Going natural: Grey hair…do care

I have ‘gone natural’. Well, what I mean to say is that I have stopped chemically straightening my hair. The result? Natural curls. By Kiesha Meikle

I am officially part of #teamnatural (watch out for my upcoming feature on the natural hair revolution in Black Beauty and Hair Magazine). This was not an easy decision to make mind you, I even had to break myself in gradually, with the help of hair bands and smoothing products. But hey, I did it, I got myself off the ‘creamy crack’. What’s more, the world did not come to an end, there was no announcement on the news and I am yet to be sectioned. What the hell was I worried about? Now, going naturally curly is one thing. Unleashing my grey, wiry, unwieldy hair on the world is a very different thing altogether.

Like every trend the grey hair ‘thing’ is quickly creeping its way around London’s hot spots. Remember when grey hair was just for grannies?

This particular trend hit celeb land a while ago, but has recently started to trickle down – I counted 3 lesser spotted grey headed hipsters on my last visit to Hoxton (there have also been sightings in Brixton, Peckham and Dalston they say). I have seen the look executed very well indeed…but not often. It’s for this reason that I have listed 5 key rules for rocking grey hair.

In short, by all means you can do grey hair if you don’t care, but if you do care, read on for how to do it well…

Keep your hair conditioned:

This should go without saying, as any hair colour – whether it be natural of from a bottle – should be well maintained with regular conditioning treatments. Just to be sure, we asked leading hair salon, Jo Hansford what they thought the key to great looking grey is, they said: “As with any hair colour, condition is paramount to keeping your hair looking and feeling healthy and shiny. Use an intensive masque weekly to keep your hair nourished and silver shampoos can help to brighten your colour if you do decide to go grey.”

Hair products are sometimes coloured:

You may not notice this on your natural hair colour (especially if it is dark), but some hair styling products contain colour. Use a good shampoo and conditioner to prevent product build up which could fade your grey or turn it a different shade. Brands like White Hot do a fantastic range of moisturising products specifically for natural grey or bleached grey hair. Well worth investing.

Keep it simple:

Having ‘statement’ grey hair is usually enough and can mean that less is in fact more. Keeping a style simple or natural can save on time and keep your style looking relaxed rather than contrived – of course, if looking like Mrs Haversham is your thing, then work it!

Know your grey:

Choosing the right grey tone may be harder than you think. When it comes to this year’s trend, the range of grey tones starts at white / silver and goes all the way to dark grey / charcoal. This is not a bad thing, as it gives you more choice and your stylist should be well prepared with something to suit your complexion. If you are not sure what tone to go for, there are numerous hair colour changer apps out there – take a pic of yourself and try out some shades. Simple.

You may want to get some new make-up (and frames):

A full head of grey hair requires make up that compliments rather than clashes. I love peachy lipstick with great hair, but this may not suit every skin tone. You may find that your old colours no longer look as good with your new hair colour, get yourself booked in for a free makeover and try before you buy. You may even want to invest in some funky new frames if you are a spectacles wearer – grey hair looks amazing with a pop of colour around the eyes.

What do think? Will you be going for grey this season?