Your gray-hair demarcation line doesn’t have to define you
We’re obsessed with the growing appreciation for that naturally luminous, lush look of gorgeous, grown-out silver hair (and not just because we’re silverists, too!). It’s stunning, it’s simple and it’s authentically us (or at least most of us if we stop dyeing our lengths).
Despite the fact that there’s power in numbers — #greyhairdontcare has been hashtagged on over 538000 posts on Instagram — the biggest mental hurdle for most women is how to deal with the dreaded demarcation line between your dyed ends and your natural silver hair during the 2 years it typically takes to fully grow out your natural grays.
"Despite the fact that there’s power in numbers — #greyhairdontcare has been hashtagged on over 538000 posts on Instagram — the biggest mental hurdle for most women is how to deal with the dreaded demarcation line between your dyed ends and your natural silver hair."
But hear us out. There are so many reasons that the journey to the silvery destination is worth it. And so many ways to deal with the transition so you continue to feel like the queen you are, demarcation line or not.
Check out these ways to keep your motivation going:
Let it go.
Literally. So many women these days are adopting an attitude of “f it” and letting their grow-out line happen as their natural tinsel starts peeking out. Rightly so, it’s sexy. Others are completely rocking their roots with attitudes reminiscent of celebs or influencers like Kim Kardashian who’ve regularly rocked the inverse of the demarcation line: dark roots with gray, silver, blue or [insert punk-adjacent shade here] lengths. And if you are old enough to remember the grunge era, this is your take 2. How creative can you get?
Handle their questions, comments, concerns with cool.
If your grow-out line has become the silver elephant in the room, just address it. Once the early-stage demarcation zone travels between Kardashian-chic, “she let herself go” and “is she too cheap to spring for a salon touch-up?”, you’ll probably have some well-meaning friends, family or colleagues whose curiosity is killing them. Yes, their comments are unwarranted, unwanted and unsolicited, but you have nothing to hide or be defensive about. If they ask what’s up with your “new” style, a nice “I know, I love it” should put a sweet exclamation point to the quick end of that conversation.
Build a Silverist tribe
Yes, even though times are changing and attitudes are evolving, it can still be surprising for people to see visible gray hair, let alone a full silvery mane, on women who aren’t in their elder years. Even so, a quiet but visible revolution among silverists is inspiring a groundswell of support, connection and tribe-building to share tips, tricks, challenges and successes. If there’s not a community already around you, create one for yourself through social media or your network of friends.
That’s just the mental aspect! Styling the actual demarcation line is a whole separate thing, but don’t worry we got you. And remember, it’s usually the most challenging in the beginning because it’s not clear whether or not you’re rocking an intentional look, but not to worry, there are several strategies that can help you manage the grow-out line sans a buzz cut.
Grow-out strategy 1: TEMPORARY COLOR SOLUTIONS
You know those quick fixes for root touch-up that come in sprays, powders or crayons/pencils? They’re also amazing at camouflaging the look of an early-stage grow-out or easing the demarcation line as your hair grows. Because these grow-out saviors come in a range of shades, you’re able to choose one that best matches the color of your dyed hair. Spray-ons typically dry the fastest, so you have to work quickly with them. Powders and pencils are slightly easier to work with when you’re targeting an area, but generally less transfer-proof. Regardless of your touch-up product, the method is the same: Simply direct color at your new growth and cover, mask or blend away gray strands. If you’re seeing more than an inch or so of grow-out, camouflaging your grow-out line might get a little more challenging and require a little more deftness and a lot more product, but at the very least touch ups can soften the demarcation line if not hide it completely. If you’re in a hurry or don’t have cover-up products on hand, we love Selma Hayak’s quick pre-camera hack: Swipe your mascara brush over grays to hide them instantly.
Grow-out strategy 2: COVER IT UP
Probably the chicest, simplest and most stylish strategy is to simply cover your grow-out line, especially in the earlier stages when the root line is smaller. We love a really wide hair band that can mask your demarcation line for several months. Wearing hats, scarves, bandanas or headwraps is another gorgeously clever (and fashionable) way to hide your gray hair grow-out for several seasons. You’ll be scoring style points while hiding your gray hair secret. Gray-haired weaves or wigs are another way to rock a long, luscious silver mane while sneaking your natural grays onto the scene.
Grow-out strategy 3: CHANGE UP YOUR HAIRSTYLE
There are so many ways to switch-up your look whether you’re getting a fresh new cut or trying new styles like braids, ponytails, top knots or extensions and wigs to help visibly break-up that straight line separately newly grown-out hair from dyed locks.
Once your natural grays are more grown out, hairstyles featuring a little more wave or curl can also help soften the sharpness and visibility of a transition line that typically shows up more on straight hair.
Grow-out strategy 4: TONE-DEPOSITING PRODUCT
One of the last steps you can take, especially when you’re sporting a significant amount of new growth, is applying a tone-depositing conditioner. These temporary fixes come in several shades, last through multiple shampoos and visibly soften the demarcation line. The bonus is they also address toning issues that may crop up with fading dyed ends. Regular treatments are necessary to keep up with the benefits.
Grow-out strategy 5: GRAY BLENDING
Another way to deal with the grow-out line is to avoid it altogether via gray-blending. We love a gray blend, despite its high-maintenance reputation. Gray-blending involves having a colorist adding transitional highlights and lowlights in your hair that match your natural hair pattern so that your hair grows out in a much more seamless way. This pro-colorist strategy is the most subtle way to visibly incorporate new growth with current dyed strands; however it is expensive and requires touch-ups. Yes, you’ll still see a demarcation line but it will be far less noticeable than simply going cold turkey with a grow-out.
Grow-out strategy 6: THE DYE-STRIP METHOD
We love this strategy which is kind of like being a master of illusion. The idea is that you’re hiding your demarcation line with a strip of dyed (so yes, it still uses permanent dye, but super targeted and less of it). This method requires less maintenance than the gray blending technique above but isn’t quite as drastic as, say, a buzz cut or going cold turkey. You can do this at home or have a pro colorist lend a hand.
Step 1: Part your hair on the side.
Step 2: Dye only a small, 1- to 2-inch x 5-inch strip of hair starting at the roots like a “skunk stripe”.
Step 3: Part hair down the middle, style and distribute dyed hair among your grays so hair looks naturally highlighted. Truth is, you’re simply hiding your grow-out under the dyed strip.
Step 4: As your silver hair secretly grows out underneath the strip, keep dyeing only that strip to help mask the demarcation line.
Step 4: As your natural silver strands more fully grow out, they’ll slowly mask the dyed strip, especially if you flip your part to the other side.
PRO TIP: MORE FREQUENT CUTS
Not that you need more to think about, but when you’re growing out your natural grays, you’ll likely find not only a demarcation line with two shades of hair, but also two types of textures. While there’s no topical fix, getting more frequent haircuts can help minimize the look and help you feel like you’re making more progress in your grow-out journey.
"Most women feel so much more confident once they pass the 4 to 6 inch mark. This is usually the length where your style starts to look more intentional."
Regardless of the strategy you’re using to mask, cover or visibly minimize your demarcation line , just know that most women feel so much more confident once they pass the 4 to 6 inch mark. This is usually the length where your style starts to look more intentional vs a few accidentally skipped salon appointments. At this point you’ll also begin noticing just how healthy your new growth looks and feels. You’ll be scoring more compliments and seeing just how lush, vibrant and stunning your naturally silver lengths look. That vision of you as a silver goddess? It’s happening.
