My once-dyed hair is greying naturally, but my roots look awful

Illustration: Edith Pritchett/The Guardian

There is often an awkward phase when growing out a hair colour. It takes four to five months to get a few inches of hair growth at the roots, but celebrity stylist Michael Douglas says: “It is the best way to grow the colour out, while regularly getting the ends of the coloured hair trimmed”. If you hate the roots, try a root powder instead of a spray; they last longer and aren’t as drying.

If – like Sarah Jessica Parker – you’d rather go down the colour route, Douglas suggests grey-blending: “Having thin, subtle highlights or balayage is a great way of blending your greys with your base colour, and some face-framing highlighted strands will brighten the face. After your hair has been bleached, you may find that your grey highlights start to look a little brassy, due to the toner being washed out, but using a purple toning shampoo can help.”

If you choose the no-bleach route, style your hair in new ways by changing your partings or looking at hair accessories, not to cover it up but so that you still enjoy styling it. Anthropologie has a great selection.

Whichever route you go, deep conditioning treatments are crucial, as is protection against UV light and chlorine. But having roots isn’t shameful; check out Andie MacDowell and Jamie Lee Curtis, who are navigating the transition beautifully.

Got a beauty question for Anita? Email her at [email protected]