Doing the "granny grey" hair colour trend the right way is harder than it seems! When you scroll through Pinterest, you will find thousands of images showcasing granny grey trends, ranging from horrible to amazing and everything in between.
Due to the huge demand, and the common misconceptions regarding this trend, I thought it a good idea to give you all the facts, show you what it should look like, and what could go wrong….
First let’s discuss suitability. Just because you have grey hair, doesn’t mean the grey colour will suit you! If you have a yellow undertone skin colour, you stand a higher risk of looking older and more drab than fab with the “granny grey” trend. The hair should not look like a wig on your head. This is a sure indication that the colour doesn’t suit you! If you have a warm undertone to your skin, it us recommend that you keep your hair colour tones on the warm side. Blond tones for warmer skins should be selected from warmer tones for example beige, champagne and natural golden tones. Only skin tones with pink or blue undertones gets away successfully this trend.
Many clients ask me to give them grey hair colour, because they think it will end their colouring days… they fantasize about having a trendy colour that will eliminate their need to sit for their roots every 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately this is not the case… having the granny grey colour techniques performed on your hair can be one of the costliest colour options available today, not just because its trendy, but because it entails many procedures that are both time consuming and requires a skilled expert. It is simply not as easy as selecting the shade and applying it… it is a work of art performed by a skilled colourist and stylist to achieve the perfect shade of grey for each client!
Depending on the condition of your hair before the colour procedure begins, will also determine to a large extend how successful the end results will be, and the durability of your precious silver tresses will also greatly depend on this factor. If your hair has undergone any major chemical service like a perm, straightener, Brazilian blow-dry or bleach, your hair is more at risk of breakage and of uneven end results.
The darker your natural hair, the more damaging the hair techniques will be on your hair! The lightening service is the most stressful, both on the hair and the client, because usually old hair colour build-up in the cuticle prevent the hair from lightening evenly to a pale yellow. You are attempting the impossible if you think you can go from black to white or silver in one session with your hair. Let me assure you, it is not possible and even if you try multiple bleaching sessions on one day, if not applied expertly and supervised by an expert, your hair will break and you will look like a Canary!
Lets look at this example… if you had black or very dark hair, this is what a home bleaching job can look like after 30 minutes applied through mid-lengths to ends only.
The hair is not nearly light enough to make the grey colour possible. If you should apply the grey colour to this hair at this stage, you will only end up with a dirty muddy green-brown colour! So don’t even try it…
After a second bleach application the hair ended up on the orange and red stages. During this phase you can see that at this lady used strong direct dye products in her hair before. These direct dye pigments are very stubborn and sometimes impossible to remove! Most home colour dye kits contain direct pigments. So be warned!
After a third bleach bath, the lady finally break free from the orange phase, but still sits with her hands in her hair, because even if she tried to apply the grey hair colour to this hair, she would end up with purple roots and beige golden blond ends… I see this so often in shopping centres, where granny grey victims walk around with “Gentian violet” purple hair!
If your hairstylist recommend you to put gentian violet on your hair or in your shampoo, you should fire them immediately, because it’s a big no-no in good hairdressing! Gentian violet is a liquid made to treat wounds. It contains IRON that help the wound to heal faster and acts as a disinfectant. Putting it in your hair will change the colour, but with your next lightening service will break your hair off at the roots! So be warned!
Like I said before, if the hair is already damaged, and should you need to lift your hair more than 4 shades, you stand a risk of severe damage to your hair and your end result will not look good! You can spot the hair disasters easily as they walk down the street… because it simply doesn’t look good. No matter what they try, the hair is damaged and the colour has bands and areas that looks darker or more blue or purple than grey… remember the “Mermaid” trend is something else!
So now that I discussed the negative aspects of this trend, lets look at the positive ones too. I really love this trend, and when applied to a suitable candidate, who has enough time and resources, this technique can be powerful, beautiful, striking and very sexy!
Let me show you how it should look when it’s done properly!
I recommend the following to ensure you are a happy granny grey client:
- Make an appointment with a hair colour specialist who comes recommended.
- Do a consultation with them prior to the service and get a quote in writing!
- Ensure your hair is in tip top condition. If you are doubtful, do a Bondplex/Olaplex type of treatment as a stand-alone before you begin bleaching.
- Ensure you have enough funds for your Salon visit… rest assured, its going to be expensive! The longer your hair the more you can expect to pay.
- Don’t leave the salon without the following items: a professional silver or frosted grey shampoo and or conditioner. You will need this to keep any brassy tones at bay in between salon visits. Your Nr.3 Bondplex/Olaplex type treatment for maintaining your hair integrity, condition and shine at home. This will protect and prolong your toner as well as your financial investment in your hair.
- Go for a regular touch-up on your toner, this will extend your colour. If you leave the maintenance of your colour too long, you risk having to spend more again to get your fabulous locks back into the grey…
- Don’t be in a hurry when you go for your granny trend appointment. Give yourself and your colourists enough time to achieve better results. Expect a three hour or longer visit to your salon!
- In the long run, and when your colour is achieved expertly, you should find maintenance a breeze.
Hair by Gideonslight at Salon Allure will pamper your tresses into beautiful hair. He is a master stylist with over 26 years experience in the field. He has won numerous awards, and worked on national shows like Miss. SA, Fashion Week and many more!
He worked for an International salon group for over 18 years as both a store manager, trainer, mentor and was also part of the artistic team.
Today he runs his own salon in an upmarket area situated in Wonderboom Pretoria.
Visit him to discover your allure….
To book your appointment, please call or message me!
☎0794965407 *By appointment only!
Gideon Busquèt-Craucamp
Master Stylist
Counsellor
Reiki Master
*Stockist of Davines International
Salon Allure
142A Tecoma street
Wonderboom
Pretoria
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