Our hearts stop the moment we look in the mirror and realize our hair is going grey. It's one of the reasons why so many people choose to dye it every few weeks. But not only is it tiring. It can get expensive, too! So, when a client with graying hair walked into hair colorist Jack Martin’s salon, he didn’t dye her hair back to brown. Instead, he sped up the graying process and gave her a whole new perspective on going silver. Martin's grey hair makeovers prove that grey is here to stay!
Transforming From Within
Instead of covering his client’s grey roots, Martin decided to add a couple of face framing highlights in the front that enhance her beautiful features and natural grey locks. Not only does grey make her look young and fresh, but the hairstyle truly suits her.
Night and Day Makeovers
Even though this one is by no means a major 180 makeover, Martin truly pulled off an immaculate transformation nonetheless. His client looks vibrant, fresh, and most importantly, thrilled to be owning her natural grey hair.
Embracing the Silver Fox Inside
Martin sat down with Allure to discuss the reasons why so many women are choosing to go natural. "My clients with natural grey hair come two or three times a year, instead of every few weeks," he explained. Natural grey doesn’t take as much maintenance as having to get highlights or a root touch up every two months. But that’s not the only reason why so many clients aren’t interested in changing up their hair color as often as in the past.
She Was Done with Brown
A few years ago, one of Martin’s beloved customers explained the dilemma she facing at the time. For years, she had been dying her grey roots with at-home brown dye, but she was tired of having to retouch her hair every three or four weeks.
She Wanted to Spend More Time in Nature
Now that she was finally retired, she wanted to spend more time enjoying her hobbies and being outdoors. Martin took it as a challenge. He chose a special shade of silver grey that would complement her complexion and make her look more polished and put together. Once his client saw her new silvery look, there was no going back. Grey was the new black!
It’s a Long Process
Martin is a total pro when it comes to silver and grey makeovers, and his clients absolutely love the way he blends different shades of grey with their natural shade of hair. But this doesn’t happen overnight. His coloring sessions usually take about 10 hours on average and with good reason!
Martin Adds Grey Highlights and Matches Their Natural Hair
The process is a long ordeal. Martin asks his clients to come into their hair appointments with at least 3 to 4 inches of growth so he can evaluate what kind of natural color and grey hair pattern he’ll be working in. "Some clients have salt and pepper mostly in the front and the back is darker, so I match that and add some dark to it," he added.
They Choose the Color Together
After doing a thorough consultation, he removes any previous color and the stripping process begins. In some cases, colorists need to strip any permanent hair color that may affect the end results, first.
Out with the Old, In with The Grey
So Martin applies a color extractor to remove any previous hair dye. Without touching the roots, he sections the hair and bleaches the rest to obtain an even color. Once this process is done, he applies a custom shade of silver and starts working his magic.
Martin Uses a Bunch of Combined Techniques
After about 10 hours of layering, framing, balayaging, bleaching, and adding a custom shade of grey, his happy clients are ready to embrace their natural glow and leave the salon with healthier and shinier hair. Not only that, but his clients look 10 years younger!
It’s Easier to Keep up With
By ditching hair dye and bleach, Martin’s clients are able to visit the salon less frequently. This allows them to enjoy other pleasures in life, all without sacrificing beauty, of course! Their new shade of grey allows their natural hair to grow healthier and much brighter.
Clean Healthy Hair is a Priority
Martin is not only a fantastic colorist, but his salon also focuses on bringing out his clients' “own true beauty”. Preservation of the hair is very important for Martin and his team of highly skilled colorists, which is why they don’t use any formaldehyde at their salon.
They Don’t Just Dye Hair for the Sake of Dyeing
Clearly, healthy is flattering on everyone, because his clients look fresh, vibrant, and oh so confident after their transformations! When his clients walk into the salon, Martin employs a unique approach to hair coloring and everything that comes into play. It’s not about choosing a random shade of grey and applying it on the hair.
They Want the Transformation to Come From Within
He explains on the Jack Martin Salon site, “We never color someone's hair just for the sake of coloring it. Instead, we really try to attain our ultimate desire of making a woman more beautiful with what she naturally has.” And it truly shows! His epic transformations definitely prove that grey is the new black.
Healthy Hair is Truly Addictive
Once a client ditches artificial hair dyes and embrace their natural grey locks, there’s no going back. All of a sudden, Martin’s clients start noticing their hair getting thicker, more luscious, and thick. Some of them even wonder if they should’ve gone grey a long time ago.
It’s Not an Easy Process
Of course, growing out grey hair can be an intimidating decision, at first. There’s an ongoing misconception that grey hair makes you look old. But things have changed in the past few decades, and now, even 20-year-olds are bleaching their hair and rocking grey manes.
Embracing Their Own Definition of Beauty
Martin helps his clients create their own definition of beauty and come up with a style that keeps them looking their best every day. And the before-and-afters don’t lie. In some cases, shortening the hair a bit and bleaching the mid sections help them attain a gorgeous shade of grey. But going grey isn’t something that can be done overnight.
Cutting it Short is a Fresh Start
In order to preserve the hair and skip frequent salon visits, the best route is to sometimes cut the hair short and add tons of highlights and lowlights. Then, Martin blends the client’s natural grey roots with salt-and-pepper strikes of dark grey and icy light grey. This keeps their hair healthier in the long run and it’s universally flattering.
Sometimes, Shaving it All off is Best
The easiest way to embrace grey hair would be to shave it all off let it grow. This would allow a client to start from scratch. Plus, they wouldn’t have to sit down for 10-hour bleaching sessions. But understandably, there aren’t a lot of clients willing to do that in a heartbeat.
It’s Not Easy
There’s a certain level of emotional attachment with our hair and that’s perfectly okay. Healthy hair makes us feel beautiful, and it’s the first thing people notice when they look at you. But fortunately, clients don’t have to sacrifice length in order to embrace their natural grey.
He Chooses a Style that Lets His Clients Shine
Martin knows how to find a haircut that allows his clients to grow out their hair all while looking and feeling amazing. Like it or not, the way we choose to style and color our hair says a lot about who we are and where we are in life.
Styling the Perfect Haircut
Martin chooses a haircut that matches their clients’ personality, lifestyle, and bone structure. He’s a master colorist that knows how to play with color, but he’s just as talented at giving his clients the perfect cut that frames their face and gives them plenty of volume and movement.
There are Different Types of Grey
Some clients have a little bit of grey coming in, while others have gone almost completely grey. The key is to find a style that lets you grow out your hair while cutting it off periodically until it grows completely. Sometimes, it may take up to a year to achieve an easy-to-maintain hairdo that barely needs any touch ups.
Nature is Wise
Sometimes, society, friends, and family can pressure others into covering their grey roots, but it’s clear that sometimes, grey is far more flattering and vibrant than brown or black dye. A frosted combo of white and grey highlights with a layered bob can make someone glow with confidence and enhance their own natural beauty. After all, is there anything more powerful than feeling comfortable in your own skin?