This article has been updated since its original publication on March 7, 2023.
It’s no secret that grey and silver hair is beautiful and there are so many ways to rock it! We’ve rounded up 23 hairstyles for inspiration, as well as trendy celebrity examples.
We also asked hair experts for tips on how to maintain a healthy look and care for gray hair.
Read on for suggestions and insights from Dr. Roshan Vara, hair transplant surgeon and co-founder of The Treatment Rooms, Adriana Tapia, color specialist at Pierre Michel Salon, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and esthetician at The Right Hairstyles and Gina Rivera, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites.
With that in mind, here are 20 exciting ways to add some bounce to your gray locks:
READ MORE: Hairstylists say this celebrity hairstyle is a great way to seamlessly blend gray hair
The 125 best beauty new releases of 2023
Shutterstock
1. Layered Salt and Pepper Pixie
Jamie Lee Curtis is the eternal queen of chic, short gray hairstyles, and often sports a layered hairstyle that effortlessly accentuates her facial features. “A pixie cut is always fun and can be styled to look youthful yet grown-up,” says Vara.
Shutterstock
2. Silver pompadour with side parting
Pink is also known for rocking epic short hairstyles, and her silver hair color is truly unforgettable. She adds instant volume with this pompadour look and a side part for even more oomph.
Splash News
3. Piecey black and grey pixie
Halle Berry’s edgy, side-parted pixie cut is timeless and shows that you can always add another color to gray for a two-tone look! This is, as Vara says, a “great statement hairstyle that always makes gray hair stand out.”
Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max
4. Straight chin-length grey bob
Cynthia Nixon surprised fans with a smooth and subtle gray bob during the first season of And just like that. The look works so well thanks to its square ends and clean part.
Splash News
5. Metallic Wavy Bob
Ciara wowed everyone at the 2016 Met Gala with a wavy, deep side-parted silver hairstyle. This look epitomizes old Hollywood glamour in an epic way.
Shutterstock
6. Wavy grey bob with side bangs
Glenn Close’s combination of a gray shoulder-length bob and side-swept bangs is elegant and timeless. “A longer bob is always very flattering,” says Vara, and it’s a “great way to grow out gray hair.”
Splash News
7. Ultra-voluminous gray pixie
Nicole Richie turned up the heat when she appeared at the 2013 Met Gala, and we’ve never forgotten that gray look! Adding volume to a gray pixie can really help “make the color pop,” according to Vara.
Splash News
8. Middle parting, wavy silver bob
Nafessa Williams’ wavy bob grabs attention with its symmetry-enhancing parting, shiny silvery hue, and stunning waves.
Shutterstock
9. Grey bob with layered cut and thin bangs
Helen Mirren always shines with her short grey hairstyles, and this one is hard to beat! With thin, eyebrow-length bangs and soft waves, her bob has subtle and exquisite movement.
Splash News
10. Curly Dark Gray Lob
Longer than other bobs (and therefore more in the lob category), Andie MacDowell’s dark gray look is undeniably chic, with its collarbone length and rich dark hue.
Splash News
11. Silver curls with side parting
Like MacDowell, Amandla Stenberg wore a longer bob that reached her collarbone and was a cool silver tone, but hers was more of a trendy gunmetal tone.
Splash News
12. Wavy dark grey bob
Lily Tomlin’s grey wavy bob stands out with its dark charcoal colour. Her popular centre-parted look will never go out of style and neither will her waves!
Splash News
13. Black and silver ombré bob
What makes Jourdan Dunn’s black and silver ombre color look even cooler is the blunt cut, says Vara. “A short blunt cut is fun and whimsical and helps to really make gray hair stand out,” he notes.
Splash News
14. Curly, ice-grey bob
Blythe Danner’s hairstyle is similar to MacDowell and Stenberg’s, but her gray color is even lighter. With bouncy, collarbone-length curls, her look is reminiscent of the retro glamour of the Golden Age, yet so modern.
Instagram.com/tiamowry
15. Curly Dark Grey Pixie
Tia Mowry wowed her Instagram followers with a dark gray curly pixie. Such a style, says Vara, is “very low-maintenance and doesn’t require a lot of styling,” which is great for “those who want to avoid heat.”
