Embracing your natural gray has countless upsides. But it can also bring challenges, especially if your texture is naturally fine or thins with age, as it does for many of us. “Fine gray hair can be tricky,” admits Ricky Walters, leading celebrity hairstylist and founder of Salon64. “While darker heads of fine hair tend to look fuller and less transparent, gray—with less pigment to create depth—can make hair look a little see-through.”
This is where a clever cut becomes an astute move. “We have a choice of techniques,” Walters notes, including a blunt cut. “‘Blunt’ means we cut straight across the hair without removing any weight, and this helps to seal the ends, making the hair look thicker and fuller,” he explains. But blunt doesn’t have to mean entirely uniform. Lesley Drummond, creative senior stylist at John Frieda Mayfair, says a one-length cut can sometimes make the hair look limp; “the key is to create a shape that gives the hair not only movement, but density.” Here are some A-list examples to save and share at your next salon visit. `
Short and Choppy
Fine texture and short lengths are a compatible combination for a reason. “You will often find some hair is thicker and fuller closer to the roots but gets more and more thin as we head towards the ends,” says Walters, who highlights Judi Dench and Jamie Lee Curtis as stellar examples of short gray haircuts.
When styling short, fine hair, “root-lifting products can help create volume at the crown,” says Drummond. “Rollers or pin curls are also great for lasting body.” Flock-covered rollers “are particularly good for fine hair because they grip without snagging,” she adds.
A Sharp Bob
