30 People Before And After Embracing Their Natural Grey Hair With The Help Of This Hairstylist (New Pics)

Peter Regan, a hairdresser in Manchester city center, UK, who specializes in permanent hair straightening, precision cutting, and natural-looking color, and is the author of The Hair Colour Book: A Practical Guide To The Theory Of Colouring Hair, told Bored Panda that a person's hairstyle is vital to their self-esteem. "All people want to feel good about themselves when they are out and about. Due to the pandemic, people have not been going out and have been forced to stay at home – now they can get out and be seen again; it's only natural that they want to look their best and a great hairstyle is always top of the list for that feel-good factor," he said.

But the hairdresser also said that whilst Jack Martin's images are very impressive, the amount of bleach required to remove the old color to a level where it can be toned to the "grey look" is excessive and in the wrong hands can do tremendous damage.

"The toners used to even up the color last only for a few washes and have to be re-applied, which brings me to the cost – taking up to 10 hours to perform this service would cost a customer about $1300, including materials. The ongoing cost of re-applying the toner and blow-drying the hair could easily be $80 – $100 every 2 weeks until the artificial color has grown out and the customer’s hair is completely natural."

For this reason, Regan does not expect to see many people in his home country, the UK, choosing this option.

Regan said there are a few important aspects of a naturally grey hairstyle. "First, the color should complement the person’s complexion because as the hair lightens with age so does the skin, and the two go hand in hand. This is why it is not a good idea to use too dark a color when covering grey. Next is the fact that there will be no re-growth to deal with every 4 weeks. And finally, the cost element is reduced."

The hairstylist also highlighted that there is actually no such thing as grey hair per se. "They are white or colorless, they look grey because they dilute the color around them. There are two types of white hair – resistant and non-resistant. Resistant white hair is very smooth and glossy in appearance as the cuticle (outer layer) of the hair is tightly flattened. Non-resistant white hair, on the other hand, is slightly coarse in texture and a little wiry looking. Obviously, it is easier to style resistant white hair as it is already smooth. Non-resistant white hair is easier to color as it accepts the color more readily as the cuticle is not flattened," he explained.

At the end of the day, your hair is your choice so do whatever you want with it. But get all the information before you go nuts. Experiments can backfire.