Graying Gracefully Tips from the pros
More and more women are just saying no to the expensive and time-consuming chore of coloring their hair—and are finding they love their gray. Experts offer tips on transitioning from dyed to naturally colored hair and how to keep your silvered locks shiny, smooth, and sensational.
“I recommend my clients wear wide headbands or scarves to cover the first few inches of gray so the disconnect between the colored and natural hair isn’t so great. Then I can get all the dead, dyed hair off in one or two short haircuts.”
—Dale Clearwater
(Cross River 914-763-7649; daleclearwater.com)
“Glaze, a clear glossing and conditioning treatment, will make white hair shiny and smooth out any coarseness.”
—M. DeRose, Zokkoz Salon
(1250 Pleasantville Rd, Briarcliff Manor 866-820-0011; zokkoz.com)
“Shimmer Lights shampoo by Clairol is a purple shampoo that takes away brassiness and yellow and makes the gray look more natural and shiny.”
—Mila Torres, Mr. Carmine International Hair Salon
(2132 Central Ave, Yonkers 914-202-0472 internationalhairforum.com)
“Condition your gray hair a lot to keep hair smooth.”
—Chantale Difeo, New York Hair & Nail Co.
(85 Lake St, West Harrison 914-948-3027)
“Gray treatment depends on the type of hair and how warm the tone is—highlights and lowlights can clash if they are the wrong tone. Glazing can enhance and bring more shine and more body to gray hair.”
—Janet Carreras, Vasken Demirijan Salon
(12 City Pl, White Plains 914-285-0800; vaskendemirjian.com)
“Using a lowlight on fifty percent gray hair will make it look more natural. Using a semi-permanent dye on full gray hair will make 70 percent of the gray look like highlights.”
—Noel Lanza, Cutting Edge Hair Studios Inc.
(475 Ashford Ave, Ardsley 914-231-5955)
Stylists’ Favorite Styles
We queried stylists about the most universally flattering styles; here are their top picks.
The Messy Bun
“The loose messy bun nestled low to the neck, dressed up or down, is chic perfection,” says salon owner Heather Adessa of Mamaroneck, who has worked with various celebrities, including Star Jones. “Women with oval and heart-shaped faces should leave pieces grazing the side of the face; women with round and square-shaped faces can have a side bang sweep across the eye and along the cheek. If you have bangs or shorter angles in the front, curl them loosely and pin back for a swept-up do.”
How to get the look: For wavy or curly hair, style with mousse and a little bit of a serum, applying two inches from the root to the ends. Secure hair in a ponytail where you want the bun to be. Then, take strands of hair from ponytail and use a bobby pin to secure strands randomly to the head around the base of the ponytail. Use hairspray for extra hold. For straight hair, curl with a curling iron, then hairspray before making the ponytail, or scrunch curling mousse in with your hands when hair is still wet for a quicker updo.
The Blunt Bob
“A great haircut is modern, has movement, and enhances your total look,” says Mamaroneck stylist Susanna Romano, who apprenticed at Frédéric Fekkai Salon before opening her own place, Salon AKS in New York City. She has Sarah Michelle Gellar, Claire Danes, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington among her clients. Her favorite look is the blunt bob, shown here on actress/model Brooklyn Decker, who is best known for her appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. “You can make this look edgy and smooth or tousled and soft. It is an effortless, current, and very sexy style that can be worn by women of all ages.”
How to get the look: “First off,” Romano says, “invest in a great haircut! When the cut is done well, you can get many looks out of this style.” To style, use soft-holding gel, and twist hair off the face to air-dry. Then use a curling iron on just the ends, and maybe add a little volume at the roots by blow-drying them in the opposite direction from how they will fall.
