Gray hair doesn’t appear out of the blue. Over the years, the production of melanin (the natural pigment that gives color to our skin, hair, and body) is eroded and gives manes a more transparent, grayish tint. It’s a visual marker of the passing of time an in the past, the reflex for many has been to hide grays. But today, more women are gravitating toward a natural look inspired by the body positivity movement. The hair motto for 2022? Embrace what you have naturally with some tactful highlighting. Enter: The new “gray blending” hair color trend, which allows a smooth transition to silver hair.
How to adopt the “gray blending” trend?
Gray blending is a subtle hair color application that oscillates between highlights and balayage. Like a game of chiaroscuro, the colorist will first lighten large sections of hair with a light balayage, then accentuate the effect on a few finer strands to blend in the gray hair naturally present. The result? The contrast between lightened strands and hair still saturated in color looks more natural, giving more depth to the mane in harmony with streaks of gray hair. The advantage is it can be done on any original color, whether it’s a deep brown, warm red, or bright blonde. As a bonus, the coloring is fairly light and requires little maintenance, so visits to the hairdresser can be spaced out over several months. Perfect for enhancing silver shades, “gray blending” allows you to transition to gray hair gracefully and can be intensified as the hair fiber fades over time. Easy to maintain, respectful to the integrity of the hair, and above all, carrying a powerful message of self-acceptance, this new hair trend is surely here to stay.
The most beautiful “gray blending” spotted on Instagram:
Maayan Zilberman
Sarah Harris
Pat Tracey
Annika Von Holdt
Luisa Dunn