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How Do I Choose the Best Gray Hair Styles?

Amanda R. Bell
Amanda R. Bell

After you have decided to let your hair gray naturally, it can be difficult to choose what gray hairstyles will work best for you. For women who have previously been coloring their hair to hide the gray, it can be best to maintain highlights and a shorter style until the natural hair gets longer in order to camouflage the growing out period. Women with gray hair in many different shades may want to consider layers to help provide a cohesive and youthful look. Men looking to choose between different gray hairstyles should consider the texture of their hair, as gray hair tends to be coarser than its colored counterpart.

Growing out gray hair can be even more difficult than when you initially begin to go gray. If you’ve decided to stop coloring your hair, you will likely have to wait for it to grow long enough to cut off the previous color, unless you are comfortable with very short gray hair styles. To make the transition smoother, try highlighting your hair with a color suitable to blending your colored hair and natural hair until it all grows out. You can also make the awkward phase go more quickly by cutting your hair above your shoulders to reduce the amount of colored hair you have.

Hair styling products.
Hair styling products.

Gray hair can come in many different shades, oftentimes on the same person. If you are not yet fully gray, or if you have several different shades that are difficult to blend, layers may be one of the best gray hairstyles for you. Blunt, slightly blended layers help to provide movement to your hair, and can aid in making it appear all one shade. If your gray hair is all one tone, layers around your face can help to make you appear more youthful, as a long line of gray near the cheeks tends to make the face appear longer.

Men choosing gray hairstyles often face issues much different than women, as it tends to grow in more wiry and thin than the natural hair. As women traditionally maintain longer locks than men, this can often be hidden by the weight of the hair or with styling. Men, on the other hand, often have to deal with gray hairs sticking out amongst natural hair due to their shorter styles, leading to an unkempt appearance for some. For many men, keeping the sides of the hair shorter and the top longer can help to prevent this from occurring. Using moisturizing gray hair products can also help to encourage your hair to lay flat.

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    • Hair styling products.
      By: kornienko
      Hair styling products.