Hair Stylist Danny Pato shares his tips on going grey naturally. Image supplied.
Going grey is a natural part of life, but it can be daunting and hard to know when the best time is for you to start the process. Unfortunately, we don’t just wake up one day with a full head of glistening silver hair – it takes a long time for this to happen. The great news is that there are ways you can go naturally grey over time, so we spoke with 4 x New Zealand Hairdresser of the year, Danny Pato from d&m Hair Design, on what your options are for going grey naturally and how you can embrace this beautiful part of ageing.
Could you please explain the in-salon process of going grey?
If you want to go from dyed hair to your natural grey look, you should make sure you make a plan with your hairdresser for an elegant transition plan.
The smoothest approach if we’re starting with a fairly neutral hair colour (black, brown or blonde) could be to use strategically placed highlights and demi-permanent lowlights to add dimensionality and blend natural grey regrowth into the previously coloured hair.
This would typically be done every 6 – 8 weeks until any permanent colour has grown out and you can finally just embrace your natural greys.
How long does it take to fully grow out your grey?
It really depends on the length of your hair and how fast it grows. On average hair grows around 1cm a month, so if your hair is a long bob, perhaps you’re looking at around three years.
What is the fastest way to go completely grey?
Shave it all off – then you won’t have to deal with any regrowth transition plan at all!
What are the main options/choices/methods for going grey?
– A seamless, long-term transition in-salon, using strategic highlights, demi-lowlights
– Going very short, essentially cutting off the dyed hair
– Wearing a hat for a few years!
Can we go D.I.Y grey at home?
If you dye your own hair at home, it’s going to be tricky. You can switch to lighter shades using a demi-permanent colour until all of the permanent colour grows out, then just stop. You could also go cold turkey and just stop dying your hair altogether, being prepared to embrace the regrowth.
What products would you recommend to compliment naturally grey hair?
The anti-ageing Davines Naturaltech Renewing Shampoo and Conditioning Treatment are perfect for grey or greying hair, as they work intensely on the scalp to counter the signs of ageing.
I would also recommend using Davines Alchemic Silver Conditioner every few washes to counter any yellow tones and keep the grey tones cool.
What are the biggest “don’t’s” with going grey?
Don’t underestimate the time and commitment required to do it gracefully. These things cannot be rushed.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Embracing greys can look beautiful and striking, particularly on those of us with warmer skin tones.
Also, the lighter the hair to start with, the closer it already looks to grey – meaning it will be a much less noticeable transition for those who’ve been blonde than those who have been dying their hair darker shades.
