In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a gray-hair revolution. Silvery strands, creamy white hues, and salt and pepper hair are trendy unlike ever before, as more and more women continue to #BreakTheBias.
Considering some women begin to find gray hairs in their twenties (or in some cases even earlier), isn’t it about time we embrace what our mommas gave us? There’s something liberating—not to mention fashionable!—about just letting it grow out already. It’s a hot topic of conversation, too. Take the return of Miranda Hobbes on the Sex And The City revival, And Just Like That, for example. In her fifties, the former lawyer was embracing her grays, and it was a full-blown discussion between her, Charlotte, and many passionate online fans.
Meanwhile, in real life, celebrities are embracing their natural looks in a whole new way as well. The Walking Dead star Melissa McBride has beautiful white locks, Chrissy Teigen has chatted at length about her awesome gray streaks, and stars like Katie Holmes and Jessica Biel have even strutted their salt and pepper hair at awards shows in recent years.
The haircare industry is also getting in on the trend. Stylists are snipping up shorter styles that help embrace the grow-out phase, products that keep white hues looking fresh and sleek are popping up on shelves, and more experts are speaking out on proper gray hair maintenance.
At Luxy, we’ve expanded our shade selection to include two new light gray and dark gray hues that are perfect for embracing your grays while giving the appearance of naturally fuller and luxurious hair. Whether you’re looking for a ponytail extension, a clip-in bun, or extensions from our Halo and Seamless collection, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn why and how you too can embrace this gray hair revolution, plus we’ve got some suggestions on how to style that natural new hair with some of our favorite products.
5 Reasons to Embrace Your Gray Hair
It’s Trendy
It used to be that only men were applauded for their distinguished, salt and pepper hairstyles. But these days it’s women who are showing off their natural looks in empowering new ways.
From TV shows and movies, to high fashion catwalks, to people we know and chat to in our everyday lives, it’s clear that more and more women are embracing their gray hair. In fact, the term “white hair” no longer conjures up the image of a grandmother or a questionable cat lady; instead we’re seeing younger models, powerful professionals, and everyday women prove just how beautiful gray hair can be—at any age.
It Can Save You Money
We love a good touch-up or balayage as much as the next person, and embracing your gray hair doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re never going to touch a bottle of color again. However, there is something to be said about the money you can save by skipping out on expensive highlights and other hair salon treatments by letting your natural tresses shine. Plus, after all those years of touching up your roots, wouldn’t it be nice to just skip all of that muss and fuss? Even though you’ll probably miss your hairdresser, just think of all the time you’ll save by not having to visit them every single month during those maintenance visits.
It’s Better For Your Tresses
Money and time aside, not dyeing your hair as frequently as you used to is undeniably good for your actual hair and scalp. Even though the formulas that we’ve got in salons these days are infinitely friendlier on your hair, they still cause some breakage and damage every time you use them. Gray hairs are particularly prone to damage by these kinds of dyes since gray hair follicles are void of melanin (the naturally occurring chemical that gives your hair pigmentation in the first place). Plus, strand cuticles themselves are thinner. A thinner cuticle means hair is less protected against water, UV rays, humidity, heat styling and—you guessed it!—chemicals. So as you begin to notice more grays in your life, embracing them instead of hiding them will actually be entirely healthier for your hair in the long-run.
It’s a Natural, Anti-Aging Look
Your first instinct may be to hide your gray hair because you feel as though it makes you look old. However that’s not necessarily the case. Darker hair tends to highlight facial features even more than lighter hair does, which is why salt and pepper hair may actually soften your overall look. If you want to get the most out of your new, natural tresses, work with your hairstylist to inject moisture and light-reflecting metallic and silver gray shades into your mane. It’s flattering, and when paired with a softer cut that frames the face, it can be totally youthful as well—especially in terms of hairstyles for women over 50.
It’s Downright Freeing
Look, at the end of the day women should do what makes them look and feel good, and every woman is different. However, if you’re tired of chasing away gray hairs and feel as though you’ve spent way too much time, money, and effort on maintaining the same hair colour for the past several years, you wouldn’t be alone. These days there are tons of social media support groups for women who have embraced their gray hair and haven’t looked back since. Not only are these women liberated from the pressures of keeping up an impossible battle, but they’re also taking a stance on the long-standing double standard between men and women as they age. If you too are tired of all that, then embracing your salt and pepper hair will probably be downright freeing for you, too.
