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Gray Highlights: 25 Amazing Hairstyle Ideas for Women

Gray used to be a symbol of old age, but recently, gray highlights have become a significant hairstyle trend among younger women across the globe.

You don’t even have to dye your hair entirely, and gray highlights are enough to switch things up and rock this trend.

If you think gray hair will make you look older, sorry to say you still follow old-style thinking! Scroll down to see some of the coolest highlight ideas and learn a thing or two about gray strands.

How to Get Gray Highlights

gray highlights on brown hair

Getting a gray-hued hairstyle requires a lot of patience, especially if your hair is naturally darker. The very first thing you need to do is determine what kind of highlights you want, i.e., whether you want them all the way from the scalp to the ends i.e. full highlights or just partial highlights.

In order to go gray, you have to pre-lighten your hair first. The goal is to get to the clean white-blonde shade, which you will tone with gray hair color.

Remember that lightening your hair tone can weaken it and using bleach can sometimes damage hair if not performed properly.

That’s why the best thing to do, especially if you want gray highlights in brown hair, is to see a professional hairstylist who will give you the highlights of your dreams without causing damage to your hair.

Stunning Gray Hair Highlights Ideas

Let’s take a look at some of the most awesome highlights with gray shades. You’ll be amazed at their versatility and beauty. Check them out.

1. Wavy Hair with Bangs

black hair with gray highlights

The beauty of highlights in this gray shade is best depicted by the fact we can style them in more ways than one depending on our personal likes and preferences.

For instance, if your style is feminine and romantic, then these subtle highlights will do the trick. This is also the perfect representation of black hair with gray highlights.

2. Bob and Bangs with Highlights

grey highlights on dark hair

Here’s yet another amazing example of how you can style black hair with gray highlights. The long blunt bob is coupled with bangs that perfectly frame your face.

The beauty of this style is that you can keep it straight and sleek or you can opt for a layered or messier version. Also, this style suits both younger and older ladies.

3. Chunky Highlights

black hair with grey highlights

A combination of light and dark sections makes hair visibly fuller, and it also gives you an elegant vibe. If you don’t want too many highlights, you can just go for a few sections that will still make a huge difference.

Gray highlights on dark brown hair look wonderful regardless of the length, and that’s why we love them.

4. Luscious Locks

grey highlights for women

Turn gray highlights on brown hair into a truly sensual look with luscious locks as shown in the photo. Both medium-length and long hair can work.

All you need is to make gentle and subtle gray curls that will bring more bounciness to your hair and also accentuate highlighted areas.

5. Ash Grey Hair Highlights

brown hair with gray highlights

Highlights in the gray shade and brown hair color are a perfect match. If you have long hair, then you may want to spice things up with this look.

Get highlights and style your hair in sexy waves for a sensual and elegant appearance. Take a look and see how awesome it can be.

6. Dark Bob + Gray Babylights

bob hair with grey highlights

Out with the plain, and in with the gray! While a dark lob looks mysterious and edgy, adding gray babylights can make it look more sophisticated. You can add in a few shades of darker grays or browns to create a natural gray blended hair.

7. Salt and Pepper Long Pixie

short hair with grey highlights

Why hide your grays when you can flaunt them? The best way to do that is to go for the salt and pepper hair technique.

This coloring technique involves adding highlights in different shades of gray along with a few strands. To make the look more stylish, you can even throw in a few blonde strands.

8. Dark Hair + Gray and White Streaks

Here’s another example of beautiful salt and pepper hair. Featuring a combination of black, gray to silver, and white, the result is an eye-catching look.

Creating some gorgeous waves on your long hair is the best way to show off this amazing color combination.

9. Moneypiece Gray Highlights

money piece grey highlights
Instagram / brandimitchellhair

Moneypiece is a coloring technique wherein the gray highlights are applied only to the front hair strands.

This is a face-framing technique designed to make your face look slimmer, brighten your complexion, and highlight your best facial features. It’s like the bronzer version for your hair!

10. Red Hair + Gray and Pink Highlights

red hair with grey highlights
Instagram / ikakharissa

Who says gray highlights will only look good on dark hair? This red hairstyle will surely beg to differ!

If you’re all about experimenting with colors, don’t miss out on this red and gray combo. The reds are known for their richness and vibrance, so adding a few gray strands can help balance off the entire look.

11. Flower Accessories

You deserve to have the most gorgeous bridal hairstyle on your big day, and this might just be what you’re looking for.

When braided, the blend of light brown, gray, and dark hair strands creates a mesmerizing appearance that will truly catch everyone’s eye.

Make your bridal look even more romantic by adding white floret accessories all over your hair.

12. Gray Peekaboo Highlights

Do you want to make your short bob look even edgier? Add gray peekaboo highlights! This technique involves applying the gray dye at the bottom layer of your front strands.

When you run your fingers through your hair or create curls or waves in your hair, the shade peeks through the top layer, adding a pop of color to your look.

13. Spiky Pixie + Gray Tips

pixie haircut with grey highlights
Instagram / colorbyjenlamberti

A spiky pixie already looks badass but you can even add more oomph to it with a combination of gray tips and babylights.

While the gray color is not that obvious, it adds a subtle depth to your short hair and boost the movement of your spiky strands.

14. Updo + Gray Highlights

updo with grey highlights
Instagram / mister_tangles

With the gray blending technique, there’s no need for you to dye over your gray hair anymore. This technique involves the application of both highlights and balayage to blend in the gray strands with your natural hair color.