Shutterstock
16. Ice Grey Layered Pixie
Rita Moreno also highlighted her radiant skin and timeless features with a pixie cut. However, her hair is different from the others on this list as it is an even lighter shade of gray.
Splash News
17. Blue-gray wavy bob
Lucy Boynton immediately shone on the red carpet of the Met Gala 2019 with blue-gray hair! The actress presented for the first time a wavy bob with a middle parting and a striking, must-try gray color that we still can’t get enough of.
Splash News
18. Silver Mushroom Cut
Keke Palmer appeared at a Hollywood party in 2015 with a grey hairstyle that fans will never forget. No The star not only revealed how well her bangs look, but also a mushroom cut with silvery, blunt-cut strands.
Shutterstock
19. Ash pixie with side bangs
Jane Fonda is a true trendsetter and style icon, so we had to include one of her typically modern hairstyles in this list! The actress recently debuted a flattering ash-gray pixie with side-swept bangs that accentuates her bone structure and best features.
Splash News
20. Bob with fishbone highlights (if you’re not ready for all-grey hair yet!)
If you take a closer look at Gwyneth Paltrow’s bob, you’ll notice that her gray hair at the top of her head is woven into the rest of her blonde strands in an intricate way. This coloring technique, Tapia explains, “combines warm and cool” highlights.
With herringbone highlights, the dyeing process intentionally incorporates “natural gray hair into the overall color of the hair” to create a more natural overall look, she adds. Tapia stresses that it “doesn’t actually cover or eliminate the gray.” This works great for women who are “starting to go gray” and want to slowly ease into the new color. “The highlights are blended into the natural color so that gray hair stands out less from the original natural hair color,” Tapia says.
Splash News
22. Gray Lob with Curtain Bangs
A stylish way to rock a silver bob, according to Abdullah, is to wear a curtain bang like Emmylou Harris, which enhances the symmetry.
Adding curtain bangs to a layered bob can “make your hair appear thicker and is a great way to add volume to thinning hair,” she says. The style works well for “women who want to hide thinning hair in the front,” she points out, as it creates “a soft, natural-looking wave at the top of the head.”
Abdullah also swears by curtain bangs to conceal signs of hair loss and thinning hair in particular, as she points out that “they add length and volume so you don’t have to spend hours styling.”
Abdullah adds that they are incredibly versatile and “can be worn short or long, curly or straight,” and that the key is to “leave the bangs long enough to cover the eyebrows and frame the face and eyes.”
Splash News
23. Sleek straight grey bob
If you want a medium-length cut but want it to stay neat and sleek, Rivera recommends the straight-length bob, like Diane Keaton’s. “The (blunt) bob, also known as a longer version of the classic bob, is a very popular look right now,” she says. Rivera continues, “One of the main reasons for this is the fact that you don’t have to commit to shorter hair and it’s versatile. The bob is also great for creating a youthful look.”
A long, straight, uniform-length bob like Keaton’s is a “great option” to beat the heat this summer, notes Rivera, “especially for those who don’t want to cut off all their hair.” In addition, this hairstyle allows for the “removal of damaged ends” and the uniform length “results in numerous styling possibilities.”
Shutterstock
Overall, there are many different ways to wear and love gray hair! When caring for your silver locks, Vara says there are a few important tips to keep in mind.
To keep your gray hair looking healthy and fresh, it’s important to go to the hairdresser regularly. “Split ends can cause your hair to not grow properly and break a lot,” he says. Going to a salon every three months or so can help keep your hair looking healthy and make it easier to grow out your gray hair.
Shutterstock
It also helps to “get to know your own face shape” before going to the salon, he suggests, so you know what “length and style will look best and accentuate your features.” It’s helpful to talk to your stylist about what might look best, as they can steer you in the right direction.
Finally, grey hair can look dry and dull because it has a different texture than more pigmented hair.
“Therefore, it is helpful to use a shine serum that enhances the shine of your gray hair,” recommends Vara. This can be used “every time you style your hair to create an effortless look that will make your gray hair shine.”
