Going grey gracefully

Most women have nightmares about the day when they will spot that first grey hair, a sure sign that your youth is over, forever.

This no longer has to be the case, in fact grey hair is the new look, giving an elegant and oh so chic look to a lady of any age.

The tricky part is going from a few stray strands to a full head of grey, without looking like you are wearing a grey beanie with brown or black ends sticking out.

There are a few different approaches to going grey without having to hibernate for six months.

“I would suggest a semi-permanent colour that slowly washes away and grows out. If you are feeling brave, a short, edgy cut always looks good and elegant,” said owner of Head First Hair Studio, Ballito, Robyn Clark.

Shae Vorster from Hairmarx, Ballito suggested adding some blonde highlights as a good trick to mix up the different shades when you still have darker hair mixed with grey.

“Grey hair is now classy and it is all about being natural. A while ago, people thought they looked poor if they did not dye their hair, but now it is seen as quite upperclass to go grey,” said Vorster.

This is the path Roselyne Etkin took when she decided to take the bold step.

“I started getting terribly itchy scalp from the hair colour and after trying different, salon hair colours, I eventually went to a dermatologist for advice, who told me to stop colouring or else I would lose all my hair.”

She followed the advice and although she was nervous at first, because of the stereotypes associated with looking older with grey hair, she did it anyway.

“I naturally have dark hair and so I had lots of platinum blonde highlights put in and just let it all grow out,” she said.

She has been grey for about two years and loves it.

“I get many more compliments with my grey hair than before and people tell me I look younger like this.”

“My husband also likes it because it is much cheaper, which means I can now afford to buy good hair care products, such as the silver shampoo and conditioning treatments and I can even have my nails done,” she said with a smile.

There you have it, going grey is modern and elegant, as it not only compliments your skin, which naturally lightens with age, but it also saves you from the monthly hair colouring hassle and bills.