15. Brown Mullet + Silver Highlights

mullet hair with grey highlights
Instagram / colourluxe

The iconic Mullet hairstyle is coming back with a bang! But this time, it’s all about showing off natural hair texture and sporting fun hair colors. Case in point– this brown + silver hair color combination.

If your hair color is on the ashy brown side, adding ashy gray to silver strands will emphasize its cool tones.

16. Medium Brown Bob + Gray Highlights

brown hair with grey highlights
Instagram / hairbyluligomez

Here’s another prime example of how amazing brown and gray look together. But since the brown hair color is on the lighter and warmer side, it’s best paired with a lighter shade of gray.

17. Chunky Gray and Blonde Highlights

blonde hair with grey highlights
Instagram / sarahs_haus

Chunky highlights have become popular a few decades ago and now they are making a big comeback. But the chunky highlights that you’ll see today are not just limited to one color.

Just like the hair color in the photo, it now includes the use of different shades and the addition of coloring techniques (balayage and babylights) to create a more natural and seamless look.

18. Blonde Balayage + Gray Money Pieces

grey highlights for asian women
Instagram / xochitlstylist

Gone are the days when women wanted to cover their gray hair. Now, you can proudly show it off and even turn it into something more glamorous with the help of different coloring techniques.

The combination of blonde balayage and gray money piece highlights creates an icy appearance all over the hair and gives the face that youthful glow.

19. Spiky Gray Bangs

grey highlights with design
Instagram / pink_and_balayaged

These spiky gray bangs are a shorter version of money piece highlights but it does the same job– frame the face, add a pop of color to your look, and brighten up your complexion in an instant. Plus, it’s low maintenance. What more can you ask for?

20. Undercut and Highlights

undercut hair with grey highlights
Instagram / buttercup_adrianne

Same with peekaboo highlights, the undercut highlights are located underneath the top layer of the hair. Because of this, it’s concealed when your hair is down and gets showcased when you toss your hair up, adding an element of surprise to an otherwise simple hairstyle.

21. Babylights

Some women love striking gray highlights that make them stand out, while others are more inclined to subtle shades. If you’re in the latter group, then you’ll definitely love this look.

In this case, only a hint of gray is used to upgrade the look, and that’s it. Dark hair with greyish highlights can be as simple as adding a hint of gray strategically as seen in the photo below.

22. Choppy Bob

Bob, regardless of the length, is one of those haircuts that will always be in style. Take your choppy bob to a whole new level with gray highlights in brown hair.

For the best effect, make sure your bob remains straight and sleek. You can rock this cut with casual outfits, but also with those more formal options.

23. Highlighted Ends

Highlights don’t always have to start on the scalp and go all the way down. You can also opt for getting them done in the lower section of your hair and look fabulous anyway.

This medium hairstyle is particularly awesome on round-faced women with gray hair. Blow-dry your hair to make it bouncy and playful, and you’re good to go.

24. Short Grey Hair

gray highlights in brown hair

Gray highlights work on short hair just as they do on long hair. If you have a pixie cut, there’s no reason not to sport these highlights as well.

For the best effect, tousle your hair with fingers to get a layered and choppy look that will accentuate the highlights and make them pop.

As far as the shade is concerned, you can go for a subtle or more noticeable hue.

25. Metallic Silver Highlights

grey highlights on dark hair

Are you looking for highlights that will be easily noticeable on your dark hair? Then metallic shade is ideal for you. This shade is both edgy and elegant. When paired with long hair, metallic gray highlights can accentuate your locks and curls.

FAQs

Read the following frequently asked questions to learn more about gray highlights.

Will getting gray highlights make me look older?

Grey shades can be seen as an “older” or “dated” look, but clean and shiny grey is powerful and stylish. If your hair is naturally turning grey, dying it other colors may not compliment your skin tone.

Brightening the grey in your hair can help you look younger, not older. Brightening the grey in your hair can help you look younger, not older.

Can I add grey highlights to brown hair?

Yes. Grey highlights look great on dark brown hair to have a more natural look. A silver or grey highlight is a smart choice for brunettes since the tone is similar and complements one another. The highlights can be added through ombre, highlights, or balayage techniques.

Can blonde hair have grey highlights?

If your hair is turning grey, you can highlight the hair with blonde. The goal of this technique is to blend the silver and the bright blonde for a natural look.

Which hair color with gray highlights suit the best?

There is no precise answer to this question because it all depends on the effect you want to achieve. Generally speaking, a combination of dark or brown hair with grey highlights produces the most powerful impact. But, you can still rock this trend with lighter hair too.

Are gray hair highlights hard to maintain?

Yes, gray or silver highlights can be tricky to maintain. Bear in mind this hair dye fades faster than others, so you may want to wash your hair less frequently.

Instead of washing your hair every day, do it two to three times a week. Unless your hair is oily, washing once during the week can be enough to make your highlights last longer.

Your hairstylist will probably recommend you should use some products to maintain your highlights properly and you should definitely listen to them. The beauty and durability of your highlights depend on the effort you put into maintenance.

Gray highlights are trendy, elegant, and edgy. Getting these highlights requires some hard work and effort, but to make sure everything’s done properly, you may want to consider letting hairstylists do it rather than opting for the DIY approach.

While these highlights are beautiful, they do require a lot of maintenance. Choose your favorite style of highlights and upgrade your look today.

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