A little over two weeks ago, actor Andie MacDowell took over the internet when she–at the Cannes Film Festival 2021 red carpet–stepped out with her curly grey-haired mane in all its natural glory. Actors Helen Mirren and Jodie Foster joined suit at Cannes too, where the former had her silver hair tied up in a chic chignon, and the latter wore her tresses in a salt-and-pepper-streaked bob.
Somewhere in 2018, dyeing your hair grey became a trend. I remember girls in college spent hours getting their dark locks bleached, only to colour them ashy-silvery shades. This made me wonder, why was something that was a trend for millennials, an unattractive trait in older women? Why are women held to dramatically different beauty standards? Given that Indians have an obsession with thick, smooth black hair, seeing celebrities embrace and love their natural hair could be just the inspiration we need to break the mould. After all, we take notes from their beauty books sometimes, right?
Amid the COVID-19 lockdowns worldwide, celebrities (they’re just like us! No, really) have been unable to rope in their trusty hairstylists to colour their manes. While this may cause some to stay under the (paparazzi) radar, others have taken to social media to share their grey hair status.
Andie MacDowell
“During coronavirus my roots grew out, and I had to make a decision quickly before I went to do a movie. I went natural and embraced my true colour. I want to be proud of where I am in my life! I don’t want to be ashamed of my age,” the actor explained on Instagram.
Lara Dutta
“A few greys rearing their heads! But I guess now is a good time to embrace our true selves,” wrote the former Miss Universe on her social media handle.
Sameera Reddy
The actor captioned a video on Instagram, “Grey hair, don’t care!”
Want to embrace your grey hair but don’t know where to begin? Here are some tips on how to start this journey with grace…
Patience is key
The first thing you have to do is let your hair grow out so you can figure out your greying pattern. In the meantime, you can keep switching your part and trying out new updos. If you like, you can also opt for low lights (a hair colour technique in which darker shades are added to sections of your hair) so your grey hair blends in with the previous dye job without looking too stark.
Pick the right products
Grey hair does need a little bit of TLC to look fresh and silvery. Enter purple shampoos and conditioners. The coloured shampoo neutralises the yellow tones in hair, making it look bright and white.
Mask often
As your hair turns grey, it tends to become drier and more brittle. Add a conditioning treatment to your weekly routine to give your mane the hydration it deserves.