6 Gray Brown Hair Ideas For Your Coolest Clients
Gray brown hair is fast becoming one of 2021’s hottest hair color trends – thanks in part to its startling similarity with last year’s lust-have hue, ash brown. But there’s another reason gray brown is making waves in salon chairs right now: it’s the perfect shade for brunette clients who want to transition to gray hair.
Nobody needs an excuse to work gray brown hair from root to tip. The cool-toned shade is as covetable as a mushroom blonde or a silky silver ‘do. However, for your brunette clients, it’s also a great way of introducing hints of gray which, over time, you can build up to help them work the shade all over.
So, let’s explore the benefits of nailing a multi-purpose gray brown transformation – plus six ideas you can try on your brunette clients…
How to Blend Grays On Dark Brown Hair
The trick here isn’t to camouflage grays (you are creating a gray brown look, after all), but to blend them in with the base so you get a more seamless-looking finish. This can be done in one of two ways: either you sweep over a few with a brunette color, or you bump up the number of grays with highlights to make them look evenly scattered.
If you’re merely covering a few grays up, do so with demi-permanent Color Touch, which will tone silver strays and soften regrowth for a beautifully blended look. A permanent color, like Koleston Perfect, will give you up to 100% coverage, but this will block out silver strands (al-most) entirely, so you won’t get a gray brown shade. For this reason, Color Touch is your go-to, applied in a cool hue to match the undertone of the gray.
Meanwhile, blending gray hair with highlights is perfect for brunette clients who choose to embrace their regrowth. By adding root-to-tip ribbons, the gray appears more even and eye-catching. Lighten locks with BlondorPlex first, applying it over and adjacent to gray hairs. Then tone with a silvery hue, like Color Touch 7/89 or Illumina Color 8/69.
6 Gray Brown Hair Ideas
Let’s talk inspiration. Some of these looks are designed to embrace natural grays, while others are all about tapping into a trend – no regrowth necessary. However, they all have one thing in common: they’re beyond mesmerizing.
Gray Brown Hair with Lowlights
Image Credit: @jessdoesyourhair
This was a big transformation. Jessica’s client started with an all-over blonde, but they wanted to switch it up for a smokey gray brown with chunky highlights. So, to create the look, lowlights were applied with Color Touch 7/1 + 8/03 + 7/0. The same formula was then smudged into the root, rinsed from the hair and neutralized. Afterwards, the existing blonde pieces were toned down using Illumina Color 8/69 + 9/60 + 9/ + 6%. Then, waves were styled in. If you’re recreating the look, apply EIMI Extra Volume Mousse through damp hair before blowdrying, and the soft, smooth curves will stay in place for longer.
Gray Highlights On Dark Brown Hair
Image Credit: @jeongchen
Take a look at these chunky gray blonde highlights. Swept through a dark brown canvas, they’re unashamedly bold, giving brunette hair a dimensional upgrade. Jeong has interspersed root-to-tip pieces with balayage for this look, which you can replicate using Blondor Freelights; our freehand hair lightener that stays exactly where you want it.
Gray Money-Piece On Dark Brown Hair
Image Credit: @hairxjojo
For brunette clients who have a lot of silver regrowth through the face-framing layers, consider adding one weighty money-piece alongside a scattering of gunmetal highlights. Here's a dreamy demo for you, which can be replicated with the smokey tones in our Illlumina Color portfolio. Finish by treating dried and styled lengths to a pump of Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil.
Brown to Gray Ombre Hair
Image Credit: @jamiekeikohair
Clients with dark brown roots will love this gray brown color melt. Just make sure, if you’re using lots of lightener through the mid-lengths and ends, your client follows up with a nourishing care routine. Recommend they pamper colored locks with a weekly dose of the Color-Motion+ Structure+ Intensive Restructuring Mask For Colored Hair, which provides strength, shine and lasting manageability, thanks to our WellaPlex bonding agent. Then, if you’re as obsessed with this beachy wave as we are, mist ombre creations with EIMI Ocean Spritz after drying and styling. Use fingertips to gently scrunch in a little extra texture.
Smokey Gray Highlights on Brown Hair
Image Credit: @mariaalexandraceausu
This is exactly the kind of highlight pattern that helps to blend gray hair with dark brown hair. The tone is flawless and the volume of highlights means any natural regrowth will appear softer. Give the look a glossy boost by tonging gray brown hair once it’s been dried, then try spritzing EIMI Glam Mist into the palms of hands and sweeping it over lengths.
How to Maintain Gray Brown Hair
We can’t talk about gray brown maintenance without talking about purple shampoo. It’s not just for blondes; a formula like INVIGO Cool Blonde Shampoo will neutralize all tones, keeping brassiness at bay. Suggest your clients lather up with it once per week to prevent gray tones turning overly warm. Then, all other washes can be carried out with ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo.
To nurture colored locks, ColorMotion+ Color Reflection Conditioner is a must. It drenches strands in nourishment and smooths the cuticle for a high-shine finish. Finally, no hair kit is complete without EIMI Thermal Image heat protection spray. Misted through strands before blow drying and tonging, it keeps both condition and color under wraps.