5 Tips For Growing In Your Gray Hair
Don’t Rush It
When you first notice a gray hair, it can seem as though it sprouted up overnight. By the time you decide to embrace it, it’s likely you’ve got some good streaks going on throughout your entire coif. So surely, once you let go, that gray hair will just come in already, right? Not necessarily. Your hair is going to do its own thing, and everybody’s thing is different. It can take months or even years for your hair to go completely gray, so it can be helpful to remember that this is a transition and not a total 180.
Work With a Stylist
If you’re not a fan of that streaky look or you want to add some depth and texture to your gray hair as you transition, the best thing to do is to find a stylist that is willing to work with you and who will help you to come up with an overall game plan. In some cases that may mean chopping off longer hair and embracing a softer bob, in other instances your stylist may recommend metallic or silver highlights or a balayage to help bridge the gap. Either way it’s important to know you’ve got options, and a stylist is the best person to help you explore them.
Change Up Your Products
When going gray, you may be surprised to learn the lineup of products sitting on your bathroom shelves will probably change as well. That’s because gray hair has a different composition than pigmented hair; it’s got a thinner cuticle wall and no melanin, which makes it more prone to damage. Plus, much like blonde tresses, gray hair can dull or lose its sheen, so selecting products that are meant to moisturize and plump up gray hair can be super beneficial to your overall hair and scalp health.
Ignore the Naysayers
Even though salt and pepper hair is one of the biggest trends in haircare right now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t those who judge. But when in life are you ever not going to be judged? People will always have opinions, so remember that if you’re doing you, then you’re on the right path. However, if someone does say something about your hair that gets you down, remember there are a ton of support groups out there.
A good place to start is Grombre, the Instagram account dedicated to the natural phenomenon of gray hair. The account showcases myriad women who aren’t just embracing, but who are rocking the look. There’s always strength in numbers, so if you’re feeling like you need a bit of a confidence boost, seek out others who are also doing their own gray hair thing.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
If you’ve decided to embrace this powerful gray hair transition, why not embrace total change? If you’ve always had long hair, perhaps you’ll want to try a shorter hairstyle on for size? Or if you’ve always had mid-length hair, maybe now is the time to see how much you’ll love those gray hair extensions you’ve always dreamed about. Not a fan of the stark contrast between white and brown? Opt for a softer shade of blonde to keep the bottom brighter as your new locks grow in. The point is that if you’re going to go for it, go for it. You can experiment with hair as much as you can with any other beauty trend, and these days there are so many nifty tools and products out there that the sky really is the limit.
4 Hairstyles To Try With Salt and Pepper Hair
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Long and Sleek
Experts used to say that gray hair was best kept above the shoulders, but these days we’re seeing plenty of models and real-life women who are keeping salt and pepper hair long and luscious with applaudable results. If you’re worried about thinning or breaking hair and want to keep your natural gray hair shorter though, you can still add length with clip-in hair extensions. They’re a great way to experiment with different looks, plus we’ve got light and dark gray hues to perfectly match all of your gray hair needs. Want to add curls as well? Try out our budget-friendly Velcro hair rollers.
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Short and Soft
If you have thinning hair, or tresses that break after showering without the aid of a detangling wet hairbrush, a soft and short shoulder-length style may be the way to go—especially if you’re not quite ready for a trendier pixie cut. That’s because shorter styles weigh less and can give the appearance of fuller hair. Besides, if you want to add volume and a bit of length afterwards, that’s always easy to do with our Halo Hair Extensions. They’re made from 100 per cent straight Remy human hair and are specifically designed for fine-to-medium hair that’s about bust-length.
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A Pony For Days
Bouncy ponies are no longer for women in their twenties and early thirties. In fact we love the look of a soft and shimmery gray hair ponytail, which is easy to achieve in a matter of minutes. Get your own fuss-free ponytail with our clip-in ponytail extensions, which add instant volume and length on those days when you just can’t be bothered to wash your hair.
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A Practical But Posh Bun
Sometimes you just don’t have time to style your hair, which is where our favourite “mom buns” come in handy. Of course you don’t have to actually be a mom to embrace the look, especially on those days when you just didn’t have time to style your tresses. Throw your gray hair up in the air like you just don’t care with our posh and practical clip-in buns, which add instant volume and glam to even the most standard of styles.
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