“Gray used to be taboo. But now it’s considered classy,” said Kim Smith, a local stylist for more than 30 years. “It’s not the ‘Golden Girls.’ Women aren’t wearing roller sets anymore.”
Smith, who works with partner Michelle Coe at Salon Ventures in Beavercreek, says her clients who have embraced their gray also love the freedom: No more salon visits every six weeks for touch-ups.
The first — and most important step — to the transition is talking to your stylist. “You need to make sure you’re 100 percent ready,” said Smith.
“You’re exposing a new part of yourself to the world,” said Coe. “At first, going gray could make you feel naked,” she said and laughed.
Every person is different, and so is their hair, Smith said. And that requires an individual plan.
“I like to ask a lot of questions.”
Preparing for the new look
The easiest way to go gray is to let hair grow out for several months and cut it very short — maybe a pixie cut — so only colored tips remain, Smith noted. It’s the solution her male clients choose. Most men, she added, darken their hair at home and transition to a stylish cut that highlights “silver fox” streaks.
But female clients usually aren’t ready to radically change color and style simultaneously. “That’s way too drastic.” Smith said. Gradual is good.
Hair normally grows on average of one half inch a month, so for an average chin-length bob, growing out may take 18 months, she explained. That gives clients time to really think about the silver shade that works best for them.
Think in terms of baby steps, Smith said. For example, with blonde hair, the process may start with just a silver toner to begin changing the color subtlely. For brunettes, stylists can also weave in fine threads of the darker shade to tone down the white demarcation at the base of the cut. White or gray highlights can be added slowly to soften the darker color elsewhere on the head, especially around the face.
“We call them ‘babylights,’” said Smith, referring to the gradual addition of highlights and lowlights to clients’ color. “It’s certainly easier to look at and live with. You get used to it as you go.”
Linda McCarty of Beavercreek decided gray was the way to go more than a year ago. Now her salt-and-pepper bob has only residual traces of the brunette color she wore for decades. The lowlighting and highlighting Smith added make the demarcation practically invisible.
McCarty says the change made her feel more confident about herself. She has hired a fitness trainer, is working on her diet and even goes for occasional massages. She gets regular compliments on her hair, including from men her age.
“Confidence is beauty,” she said.
The end result is healthier, too, because between salon visits, clients have the opportunity to condition their hair and scalp and keep it healthy, said Smith. That’s especially important for clients who aren’t transitioning by choice. They stop coloring because they’ve become allergic to chemicals in coloring products.
Smith knows. She developed an allergy to coloring products and stopped coloring her hair more than two years ago. Coe stopped coloring her silver threads years ago as well. Both are happy with their current looks.
“Do I think it’s (going gray) cool because I’m wearing it? Maybe,” said Smith. “Honestly, I think the key is a youthful style.”
Smith and Coe said stylists also recommend regular conditioning and purple shampoos that counteract brassy or yellow tints that sometime develop with gray, silver or white tones.
And, if you don’t like your natural color, going back is simple. Brenda Eldridge noted that she worked with Coe for more than a year on her fast-growing hair, but she didn’t like the gray color. Now her waist-length hair is back to chestnut. Eldridge is glad she tried it, but “I just didn’t like the gray with long hair.”
Some women, like men, prefer to color their hair at home. Now hair product companies offer silver, platinum and gray shades of hair color, highlighting and toning products, readily available online or in local stores. Dozens of YouTube videos and styling pages show viewers how to strip off their old color and apply new gray shades. Facebook and social media groups also offer transition tips and support.
What’s more, temporary color products allow users to test-highlight their tresses to determine the best shade. Some sprays and waxes brush in and wash out the very next shampoo.
Just keep in mind that dyes interact differently, Smith said. The color on the box may react differently with the color you’re currently using. If you don’t have extensive experience coloring or stripping your hair, going gray probably isn’t the best time to start.
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