We’re not even halfway through 2024 and, truly, I can’t keep up with the number of hair colour trends that have already emerged. One minute it’s all about pared-back caramelised tones and biscuit brunettes and the next it’s high-voltage glossed ink hair and expensive-looking Palm Beach blondes. To have even the smallest chance of keeping up, you’d have to be sat in a salon chair every week. Or, instead, you could take the more low-maintenance approach to hair colour and embrace your natural shade—greys and all.
“I have definitely noticed a shift in people embracing their natural texture and colour, with some clients opting for colour blocking involving a grey streak, so the grey actually appears to be bolder,” explains Jordanna Cobella, owner of Cobella Salons and Colour & Trend Ambassador for Wella Hair UK. “Greys aren’t often evenly distributed throughout the hair, so this approach is stylish and provides great contrast to the rest of the hair colour.”
And if you’re not entirely sure about embracing your greys? The secret might lie in the way you’re looking after them. “Grey hair can tend to be quite unruly in texture and it needs a lot of moisture,” says Jordanna. “It also has a tendency to discolour and sometimes appear yellow, so colour masks can be used at home to keep the yellow at bay and inject some ash into the grey.” Plus, switching up your parting can be a good way to show off more or less of your grey hairs—depending on how you’re feeling.
As someone that has never been all that bothered about colouring my hair myself—it’s naturally a really deep, dark brown and I’ve always liked the colour—it’s been interesting to note how I’ve been more drawn to the idea of a colour appointment as the number of grey hairs on my head increases. However, the women ahead are serving up grey hair inspiration in abundance, and these grey hairstyles might just have convinced me to stay away from the salon chair for just a little bit longer.
The 8 best grey hairstyles to inspire you
1. Grey wavy lob
A classic mid-length hairstyle looks great on every hair colour and texture, and Samantha Angelo's side-parted version looks effortlessly chic with her grey hair.
2. Grey micro bob
Grece Ghanem's grey hair always looks incredibly cool, but it's this ultra-short micro bob hairstyle that I'm currently obsessed with.
3. Ultra-long greys
Model JoAni Johnson shows off the multidimensional nature of grey hair with this ultra-long style that has face-framing bright tones at the front and deeper, stormier greys through the lengths. So striking.
4. Grey money piece hairstyle
Colour-blocking your greys or wearing them as face-framing highlights, like this money piece hairstyle, is a really playful way of embracing your changing hair colour and looks undeniably stylish.
5. Grey centre-parted ponytail
Proving that a low-maintenance approach to hair colour and style can still look incredibly polished, Petra van Bremen's sleek centre-parted ponytail is timeless and versatile.
6. Grey French bob
Bobs in all their iterations continue to dominate for 2024, but the French bob really embraces your hair's natural texture and therefore lends itself well to grey hair which tends to be a little more coarse. I love this look paired with the choppy fringe.
7. Half-up, half-down
Switching up your parting and experimenting with hair sectioning is a great way to play with showing off more of less of your grey hairs This half-up, half-down hairstyle highlights just how beautiful the colour is when it catches the light.
8. Diffused grey curls
I love how soft and pretty this grey hairstyle is. Leave your hair to air dry to really let its natural texture shine.
