Embrace your Gray

I have witnessed women invest more time and maintenance in covering their gray than some people put into their homes or businesses. And I always want to ask them, is it all worth it?

e've all seen her on the subway— that smartly dressed, subtly styled, silver-haired woman exuding confidence that you would pay for. A natural gray, she always evokes the same kind of reaction … "What a beautiful older woman." But here's the catch: Would the reaction be any different if her hair were dyed to cover its pigment-less natural state?

As a New York City colorist, I have witnessed women invest more time and maintenance in covering their gray than some people put into their homes or businesses. And I always want to ask them, is it all worth it? Is all that dyeing really the best possible way to reverse the natural effects of aging?

	Ladies, please stop running from your gray. Embace it!

Fighting Gray the Traditional Way

As a young inexperienced colorist, I followed the traditional course of action when confronted with a typical, high-powered New Yorker who can't believe she is seeing gray before age 35. I covered the gray with her natural base color, and from there added lighter, medium and darker hues. This labor intensive process results in a multi-dimensional palette replicating what she had before the gray crept in. While this method works and looks great, it's a high-maintenance process—the client has to return for a touch-up every three weeks. Each visit, on average, is four hours long (cocktails included).

In the interest of time, ladies, please stop running from your gray. Embrace it! Make it work for you. Let me tell you how.

Going Gray Gracefully

This is my most common method of working with gray: First, I apply a translucent color to the gray hair. This overlay transforms the gray into a base for highlights. Then, depending on the growth pattern of the gray, I add shadows to give depth to the appropriate areas.

The result is a work of art, a head of gorgeous, natural looking highlights and lowlights that enhance your natural color. The contrast line is so diffused that you only need to see your colorist every six to eight weeks for a retouch.

Silver and Gray

For a truly bold fashionista, I work that silver, especially if she is lucky enough to have a gray streak in the front. I darken the base color and surround the streak with lowlights to make it pop. This technique camouflages the natural gray line and the colored base.

Going Gray all the Way

Some women fall so in love with their silver action that they want to go gray all the way. To work this look, you have to be very well put together and keep your style and make up current. This super low maintenance approach requires a visit to your colorist two to three times a year to reduce yellowing. Simply by using customized shampoos that deposit color and make the gray hair brilliant, you can do a lot of the color maintenance at home. There is one drawback: natural gray hair can become too soft to hold a style. If this happens, use a gloss to add texture and promote hold.

Explore Your Options

These are just a few ways to work with, not against, your gray. Why not work with your gray? Stop being afraid of it.

Going Gray and Saving Time

So now that you have all this extra time on your hands, you can focus on the more important things in life, like how to possibly squeeze in another Pilates class?