appeared first on The Grey Area.

Greying hair is a normal part of life but the fact that this website exists gives an indication that in society we have quite a way to go before embracing natural grey hair becomes the accepted norm. 

Some people don’t even bat an eyelid when they find their first grey hair but for others it can induce panic. Your hair suddenly becomes a talking point – people suddenly have an opinion on your hair and aren’t afraid to tell you.

But going grey is about so much more than just the colour of your hair, it’s an internal conversation as well as an external one.

If you’re thinking of embracing natural grey hair you’ve come to the right place.

What causes grey hair?

When you get older, the cells in your hair follicles that produce pigment gradually reduce, causing hair strands to loose their colour or whiten. ’Grey’ is not actually a hair pigment in itself – it is a colour that results from a combination of normally pigmented hairs interspersed with white ones. Your hair colour turns from grey to white when all hair pigment cells stop being produced. 

Will my body hair go grey too?

Yes, as you age your body hair (yes, even your pubic hair) will eventually go grey too but again, your genetics, lifestyle and health will determine when and how this happens.

Average age for grey hair?

It’s totally normal to find a few grey hairs in your 30s and these generally begin to increase into your 40s. By the time you get into your 50s you might find more than 50% of your scalp hairs are grey. The rate at which you turn grey is very much impacted by your genetics and lifestyle.

What is meant by Premature Grey?

You’d usually fall into the Premature Grey category if the majority of your hair greyed before you turned 20. 

If my parents went grey early will I?

This happens naturally with age, but your genetics can also trigger the process to happen sooner.

What else can cause you to go grey?

As well as genetics experts claim that some health conditions may cause premature greying such as diabetes, pernicious anaemia or thyroid problems. 

How do you care for grey hair?

We’ve got loads of tips and tricks just for you here.

How do I make the transition to grey hair?

We’ve put together a page on this topic here

How do you get rid of yellow tones in grey hair?

Grey hair can sometimes take on a yellow/brassy hue. The best way to combat this is to use purple hair care products, particularly purple shampoo and conditioners like this top rated one L’Oreal. Yellow and purple are on opposite ends of the colour spectrum so the purple in the products will cleverly cancel out the yellow tones.

How can I cover grey hair without dying?

If you aren’t quite ready to embrace your grey’s then but you don’t want to dye your hair then we’ve got a great article on hair accessories, with some beautiful headbands to hide grey hair.

Grey Hairstyles

The times are a changing! First and foremost, you are free to wear your hair however you want. Going grey shouldn’t force you to make any drastic changes to your hair if you don’t want to. The view that you should cut your hair short once you go grey is incredibly prescriptive and outdated. Your hair, your business. As you’ll see below, you no longer need to hide your grey hair away!

Salt and Pepper Hair

When Andie Macdowell recently walked the red carpet with salt and pepper hair the World took notice. Should it really be so shocking that a woman can look glamourous and sport natural grey hair? Apparently yes, but there’s no denying that Andie looked incredible and is doing great things for normalising embracing grey hair.

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A post shared by Andie MacDowell Fan Club (@andiemacdowellfanclub)

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A post shared by Andie MacDowell Fan Club (@andiemacdowellfanclub)

Long Grey Hair

Vogue Editor Sarah Harris and writer Annika Von Holdt showcase showcase just how beautiful long grey hair can be.

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A post shared by Sarah Harris (@sarahharris)

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A post shared by ANNIKA VON HOLDT (@annikavonholdt)

Short Grey Hair

Supermodel Erin O’Conner looks effortlessly stylish with touch of grey while Helen Mirren has been a trailblazer for grey hair for a while now, providing inspiration for anyone considering a shorter silver style.

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A post shared by Erin O’Connor MBE (@erinoconnor)

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A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren)

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A post shared by Josh Wood Colour (@joshwoodcolour)

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