Highlighting with gray hair (English)

Gray hair creeps up unnoticed. What should you do to keep your hairstyle fashionable and modern? Highlighting on gray hair is an excellent option for camouflaging gray hair and creating a beautiful hairstyle without causing significant damage.

Specifics of the procedure

The first question that arises is: is it even possible to highlight gray hair? will the paint work?

The expected result is achieved in cases where there is no more than 40% gray hair. For women with dark hair, it is better to use this method if there is no more than 30% gray hair. In other cases, it will become even more noticeable. If the goal is to completely hide it, then it is better not to use this option.

Let's look at the main advantages:

after dyeing, the curls retain a healthy appearance;
any hairstyle looks more voluminous;
performed on hair of any length;
has a gentle effect, only individual strands are affected;
There are no age restrictions.

And who is this method not suitable for? It is contraindicated in the following cases:

An obstacle is the preliminary use of natural dyes (henna, basma), the shade may turn out to be far from the desired one;
the presence of thin, damaged hair prone to breakage;
previous painting in dark colors.

Highlighting technologies

When choosing a method, the length of the curl, the shade of the natural hair, and the uniformity of gray distribution are taken into account.

Cap. The method is considered outdated, but is used in cases where the patient has short hair. There are many holes in the cap placed on the head. Strands are threaded through them and coated with coloring compounds. The process is labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Foil – the most common option that allows you to perform high-quality painting.
Comb. Use a fine-toothed comb. The prepared mixture is applied to it and the desired sections of the hair are combed.
Hand or "frost" used when working with curly and curly strands.

The foil method deserves more detailed attention, since it is more common than others and is not very complicated.

Stages of work:

the preparatory part begins with cutting pieces of foil equal to the length of the curl;
then, using the thin tip of a comb or a specially designed hook, pull out the strand and lay it on the foil;
apply the coloring composition;
carefully wrap the strand in foil and repeat the procedure with each strand;
After the required period of time (recommended on the package), remove the hair from the foil and wash it with shampoo.

The procedure is carried out once every 3-4 months.

Popular highlighting options for gray hair

For women with a lot of gray hair, the most suitable choice is "salt and pepper". It is characterized by a smooth transition from a light tone to a darker one and looks quite original. The combination of strands allows you to hide gray hair. Looks beautiful on ash-colored hair. It is liked not only by mature women, but also by middle-aged women.

Classic way hides gray hair to a small extent. Hair is dyed evenly along its entire length. A variety of strand widths is allowed.

The hairstyle retains its natural look if you select extremely thin strands.

When highlighting with edging Along the edge of the hairline, a 1-2 cm area is selected and painted in any color. In the remaining areas, highlighting is performed in the usual way. The method is used when more gray hair is located in the forehead and temples.

Care Tips

High-quality care will keep your hair lush, healthy, and beautiful.

A few top tips:

use masks using burdock, olive, corn, sunflower oils;
do not comb wet hair;
try to limit the use of ironing and other thermal devices;
the air flow from the hair dryer should move along the length of hair growth;
use a decoction of chamomile (the highlighting color will remain bright), burdock, and nettle for rinsing;
Observe measures to protect against adverse weather conditions by wearing hats in hot and cold weather;
do not repeat the procedure earlier than recommended.

Don't despair when you discover gray strands. Highlighting on gray hair will add unusualness and originality to the hairstyle.

Gray hair causes women a lot of inconvenience, shaking their faith in their irresistibility and forcing them to look for ways to hide such unwanted “silver” in their strands. One of the effective methods that helps to cope with the problem is highlighting on gray hair. Like coloring, it has its own nuances, because giving whitened curls the desired shade is not so easy. Thanks to the recommendations of experts and detailed master classes on video, you will be able to effectively solve the problem and forget about gray hair for a certain time.

Can it be done on gray hair?

Gray hair does not only appear in women whose age is usually delicately called mature. The formation of silver strands is due to many factors, including genetic predisposition. That's why The first gray hair can occur before the age of 30.

A few hairs, especially on light brown hair, will not be so noticeable if you style it well. But hair turning gray strand by strand can be a problem. If “silver” covers less than half of all curls, you should resort to highlighting.

Attention! Early gray hair can signal problems with internal organs: liver disease, thyroid dysfunction, and gastritis left to chance.

Numerous women's forums contain varied reviews about the procedure, noting that with its help it is possible to effectively disguise gray hair on dark, light, and light brown hair. The correct options for highlighting gray hair, taking into account the original color of the hair, help with this.

