Going gray doesn’t happen at all at once, so neither should the process of transitioning to gray hair from your regular color. Gray hairs come in subtly over time, until you notice a demarcation line between where the color has stopped and gray has started. Removing hair color to go grey should be modeled in the same gradual way, and with patience as the key.

Below, we discuss all things gray; from highlights, lowlights, and babylights to going gray at a salon vs. doing it on your own. We promise to tell you everything we know so that your journey from color to gray is smooth sailing.

Exercise Patience + Honesty When Transitioning To Gray Hair

It can take 6 months to 1 year to go fully gray, so keep this time frame in mind when deciding on how you want to transition your hair. It’s critical to remember that it’s called a transition for a reason; to adjust your hair to gray in a healthy yet attractive way.

There are a few rules that never change, regardless of the method you’ll be using. First, never try to lighten natural salt and pepper hair color more than three levels in a single process and never apply dark colors and then attempt to lighten them to create gray effects.

Lettings your roots grow is in cheap and requires less work, but it can be clunky and unstylish. Many of us want to go gray with grace, so it’s important to have an honest conversation with your stylist about your skin tone, natural base color, and even eye color. This will help you customize your look so your needs and wants are fully met.

For starters, you will need at least an inch of gray root growth to work with, regardless of the method that you choose, but especially before creating highlights and babylights.

Transition to Gray Hair with Highlights and Babylights

Highlights and babylights are the most expensive and time-intensive way to transition to gray hair. However, highlights ensure a natural-looking blend that is highly customizable. Plus, you can rest assured that you’re in the good hands of a professional.

To transition to gray hair with highlights, you don’t have to retouch your base color. Your stylist can color correct hair to match the gray that is growing in. Foil for highlights or babylights will gently blend all of the variations of tone in graying hair. Anywhere from three to five appointments will be necessary to fully complete the transition process.