How to wear grey hair without looking older (2025)

There’s no denying that our hairstyle, cut and colour can play a significant part in how old we look, but many of the supposed ‘rules’ dictating everything from the best hair length for mature women to how to avoid greys no longer apply. While hormonal and biological changes that happen as we age do affect how our hair looks, feels and falls, updating your hair as you get older doesn’t mean that you need to chop it all off or rush to cover every hint of regrowth. In fact, embracing your natural style, letting your hair colour evolve and establishing a gentler haircare routine can be all that’s needed to make hair look healthy, glossy and shiny.

The pros are noticing a shift to silver, too. Skye Edwards, artistic director at Gielly Green, is seeing more grey hairs than ever in her salon chair, and clients aren’t rushing to hide them. “People are embracing grey; it grows out naturally and surprisingly easily for some, and hair looks all the greater for it,” she says.

Being open to new ideas in terms of styling can also help grey hair to look modern, according to award-winning colourist and founder of STIL salon Christel Barron-Hough. “Your hair colour and cut will always look more youthful if it’s chosen to suit your personal style and unique face shape. Styling definitely moves with the times and, to look current, it’s key that your hair isn’t an exact copy of a look you might have worn in the 1980s or 1990s. That’s when hair can start to look dated.”

With celebrities such as Andie MacDowell, Helen Mirren, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dawn French showcasing different variations of grey in all manner of ways, there’s never been more grey hair inspiration out there.

As for cuts, some simple tweaks can be all that’s needed to make your grey hair look chic, while switching up your at-home haircare regime will not only help you maintain gleaming colour but also cater to your hair’s changing needs (our lengths often become noticeably dryer after the menopause). Without further ado, here are six ways to celebrate your greys, whether you’re going all in or prefer a smattering of silver.

Try the ‘face-lift’ trick

If growing out grey roots is proving a slog, make the transition more gradual with a clever cinematic technique. “Keeping your hairline slightly lighter is a ‘face-lift’ trick that’s been used by professionals since the Old Hollywood era, and can add softness when you’re losing your natural colour,” says expert colourist Josh Wood. He explains that painting the baby hairs and delicate strands around the hairline with light grey and blonde tones creates a halo effect that makes going grey that bit more seamless.

Multidimensional colour services like this not only keep colour looking fresh but save both time and money, as you’re not frequenting the salon as often (or staying as long when you do). If your roots do become a little too ‘blocky’ for your liking in between appointments, Josh’s own Root Smudge and Blending Brush, £15, fills in gaps in seconds and lasts up to three washes.

That said, don’t panic at the first signs of root regrowth. A root ‘shadow’ can actually be instrumental in making your hair colour look cool and current, according to Nicola Clarke, creative colour director at John Frieda Salons. “It can be really flattering to have roots that are darker than the rest of your hair colour, especially if you have grey or dark blonde hair.”

Bear in mind that highlights and balayage don’t need to be uniformly applied either. “A few pieces of balayage, even if they aren’t applied directly from the root, always look beautifully youthful,” says Nicola.

Low maintenance, easier on the bank balance and less time-consuming? There’s a lot to love about a more relaxed approach to colour.

Ask for toner

Yellow tones in the hair can look brassy and old-fashioned, but Nicola has a simple fix. “Whenever you’re at the salon, ask your colourist to use a toner. It will make hair look shinier and add depth to your colour. This will have the result of making hair look brighter, healthier and more vibrant,” she advises.

To keep the tone of the hair cool – ash, silver or platinum, for example – use silver or purple shampoo and conditioner regularly in between appointments.

Alternatively, if you’re working from a brunette or red base colour, it may be that you need your tone warmed up a little. “I like to add warmth to these hair colours as it gives mature skin a glow,” says Neil Smith, artistic director at Barrie Stephen Hair.

James Taylor, colour director at Barrie Stephen, agrees that a deeper tonal quality combats dullness. “Adding flecks of gold can create colour that’s sophisticated and warm, just keep an eye out for brassiness and use a toner if your shade becomes too orangey,” he says.

Avoid very severe cuts

As with hair colour, a softer haircut can instantly lift the face and looks incredibly elegant as we get older. “Opt for softly layered styles, rather than blunt cuts,” says Hayley Gibson-Forbes, director at S J Forbes. “A blunt bob with no layering, for example, can look very severe. This is because as we age, the plumpness in our face is reduced and our face shape appears more angular, so any style that accentuates these angles can have an ageing effect,” continues Hayley.