If you need to expressively emphasize the presence of “silver” on your head, ash, gray and other cold tones will be optimal. But they are not suitable for every woman, which means that in each specific case you will have to look for an individual solution. To hide gray hair, you can use shades that are close to natural or bright colors.

Stylists do not recommend using highlights if more than half of your hair has already turned white. 40–50% is a borderline value, but for dark curls the figure is reduced to 1/3 or 30% gray on the entire head. In this case, full coloring will be optimal, otherwise the hairstyle will look sloppy. If the hair has completely turned grey, highlighting is also possible, but with further tinting of the hair.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the procedure:

disguises whitened strands;
highlighting gray hair makes the image more expressive;
helps to emphasize the advantages of appearance;
gives extra volume to hair;
ennobles gray hair if it covers all curls;
does not require frequent correction - you can visit the salon every 3-4 months;
considered a gentle technique;
optimal for hair of various lengths.

Flaws:

gray hair does not have a natural pigment, so it does not absorb artificial dye well;
the result of the procedure can be disastrous, especially if highlights are applied to recently dyed hair;
requires the use of an aggressive composition that will not be quickly washed out;
dark curls need preliminary lightening;
sometimes yellowness appears, which is not so easy to remove;
strands can become dry and brittle, so they need special care;
There are restrictions and contraindications, including damaged, weak curls.

Price

When planning to go to the hairdresser, get ready to pay about 3-4 thousand rubles for highlighting on gray hair. Much will depend not only on which city you want to undergo the procedure (the most expensive services are in megacities), but also on a number of other factors.

These are the qualifications of the master, the length of the strands, the number of shades, and the chosen technique. Classic highlighting will cost less than the fashionable “salt and pepper”.

Not every technology can be applied at home. It is still better to entrust complex coloring to a professional. On your own or with an assistant, you can try the traditional method of highlighting (on a cap, foil, comb). In this case, the cost of the procedure will be equal to the cost of clarifier (about 200 rubles), paint (about 400 rubles), additional materials, and tools.

Types of highlighting suitable for gray hair

Classic. Hair is dyed evenly along its entire length, choosing thin strands. An option for women who have little gray hair.

Salt and pepper. This type of highlighting is suitable for those with ash-colored hair, as well as those whose curls have already become significantly whiter. The technology involves painting in several tones, from light gray to charcoal black. A combination of contrasting colors will perfectly hide gray hair. The method is used by women of different ages.

Coloring. Another method in which several shades are combined. They can be dark, light, bright, pastel. Such highlighting on gray hair is applicable in most cases, regardless of whether the blonde, brown-haired, or brunette liked it. The main thing is to successfully choose a palette of colors so as not to look vulgar, unkempt or too colorful.

Shatush. A smooth transition from dark roots to light, as if burnt out, ends is most often used on dark strands, but is also possible on light ones. The only condition is that the amount of gray hair should not exceed 30%.

Highlighting with edging. In this case, use any tone to highlight an area 1–2 centimeters wide along the edge of the hairline. The remaining curls are highlighted using the usual method. This is the optimal solution for cases where gray hair is unevenly distributed over the head and is concentrated in one area: on the back of the head, temples.

Features, which dye to choose

Quite often, women who want to hide gray hair do full coloring with henna or basma. If you believe the reviews, these natural dyes do a good job, but make highlighting difficult. Pigments penetrate deeply into the hair structure, protecting it from further interference. This is also true for strands recently dyed with chemical compounds (especially rich dark colors). That's why The best basis for highlighting gray hair is natural hair. Or wait at least a month after painting.

Attention! You should do the same if you have had a perm.

The choice of shade depends on your color type (taking into account the shade of your skin and eyes) and should be close to your natural color. The permissible deviation is 1–2 tones so that the growing roots are not too noticeable. For highlighting at home, you should use a permanent permanent dye. The main disadvantage is that it contains ammonia, which negatively affects the structure of the hair shafts. But it lasts a long time and covers the “silver” of the hair well. If you are not going to update your hair more often than once every 2-3 months, a long-lasting composition is the best option for any type of highlighting.

If there are not so many white hairs, you can get by with a semi-permanent dye without ammonia. Many cosmetic brands offer such products. A number of manufacturers also produce special tint balms that can be used at the final stage of highlighting gray hair - for tinting.

There are special products for gray hair, covering up to 100% of the head. These are pinkish, ashy, pearlescent shades. Tonics and shampoos help fight yellowness in early whitened strands.

A short haircut is a good solution to hide gray hair, even if it covers more than half of your hair.

