Thinking of going gray? You're in good company! Thanks to the recent gray hair dye trend, more and more women are opting to go gray earlier than they might have a decade ago. Or, they're more interested in experimenting with colors beyond the usual suspects. After all, there are so many gorgeous gray hair color ideas out there, from dark silver to nearly white.
If you're going gray naturally and want to embrace it, you can either cut your hair short or wait six to 12 months while your roots grow out. To make the transition between your gray roots and the rest of your hair more seamless, ask your stylist to add gray highlights and lowlights to your whole head. You'll also want to protect your hair beyond the usual frizzy hair products. Opt for a gray hair shampoo or a purple shampoo, like Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights, which helps neutralize yellow, brassy tones and keeps your strands looking vibrant. Be sure to condition regularly, too, since gray hair is coarser than its pigmented counterparts. And always protect your locks from the sun to prevent discoloration.
Whether you want to let nature take its course, add highlights to match your roots, or make an instant transition to gray hair, here are tons of great ideas for rocking a stunning silvery style.
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1
Long Platinum Gray Hair
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Helen Mirren stunned on a recent red carpet when she debuted this wavy long-hair look. It features platinum gray roots with cool blonde ends. So stunning!
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2
Glam Gray
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This silvery gray look is so striking on Cardi B. Add a headband and tease back your hair to bring glamour to your gray.
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3
Face-Framing Grays
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Still unsure if you're ready to go fully gray? Dip your toe in the trend with a few face-framing strands, as seen here on Kelly Hu.
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4
Icy Blue-Gray Hair
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Cara Delevingne paid tribute to Met Gala honoree Karl Lagerfeld with this icy gray shag. The tone is so cool that it appears to have shades of blue. So pretty!
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5
Salt and Pepper
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Andie MacDowell knew she was onto something as soon as she started growing out her stunning salt and pepper style: "I felt more powerful and I felt more genuine and I felt more myself.” She has also said it makes her eyes pop!
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6
Monochrome Magic
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TV host Sibley Scoles proves that the only thing cooler than a pompadour is a silver pompadour! And if your hair matches your dress, all the better.
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7
Short and Sweet
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Singer Anne-Marie's sleek silver lob makes quite the statement. Contrasting dark roots add to the appeal of this edgy look.
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8
Li Yuchun
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Superstar Li Yuchun's pixie cut has just enough length to show off her ashy gray hair color.
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9
Swept Silver
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Sarah Moyle's gorgeous light gray hair color is on full display thanks to this swept-back look.
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10
Frosted Strands
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Enhance your naturally dark hair with frosted silver strands like singer Harriet Rose's. They'll add so much dimension and style.
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11
Solid Gray
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Gray hair doesn't have to shimmer to shine. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers subdued solid gray shade is proof of that.
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12
Dark Gray Lob
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To put it bluntly, British jockey Victoria Pendleton's super straight bob looks fantastic! Especially with this trendy shade of dark gray.
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13
Embrace the Curl
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Take a cue from author Margaret Atwood and embrace your grays and your curls. A look like this will really make you feel like a natural woman.
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14
Youthful Bob
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Actress Zosia Mamet's grayish-brown hair is balanced out with a bouncy cut to keep her look young and fresh.
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15
Cool Silver
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If you're hesitant to go gray, consider this sage advice from Emmylou Harris: “A lot of times, Mother Nature knows what she’s doing." The country music icon went prematurely gray in her early 20s but didn't embrace it until a red henna hair dye disaster in her 40s!
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16
Silver Streak
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Stacy London's signature streak is actually a medical condition—she's had poliosis, which causes hair follicles to go gray, since she was 11. Stacy has embraced the look, as have plenty of other women who chose to let their streak flag fly.
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17
Pearly White
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Cynthia Erivo's hairstylist Coree Moreno matched her hair to her dress for the 2020 Oscars! He upped the glam with a glitter-infused hair gel.
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18
Highs and Lows
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Gray hair doesn't have to be one-note. Achieve a multidimensional look like Diane Keaton by asking a stylist for a range of gray highlights and lowlights.
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19
Gray Balayage
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The youthful balayage trend works just as well on gray hair as it does on blonde or brunette strands. Just ask model Nicola Griffin!
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20
White Blonde
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You don't have to go totally gray: Dame Helen Mirren's chic white-blonde bob proves you can have the best of both worlds.