How to Transition to Gray Hair, According to Pro Colorists

If you’re used to hearing much more about how to cover your grays than how to transition to gray hair, you’re not alone. But as some of our favorite celebrities (Diane Keaton, Andie MacDowell, and Salma Hayek, to name a few) have demonstrated, there’s a distinct kind of cool that only comes from fully embracing gray hair.

Whether you started noticing gray streaks recently, or you’ve been coloring them for years and want a lower-maintenance look, there’s no right or wrong time to transition to gray hair. The most important thing is that you feel excited about experimenting with gray, the same way you would about a big haircut or any other color transformation.

Plus, since all hair colors eventually go gray with age, you know it’s a universally flattering choice from the jump. Below, we asked expert hairstylists and colorists how to transition to gray hair seamlessly—and feel great about it every step of the way.

How should you start your transition to gray hair?

“The first step is to get clear on your end goal,” Sean Michael, stylist and owner of Salon Beau, tells Glamour. “Do you want a full gray transformation, a blended grow-out, or to softly introduce natural silver tones over time?” Once you have a clear idea of the look you’re after—and a camera roll full of inspiration shots, ideally—Michael advises booking a consultation with a colorist to map out your path to gray.

Once you’re ready to kick off your new color journey, experimenting with streaks rather than a full-head color change can help you ease in. “Most people benefit from adding cool toned highlights or lowlights to blur the line between existing color and new growth, which creates a softer, more intentional transition,” Michael says.

Jackie Seabrooke, hair artist at Kristen Ess, offers similar advice: “I would recommend getting strategic highlights and low lights to diffuse and break up the hard grey line of demarcation that you so often see,” she says. “If you are someone with really dark hair you can also lighten your overall base color to have a more blended grow out.”

Is the journey to gray different for different hair types?

Another factor to consider early in your gray hair journey is how your specific hair type will respond. Lots of people experience texture changes when their hair starts graying: “Many people notice gray hair feels coarser, drier, or even curlier,” Michael says. “This happens because the follicles produce less sebum (natural oils) and sometimes change shape as melanin production slows down.”