It is more convenient to highlight long hair with foil, and for short and medium hair, a cap is preferable. A small amount of “silver” on the curls can be hidden by dyeing with a comb. Also Hairdressers advise rescheduling the procedure if the hair is severely damaged, split, or breaking. Treat them, and then do highlighting.

Highlighting technique

You can apply highlights to hide gray hair in different ways. Choose the one that suits you, taking into account the length of your curls, and also seems more convenient for implementation at home:

Through the cap

Comb all curls thoroughly;
put on a cap (preferably reusable), secure it well;
using a special hairdressing hook or crochet hook, pull strands of the required thickness through the holes;
put on a waterproof cape or an old robe. Don't forget gloves.
dilute the preparation for lightening;
Using a brush or sponge, distribute it over the hair that is on top of the cap. Move from the crown to the back of the head;
cover the dyed strands with a plastic bag or cap;
follow the time specified in the instructions;
rinse off the composition without removing the highlighting cap (so as not to accidentally dye the rest of your hair);
moisturize your curls with balm;
remove the cap and rinse your hair again. It is more convenient to start removing the product from the back of the head.

Using foil

A modern way to highlight gray hair using foil:

Divide well-combed curls into 4–8 zones. Secure all parts with clamps;
Having put on a hairdresser's peignoir/old robe/T-shirt, prepare a coloring composition;
loosen the hair at the back of your head, form thin strands. You can choose them from large curls in a checkerboard pattern;
Apply a thin strip of dye to the matte part of the piece of foil. Take care of the workpieces in advance by cutting strips of the required length and width. On each, make a bend 0.5–1 centimeter wide to maintain a distance from the root zone;
place the strand on the foil;
paint, moving from edge to top;
fold the strip, tucking the edges and bottom. You can instead take a similar piece of foil or film;
secure the resulting envelope with a bobby pin;
in the same way, process all the strands on the back of the head, then on the temples and crown;
At the same time, secure with clips those hairs that you do not dye. This will allow you not to get confused and complete the work consistently;
After the required time, rinse off the composition in the same sequence in which you applied it. Unwrap each strand and rinse it on the foil, then move on to the next;
After removing all the strips, rinse your hair well;
Apply balm/mask to your curls.

With a comb

The method of highlighting gray hair with a comb is simple, but the result can be unpredictable if the strands are colored unevenly. Therefore, during the first procedure, do not change the base color by more than 1-2 tones. You can find out the types of combs for highlighting hair, which one is better and more convenient, on our website.

Sequencing:

comb your curls;
form several parts, secure each with a hairpin;
Carry out a standard set of preparatory procedures: preparing the composition, changing clothes;
Apply lightener to a wide-toothed comb;
run the comb through the selected strands at the back of your head. Do this in one motion, from roots to edges;
if necessary, wrap the dyed curls in foil and move on to the next part of the hair;
moving from the back of the head to the crown, highlight the entire hair;
After waiting the required time, rinse off the composition and apply a mask or balm to your hair.

Attention! If you want to highlight gray hair using the popular “salt and pepper” technique, go to the hairdresser. For home use, this method is incredibly complicated.

Features of after care

Making gray hair truly beautiful and well-groomed is not so easy. This needs a lot of attention. Caring for highlighted strands consists of following simple recommendations that are relevant for any hair, not just gray hair:

use special cosmetic products for colored curls;
choose a tinted shampoo or tonic for gray hair. Products that ennoble such strands are available from many brands;
Use rinse after every hair wash. If you take chamomile decoction for these purposes (10 grams of flowers per 1 liter of water), you will be able to get rid of yellowness;
do not comb wet hair, because it will become thinner;
do not rub wet curls with a towel, but only lightly blot them;
try to use curling irons, hair dryers, and straighteners less;
dry your hair naturally or with a stream of cold air directed along the growth of the strands;
Protect your hair from overheating, hypothermia, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Wear weather-appropriate hats;
lubricate the ends with oils or anti-split serum, trim them regularly;
Use nourishing, regenerating, moisturizing masks 1-2 times a week.

If you have a complex about strands that look like they are covered with frost, first try to hide them behind skillful highlights on gray hair. You will always have time to do a full coloring. But don’t count on a miracle effect: you will need to take care of your curls with redoubled energy. Maintain the required interval between procedures so as not to damage your hair with frequent corrections.

If you follow all the nuances of highlighting and further carefully care for your strands, you will ensure that your gray hair will look as stylish as the hairstyles in the photos from fashion magazines.

Those with gray hair will find it useful to know:

Useful videos

How to get rid of gray hair?

