#1: Match it to your complexion

Image: @badgirlriri Instagram
Image: @badgirlriri Instagram

Know your skin tone, says Don Huang, L’Oreal Professionnel’s business development manager. “Grey tends to suit cooler or fairer skin tones. So if you have dark skin, opt for a grey with a pink or violet tinge, and do thin streaks of colour instead of broad panels.”

#2: Make it more wearable 

Image: @mileycyrus Instagram
Image: @mileycyrus Instagram

Cut your hair short. Gary Chew, director of Salon Vim by Chez Vous, says the colour tends to look fresher and more chic with a pixie cut or short bob. For longer hair, go ombre – black roots graduating to grey ends. Chew says this also solves the tricky problem of regrowth and having to touch up every three weeks or so.

Only colour just 30 to 50 per cent of your hair. Edward Tay, senior stylist at GC Salon, says: “A full head of grey can make you look drab, especially if you don’t have the right makeup to go with it. Balance the look with bright, bold lips or strong eye makeup so you don’t look washed-out.” An alternative: add purplish or lavender highlights for some warmth.

#3: Keep hair healthy

Image: @greyhaairlove Instagram
Image: @greyhaairlove Instagram

You need to bleach or lighten hair before putting in the grey. This is very drying, so follow-up care needs to be intensive. Chew recommends regular salon treatments (like the Shu Uemura Art Of Hair treatment) to smooth and repair brittle, damaged hair. For daily maintenance, go for strengthening and hydrating shampoos and masks.

Main photo: Showbit.com

An adapted version first appeared in Female’s May 2012 issue.

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