8 Tips for Transitioning to Gray Hair When Your Hair Is Colored

Transitioning to gray hair doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds because embracing your new silver growth can shine a new light on your beauty look. In fact, gray hair still remains one of the most popular trending hair colors and it’s all part of the movement to recognize your natural beauty and age gracefully. 

Of course, growing out gray hair, especially if you’ve been coloring it, is easier said than done. No one wants to see harsh lines of demarcation as their roots start to grow, which is why taking the right measures for your gray hair transition can make all the difference. Here, we’re sharing tips for transitioning to gray hair when you have color-treated hair, plus the best hair care products to use for your silvery-gray tresses. 

How to Transition to Gray Hair  

Here are eight tips to make your transition to gray hair as seamless as possible. 

1. Go Gray for a Day 

If you’re not sure you’re ready to commit to gray hair permanently, test out the hue with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Silver. Mist the color over your mane for a shimmering, temporary silver-gray hair color. When you’re ready to part with your temporary mane makeover, simply wash the color out with your regular shampoo.

2. Gray Your Roots

If you’re looking to take the plunge and go gray, the first step is to embrace your roots. This means no reaching for root cover-up at the first sight of grays — consider it a different take on the rooted, lived-in hair color trend. 

If you’re worried about a harsh line, you can head to the salon and have your colorist use the root smudging technique with a shade that matches your natural gray strands. This will allow for a smooth transition between hues as your roots continue to grow.

3. Apply Hair Color With Foils

If you’re trying to transition to gray hair, you want to avoid an all-over dye job. Instead, have your colorist apply your hair color with foils — much like applying highlights, except you won’t be lightening your hair, you’ll be coloring it gray. This will simply help you transition between the two shades more seamlessly and naturally.

4. Opt for Highlights and Lowlights

Speaking of the foil technique, transitioning to gray hair with highlights and lowlights is a great option for those who aren’t quite ready to part with their multi-dimensional color and salon visits just yet. The variation of shades will allow your grays to blend beautifully with the rest of your strands while adding some brightness to your color. 

5. Try an Updo

When it comes to growing gray hair that’s colored, your hairstyle can be your saving grace for keeping root outgrowth hidden — especially if you want to forgo coloring your hair altogether. Aside from hair accessories, updos tend to also draw attention away from the outgrowth between your gray and the dyed hair. Consider a messy bun or a French braid. 

6. Apply All-Over Permanent Hair Color in Gray

With the help of the right at-home permanent hair coloring kit, transitioning to gray hair can be easy. All you need is to dye your strands an all-over gray color as this will seamlessly blend those gray roots you didn’t know what to do with in the first place.

If you want to ease into an all-over gray mane, color your strands with the L’Oréal Paris Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Soft Silver Blonde. This shade walks the line between blonde and gray, and the formula provides vivid color for up to eight weeks. Or, try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Silver for an all-over gray mane. This pick delivers gorgeous, dimensional color without being harsh or damaging on your strands.  

7. Use a Hair Gloss to Tint Light Hair 

 If you have light hair, use an in-shower glossing treatment like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Silver to blend your grays with the rest of your hair. This treatment works in as little as five minutes, and deep conditions the hair while it corrects faded color. The result is shiny and vibrant strands in a single treatment — think of it like bringing the salon to your house. 

8. Cut Your Hair

If you don’t want to wait for your hair to grow out, a haircut is a great way to remove your color-treated hair for a uniform gray mane. Sport short gray hair via a cropped buzz cut or a structured box bob to eliminate the transition period.  

How to Care for Gray Hair 

As you age, your hair’s appearance goes through various changes ranging from color, thickness and shine. To keep it healthy, you must upgrade your hair routine with hair care products that can deeply condition gray hair. 

Reach for the L'Oréal Paris EverPure Silver Care Sulfate Free Shampoo with Peptides and the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Silver Care Sulfate Free Conditioner with Peptides. When used together, the hair care system intensely hydrates, strengthens and renews silver and gray hair for a bouncy style with noticeable shine. 

How Long Does It Take to Transition to Gray Hair?

Typically, the average transition to gray hair is six months to 18 months. It takes time because you’re simply waiting for your hair to grow. There are things you can do to speed up the process like getting a haircut (to remove the colored hair) or dyeing all your hair gray. 

Next: How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?

Photographer: Stephanie Price, Photo Assistant: Thomas Miller, Digi Tech: Sergio Colon, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Content Director: Shalwah Evans, Visual Designer: Sarah Duvivier, Makeup Artist: Kelly Bellevue, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Stylist: Rika Watanabe, Wardrobe Assistant: Fausti, Model: Jacky Lee