Women care much more about their appearance and, unlike men, are always upset when they discover gray strands. When they first appear, rare strands can be painted over and the gray hair can be hidden. This will help, but not for long. What to do in this case?

Is it possible to somehow preserve the beauty and health of hair? Fortunately, you and I live in a time when almost anything is possible. One of the best methods to highlight the beauty of gray hair is highlighting.

Pros and cons of highlighting gray hair

Compared to other dyeing methods highlighting has two main advantages.

First: it will look great on curls of any length.
Second: highlighting will highlight the hairstyle of both a young girl and an elderly lady. Based on this, we can say with confidence that this procedure is suitable for gray hair.

If gray hair is just starting to appear, it can be hidden with regular highlighting. Well, in the case when gray hair is spreading all over the hair, a technique called “Salt and Pepper” is appropriate.

Those who regularly struggle with gray hair note several important advantages of this procedure:

This is a gentle coloring method that allows you to maintain healthy hair;
suitable for absolutely any tone of gray hair;
looks great on a variety of hairstyles, so even an extremely short haircut is not a hindrance;
gives hair extra volume.

Of course, there are women who strive to hide or paint over their gray hair in every possible way. There are a lot of different options for this, but highlighting is not suitable for this purpose at all.

If you do not want to hide gray hair, but on the contrary want to highlight it favorably, highlighting is just what you need. This method will make the gray hair more orderly, help refine the color, and make the overall tone of the hair lighter.

Do not forget that gray color is now in trend. It can be seen very often on catwalks and in fashion magazines. It is very often chosen not only by older women, but also by young girls. Perhaps you should give your gray hair a modern twist?

Photos before and after

Tips from stylists and hairdressers

Highlighting is a convenient and safest way to highlight gray hair. Professional stylists recommend doing this procedure using shading. However This method is not suitable for all gray-haired women.

In order for unstable tint products to be applied to the strands, the hair must be healthy and not coarse, and the number of gray strands should not exceed 30% of the total hair mass. Tinting products can add brightness and saturation to the natural color, and gray strands will be slightly lighter than the rest. This method will create an interesting play of color and allow you to rejuvenate your face.

Remember! Tint products should be as close as possible in tone to the natural hair color.

To date there are many highlighting techniques. Thanks to this diversity, every girl can create her own unique look, but some types of coloring are not suitable for everyone.

So we can say with confidence that some dyeing techniques will not look at all on gray hair. Here you need to take into account that gray hair can be either light or dark. Therefore, you should choose a technique depending on the shade of your natural hair.

The effect of coloring primarily depends on the correct choice. Even if the hair is a little With gray hair, the shade is selected based on the original hair color:

All shades of brown, copper, and gold will harmonize perfectly with dark brown hair, but white shades such as ivory, wheat, platinum, and milk will suit light brown hair with gray hair. Shades such as ash, platinum, and silver deserve special attention. They will highlight gray hair and make it more expressive;
highlighting black hair with gray hair requires special skill from the hairdresser, because an illiterate approach in this matter can completely ruin the hairstyle. When highlighting black or very dark hair, cool shades are usually chosen; you can also experiment with bronze tones. Unlike brunettes, brown-haired women with dark hair are recommended to choose warm shades;
For light strands, choosing the right shade is quite easy, because they are all very similar to each other. Even if the stylist makes a slight mistake with the choice, it will still look harmonious and natural. Moreover, blonde hair does not have to be dyed; sometimes it can simply be shaded or oxidized;
There are not many women on our planet with natural reddish hair color. This is why choosing shades for highlighting redheads is the most difficult thing. For light red hair, peach, caramel, and golden shades are suitable, but in this case, after highlighting, the red hair will look more like blond. But for dark red strands you need to choose reddish and copper shades.

Color options

You can decorate gray hair not only with a well-chosen shade, but also with the right length of curls. So Perfect for women with long and medium dark hair:

Venetian highlighting. In this case, dark strands are dyed with a slight indentation from the roots. The result of this technique is strands that are slightly faded under the sun;
coloring shatush Suitable for any length. Sometimes the result of this technique is barely noticeable, because it seems as if the sunbeams are playing in your hair;
ombre technique It will also look great on hair of any length. Ombre is a transition from a lighter tone at the roots to a darker tone at the ends. This technique will allow you to beautifully highlight gray strands at the roots, as well as leave natural color at the ends. This technique will look best on dark hair.

Don’t forget that the type of highlighting should be chosen depending on the number of gray strands. If the gray hair has only slightly touched the temples or the back of the head, it can be beautifully disguised. But for those whose hair is completely shrouded in gray, there is an excellent technique called “salt-pepper.”

