Hi, I’m Jayne Mayled, founder of
White Hot. I created the
White Hot concept when I stopped dyeing my hair and wanted a specialist range that was effective, lovely to use and upbeat and positive in mindset! Five years later, at long last gorgeous grey hair is ‘having a moment’ and every self-respecting ad campaign featuring a group of women includes at least one silver. But even with all this new ‘grey power’ if you’re thinking of stopping the dye, here’s a few pointers on what to expect:
1. Get ready for reactions
If you’ve been dyeing your hair for years, get ready for plenty of unsolicited comments, both positive and negative. Ranging from ‘are you OK?’ (i.e. have your forgotten to dye your hair?) to ‘I wish I could carry it off’ (i.e. never in a million years for me but each to their own). The good news is though, I never had a single compliment on the colour of my (dyed) hair but nice comments from complete strangers is now the norm.
2. Prepare for hair that shows everything
Like that clean white shirt or your fresh from the laundry white jeans, white hair shows the dirt! It seems so obvious, but a grimy day on public transport, bronzer soaking up into your fringe or a touch of brassy yellow after a sunny holiday, there’s no hiding place with silver. I use
Glorious Shampoo, our creamy white formula for my regular deep cleansing wash with an occasional brightening boost from our soft violet
Brilliant Shampoo.
3. Say no to soft, fluffy or helmet hair
I have fine hair but lots of it, in a short, choppy style and love to add texture and definition with our
Shooshing Creme. I don’t wash my hair every day and when I wake up, it can look completely lop-sided or flat in the wrong places so Shoosh (as we like to call it) worked through my hair vigorously from root to tip somehow restores the shape I like.
4. The right cut works wonders
Finding a ‘pro grey’ hairdresser who doesn’t put you in the ‘granny box’ is an absolute must. There’s still such a long way to go to escape from the prejudices of grey=old, find a stylist who really ‘gets it’. In my experience, younger people are far more positive and creative about grey as just another stylish colour choice, so find someone who understands what you’re looking for and will give you a fresh perspective. Oh and by the way, there are no rules when it comes to long hair - go for what you love.
5. There’s more to life than hair
When I dyed my hair I probably had about 2 weeks a month when it looked OK, not too dark, not too light, no visible roots revealed by every gust of wind... Life is just too short to spend that much time thinking about what’s on your head! I love the new colour scheme and the dramatic effects you can create off-setting your silver hair with black, white or bold colours, far more than I ever did dressing to go with my ‘faux brown’. Having said that, I always say I’m not the ‘hair dye police’ and suggest you go with whatever makes you feel good when you look in the mirror. Life is about far more than your hair.