A more graduated haircut such as the ‘lob’ – a long bob that sits slightly beneath the jawline at the front – is a great alternative. “The subtle layers will frame the face, making it appear fuller.”

Cate Blanchett has long championed the ‘lob’

Softer styling also creates a youthful effect. Christel advises “working with your natural hair texture to create an undone feel, no matter whether you have long or short hair.” Retaining movement helps hair to look thicker, but don’t go overboard with the backcombing and volumising products, as they can leave hair looking stiff and cause it to become dry and brittle – two issues that already tend to affect hair as we get older. Take a break from the hot tools every now and again, too, as while overstyling can damage every hair type at any age, older hair is more vulnerable to breakage because it loses elasticity over time, just like our skin. Maintaining healthy hair condition can make even the simplest cut sing.

Try long grey hair

“There’s no reason why older women ‘shouldn’t’ have long hair,” Christel affirms. “Fashion really has no age limit and women can look absolutely amazing with longer lengths.”

“The only caveat is making sure that hair quality and density supports a longer styler, so regular nourishment and a focus on condition is important.” Christel recommends a hair-specific supplement such as Viviscal “to keep hair healthy and promote growth”. Fancy trying long hair on for size? “Adding a few tape extensions to the body of the hair makes such a difference,” says Christel.

If you’re on the fence, that’s a fabulous place to be, too. Jamie Stevens, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Jamie Stevens Salon, suggests collarbone length as the perfect in-between. “With subtle layering, this will help lift your neck and jawline to give a youthful appearance,” he says.

Let your grey shine

Hair naturally loses pigment as we age, but that needn’t mean your colour has to fade into the background. A clean, light-reflective grey tone can be incredibly striking.

Nicola recommends “white and platinum if you’d like to keep your look natural, or consider blue and ash tones if you’re after a more edgy grey.” For something slightly less bold, weaving iridescent, pearly shades through a grey base also gives hair a low-maintenance lift. L'Oréal Professionel’s Pearl Balayage service blends grown-out greys with cool, pearl-toned hues, hand-painted on to hair for a shimmering finish that lasts. Expect to grow out grey hair for around six months beforehand for the best result.

Prefer to go grey naturally? An in-salon gloss will add mirror-like lustre. Glow to Go at John Frieda Salons, from £125 including a blow-dry, will enhance and brighten your grey tones while sealing in hydration and shine for up to eight weeks.

Sarah Jessica Parker is embracing going grey naturally

To give grey hair some gleam at home, a hair glaze offers luminosity and colour that lasts beyond a single rinse. Wella Professionals UK colour trend expert Zoë Irwin recommends boosting grey hair with a tinted glaze such as Wella Professionals Color Fresh Mask in Pearl Blonde, £15.75. It imparts a hint of colour and shines bright for up to six washes, plus it delivers far more moisture than a classic silver shampoo alone.

Tweak your haircare

As hair loses its pigment, it tends to become coarser, making restorative haircare more important than ever. Lightweight conditioners and weekly treatment masks will penetrate and smooth the more porous hair cuticle without leaving hair lank, and styling products infused with added moisturising ingredients such as ceramides will elevate both your style and the condition of your lengths. Avoid overwashing hair, too, to preserve strength, hydration and colour, especially if you live in a hard water area. This will give natural oils a chance to move from your scalp down the hair shaft (our scalp generally produces less oil as we age), adding natural shine and nourishment, not to mention giving you some precious time back.

On the topic of hard water, grey hair can be particularly prone to the dulling mineral deposits that it leaves behind. Including vitamin C in your haircare routine can help, as its acidic pH ‘chelates’ the hair, removing the hard water residue and product build-up that causes discolouration. Balayage specialist Sibi Bolan swears by monthly illuminating vitamin C treatments to keep grey hair healthy and bright; look for powder-to-liquid or paste formulas to ensure vitamin C is as potent as possible (vitamin C is an unstable molecule, so breaks down easily with exposure to the elements.)

It’s especially important to give grey hair some extra TLC before, during and after sun exposure, according to stylist Paul Windle. “Grey hair is more prone to UV damage as it lacks the natural protection afforded to hair by pigment cells,” he says. “Although hair can’t burn like skin, UV radiation causes protein damage, which results in brittle, weak hair,” he explains. “Look out for products with UVA and UVB filters to both reduce damage and slow protein loss.”