The name of this technique speaks for itself. It represents a smooth transition from a light gray shade (salt) to black tones (pepper). It is perfect for those ladies who have most of their hair gray. Thanks to the right combination of gray and black strands, it will be completely invisible.

Technologies

Highlighting gray strands is done in four different ways. Choose the one that suits you directly.

cap. This classic method is now outdated. Now it is used exclusively for dyeing short strands. The process is quite labor-intensive and very lengthy, so repeating it at home will be quite difficult. A special cap with a large number of holes is put on the head. Strands of hair are pulled out through these holes with a crochet hook. The coloring composition is applied exclusively to elongated strands.
Foil. This is a more modern color option. It allows you to perfectly color long strands, as well as medium-length curls.
Comb. This technique is suitable for curls of absolutely any length. The coloring composition is applied to a wide-toothed comb, after which individual sections of the hair are combed with it.
Hands. This technique is also called “frosting”, as well as “glazing”. It is most often used for curly or curly hair.

Let's look at one of the options more specifically. Because highlighting on foil is the most common, let's go a little deeper into the details of this procedure.

First of all, you need to prepare your work area, remove all unnecessary items, and cut the foil.
It is best to start coloring with a parting. Use the thin tip of a comb or a special hook to pull out a strand and place it on the foil.
Now you need to treat the strand with a coloring solution.
After applying the paint, the strand must be completely wrapped in foil so that the paint does not transfer to other curls.
A similar procedure should be repeated with each strand, at equal distances.

Remember! The back of the head should be painted last.

The dye should be left on the curls for 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the recommendations indicated on the package. After removing the foil, the hair should be thoroughly rinsed with shampoo. In addition, you can apply balm to them.

That's all. The foil highlighting procedure is completely completed. Everything turned out to be not as difficult as it seemed at first.

How long does the result last?

This coloring lasts much longer than regular hair coloring. The fact is that gray hair and growing roots are not so noticeable during highlighting, so the procedure should be repeated much less often.

We should not forget that you can extend the life of your hairstyle. To do this, you need to use shampoos and balms for colored hair, hide your beautiful strands during the scorching sun, severe frost, try to wash your hair as little as possible so that the dye does not wash out.

Possible mistakes

Most often, mistakes during highlighting occur when the procedure is carried out independently, at home. However, sometimes hairdressers make some mistakes.

Yes, mostA common mistake is choosing the wrong tone. The hairstyle in this case looks very ugly, and sharp transitions are striking. Fixing this is not always easy or safe. If the result of home highlighting looks really ugly, stylists will suggest repeating the procedure to even out the shades.

However, this may not be safe for your hair at all. The dye, no matter what it is, negatively affects the structure of the hair, dries it out and makes it brittle. That is why the staining procedure cannot be carried out too often.

One more A common mistake is uneven strand width. This problem will also have to be corrected by repeating the procedure. In this case, the strands can only be made thicker. Their width will depend on the widest curls on your head.

The different width of the indentation from the roots is also very noticeable, especially on hair of dark shades. You can correct the situation in any beauty salon. During the correction, the stylist will try to align the indentation in the root zone as much as possible.

How to fix?

Sometimes even some masters get absolutely terrible results. If you have had unsuccessful highlighting, or you simply don’t like the result, The best option would be to dye your hair. However, this is not at all easy to do because due to the different shade of the curls, the new color will fall unevenly, and this will only aggravate the situation.

If you want to correct the results of unsuccessful highlighting, it is best to contact a salon where experienced hairdressers work. They know how to turn the situation to your advantage. First, you need to dye the lightest strands in darker colors to even out the overall shade of your hair, and then you can completely recolor all the strands.

Rules of care

In order for your hair to always look beautiful, you need to provide it with proper care. It will allow you to maintain not only a beautiful appearance, but also healthy hair.

It should be remembered that after such a procedure, the hair requires much more attention than even after regular dyeing. After highlighting, you may even feel that your curls have become weaker and thinner than they were before. In order to maintain their health, it is recommended to use various masks and balms marked “for colored hair.”

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase nourishing masks or balms, you can prepare your own from the ingredients that you find in your own kitchen. For example, prepare a nourishing mask from eggs or wash your strands with chamomile decoction.

In order for your hair to remain beautiful for much longer, try to avoid re-coloring until it is completely restored.

Useful video

Next, watch an interesting video on the topic of the article:

Conclusion

The highlighting procedure is very multifaceted. It will help not only hide gray hair, but also highlight it favorably. So, dear women, gray hair is not a death sentence. This is another opportunity to look original!

Highlighting with gray hair