Kelly Bertrand is battling a head full of grey. But at 32, she’s not willing to accept it just yet. So naturally she’s asked her hairdresser to weigh in with some expert advice to answer the big question – what do you do when you’re starting to go grey?
It started when I was 23. A rogue silver strand amongst the dark brown – weird, sure. Concerning? Not so much.
Now I’m 32, and my hair isn’t so much scattered with grey but streaked. I have a patch that is pure, unquestionably grey – coarse, stubborn and fucking annoying. It’s on the side of my head right where I knocked myself out when I worked at Glassons during uni – be careful up stockroom ladders, kids – and if I let it grow naturally I would have a cool but before-my-time thick streak down my head that Michelle Visage would be proud of.
While I’m all for ageing gracefully, I just don’t want to do it yet because hell I’m only 33 and call me crazy, but half a head of greys just doesn’t vibe with me right now. But this leads to the next question – what are you supposed to do with them?
When you have the odd one or two they’re easy to pluck out – in fact when Capsule co-founder Alice and I used to work together in our former magazine jobs, we’d help each other out if we spotted a silver sliver at the back of our heads. But what happens when you get to my point and you realise the little bastards are winning, and if you plucked them all you’d be embarking on a more serious problem?
I don’t want to dye my hair every six weeks – money, time and the damage caused puts me riiiight off that approach. But what else is there to do? I asked my fabulous hair stylist Israel Bittencourt Alves for his professional opinion for all of us wanting to get on top of the greys.
Trust me guys, there is SO much grey under here it’s scary!
Kia ora Israel! So you’re my hair stylist and you know all about the pesky greys I – and SO many dark-haired gals – have to battle with. I’m starting to go grey – when we notice the beginnings of the greys coming through, what should we do first? Should we be plucking them out?
My suggestion when you find the first few greys would be to cut them off near the root, not pluck them! Plucking them is not advised as you can actually hurt the follicle and not get any more hair growth from that area, which is the last thing you want.
When they become a little too frequent to pluck out, but you don’t want to be dyeing your hair every six weeks, is there a way to manage them?
That’s an interesting one! Obviously everyone is different when it comes to approaching the first few greys. If they really bother you I’d suggest starting with a demi permanent colour. That will give you a softer coverage without creating harsh regrowth in a few weeks. Adding some highlights where the grey are is also a good way to disguise the shiny bits!
The darker the hair, the more glaring the greys are (sigh – damn these brunette locks!). Do you have any tips for the brown-haired gals who want to keep their dark hair but are battling the greys? (Yes I know I’m just getting free hair colouring advice now, aren’t I).
There are a few products on the market to help and mask the greys temporarily. My favourite is the root touch up spray. Imagine a dry shampoo with colour – very easy to apply and it comes off when you wash it and it’s so great for in between your salon visits!
I think at the end of the day the first few greys can be a big deal for some, but it can also be fun! The journey will be different for each individual, so do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable – whether getting rid of it by colouring or even embracing it!
