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If you have a head full of silver hair, landing on new hairstyles that highlight the shining color can be tricky to navigate, especially in the warmer months when you’re dealing with humidity and really don’t want to do anything with your hair. To help, we spoke with hairstylists who shared the best low-maintenance gray hairstyles to wear all summer long and the products to achieve each one.
Experts say that gray hair requires special attention, especially during the summer months. “With gray hair often comes amore coarse texture, especially after menopause,” says Wendy Iles, celebrity hairstylist and Founder ofIles Formula. This means that hydration is key for healthy-looking strands.
“To nourish gray hair, keep it hydrated and protected from the sun,” says Rachel Voss, the owner of Voss Salon. “Gray hair tends to be more porous and can dry out easily. I recommend using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner designed for color-treated hair, even if your gray is natural.” Seek products with ingredients like argan oil, keratin, and hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize. For added protection, a leave-in conditioner with UV filters can help shield the hair from harmful rays, Voss adds .
Ahead, get some inspiration of the best hairstyles for gray hair to keep you cool all summer.
Flowing Strands
“There are many hairstyles that suit grey hair,” Iles says. “The key to a great, grey hairstyle lies in the health of the hair.A head of long, healthy grey flowing hair is youthful and just spectacular.” To keep strands healthy, build a consistent haircare routine that includes a shampoo, conditioner, and treatments specifically crafted for gray hair.
Iles Formula Grey Delay Booster
The Iles Formula Grey Delay Booster is a botanical leave-in treatment that helps restore the hair’s natural color. The formula is made with a proprietary Silverfree and Melanogray technology that helps to stimulate melanin production and make your color even more vivid.
Oribe Silverati Shampoo
$49Buy Now at Amazon
$49Buy Now at oribe
Oribe’s hair products smell delicious and give the best results. If you have gray hair, add the Silverati Shampoo to your routine. The illuminating shampoo keeps grays without yellow tone and dullness. Unlike other shampoos, this one cleanses hair without stripping it of its natural oils, necessary for optimal scalp health. Follow your wash up with the Silverati Conditioner, which adds additional moisture and hydration.
Short Graphic Bob
“On the other hand, a short graphic bob, which has been seen on Helen Mirren, or a pixie cut like Jamie Lee Curtis,remains modern and very chic. Avoid traditional styling products that deliver stiff and sticky hair, as that will just age the looks,” Iles explains.
R+Co Velvet Curtain Texture Balm
$34Buy Now at amazon
$34Buy Now at dermstore
You can wear your bob sleek for an effortless everyday style, but give it some texture when you want to switch it up. The R+Co Velvet Curtain Texture Balm is best to have on hand to add instant texture and wave to your hair. The balm helps a piecey, second-day hair look that feels lightweight and smooth. It’s packed with Nordic cotton flower, pro-vitamin B5, sunflower seed oil, and amaranth flower seed extract to moisturize and nourish hair.
Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse
$38Buy Now at sephora
Crown Affair’s Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse is another haircare product to add to your routine if you’re looking to add tousled waves and soft, touchable volume without a crunchy finish to your bob. It’s lightweight and never sticky.
Gray Streak
If your current hairstyle works well for you, and you don’t have a full head of grays just yet, you can opt to rock a streak. “Having a gray streak to face frame your face can work with your style if you feel like experimenting with your hairstyle,” says Raven Hurtado, stylist atMaxine Salon in Chicago. “It looks a little edgy and best on long hair with layers and styled any way you’d like: up, down, waves, or curled.”
L’Orèal Colorsonic Hair Color Device
This tool helps deliver a perfect hair color application every time. And if you’re looking to enhance your gray streaks, you don’t want to miss out. Here’s how it works: Pop a cartridge into the device, then run it through your hair—it takes only five minutes!
Stardust Waves
To achieve this look, use a curling wand for adding volume and body to the hair. “To enhance the shine of the color, use oil as a finisher and also tame down flyaways, especially in the summer heat” Hurtado explains. “To get shine, I like Kerastase Elixir Ultime Oil. It’s lightweight and versatile. You can apply it on damp, dry hair or before shampooing it as a pre-treatment.”
Drybar The Wrap Party Curling & Styling Wand
On Sale 15% off
$144Buy Now at amazon
This curling and styling wand from Drybar creates gorgeous, beachy waves in just minutes. Its ionic technology reduces frizz and adds shine. The wand also heats the hair from the inside out to minimize damage and breakage.
Kèrastase Elixir Ultime Oil
$59Buy Now at sephora
$58Buy Now at Kèrastasse
This multi-tasking hair serum boosts hair’s hydration, strength, and shine. It has a thicker consistency, but don’t worry; it never weighs down strands. It also helps to repair split ends and smooth frizz for a sleek style that beats the summer heat.
Braided Hairstyles
“Braids are perfect for summer,” says Kate Ross, a hair specialist at Irresistible Me. “They keep your hair off your neck and face, helping you stay cool during hot summer days.” And they can totally be done with gray hair with the right products.
Pattern Hydrating Hair Mist
$19Buy Now at sephora
For quick braided hairstyles, reach for Pattern’s Hydrating Hair Mist. The fine mist is made for coily, curly, and wavy hair. It features a moisturizing, milky texture that’s hydrating and refreshing to strands, so they’re ready to work into braided styles.
Sleek Ponytail
Ross also recommends a sleek ponytail for gray hair to help keep you cool throughout the hot summer months. “Pull your gray hair back into a sleek ponytail for a polished look or only half of the hair to create the half up half down hairstyle,” she shares.
TIGI Bed Head Hair Wax Stick
On Sale 30% off
$14Buy Now at amazon
The TIGI Bed Head Hair Wax Stick sleeks hair in seconds. Just run it over the sides of your hair and any flyways. The result? Hair that stays put all day long.
Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream
$30Buy Now at sephora
This styling cream is a miracle-working product for making hair look sleek and professionally styled from the comfort of your bathroom. It’s crafted with dragon fruit, which is rich in antioxidants and enzymes that lock in moisture. There is also prickly pear seed oil to nourish condition strands and meadowfoam seed oil, restoring hair to its natural, glossy luster.
Long Bob
Diane Keaton’s long bob is a happy medium between a summer chop and wanting to keep your hair long. Ask your stylist for longer layers to really accommodate your gorgeous gray strands.
Revlon One-Step Volumizer
On Sale 5% off
$41Buy Now at amazon
The Revlon One-Step Volumizer makes achieving a frizz-free long bob at home easy. It dries hair faster than your current hair dryer, leaving locks feeling fresh and volumized.
Messy Top Knots
Have some fun with your hair and toss it up into two perfectly imperfect top knots. The style is classic and playful, plus sit keeps your hair out of your face and off your neck.
Amika On Lock High Hold Hair Wax
$28Buy Now ON AMAZON
Smooth and lock styles in place with this flexible hair wax. It seamlessly works through hair, leaving it shiny and natural finish.
