'It's not true at all that grey hair makes you look older,' says Adam Reed, tress trend setter and editorial ambassador for L'Oréal Professionnel. 'You're as young as you feel, and this will totally come across.'
In fact, grey hair is a more popular choice than ever, with people embracing the trend through experimentation with metallic colours, as well as transitioning from dyed hair to their natural grey shades.
Only this week Chrissy Teigen revealed how she's embracing her silver strands, tweeting: 'I have a skunk like streak of grey hair and I'm actually very into it. My cruella dreams are coming true!' We're so with her.
Here's how to make the most of your grey when going down the au naturel (or faux naturel) route – with or without a little help from the salon.
How to transition to grey with grace
Few of us go grey over a short time, so during the transition period you could enlist the help of your colourist. Josh Wood, Redken's global creative colour director, says your pro should keep the colour lighter nearer the face.
'Try to get the hairline as light as your natural grey,' he advises. 'If the eye sees the lightest colour against the face it will give the appearance of being totally grey.'
Play around with the shade to find what suits you. Wood says to keep it 'light and sparkling', key to a youth-boosting glamorous grey. Your colourist can tweak the tone to bespoke things. 'Some skin tones work better with a violet undertone or blue,' he says. 'I use the new silver glosses in the Shades EQ by Redken [in salons nationwide from January] to tailor and personalise grey to my clients.'
Indeed, a salon glossing service is your friend. Not only good for blending away your first greys (if you're still at that stage and choose to mask them), but it can make your grey hair more gorgeous. If you don't want to change your colour at all, ask for a clear gloss (try the DIA Richesse service at L'Oréal Professionnel salons nationwide) for added sparkle that at-home products can't deliver.
Also consider changing your cut. Wood says: 'The shorter you go the more any existing colour you are using will be cut out, thus exposing more of the natural colour and grey.' Seems obvious, but you want to make the transition as seamless as possible, so don't be scared of the scissors.
'Having a contemporary style also helps to keep your hair looking good while growing in your grey,' he adds. Noted.
How to care for grey hair
When embracing your newly grey locks, certain products that can keep it looking its best.
'Grey hair has no natural pigment so it can become yellow over time,' explains Katie Allan, creative manager at Charles Worthington. 'To prevent this from happening, use clarifying products weekly to eradicate any free radicals and impurities.' We like the Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo.
Also invest in a silver shampoo (such as the L'Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Silver Shampoo), advises Reed, 'as this cleans and purifies the hair fibre while neutralising any yellowness, to give clarity, shine and softness.'
Lastly, you'll have noticed that the lack of pigment in grey hair also affects the texture. 'It can also be very dry and wiry,' Allan notes, so take conditioning seriously with the addition of a weekly hydrating masque.
