There are two types of people in the summer: those who thrive in the hot, humid weather [3], and those who can't unwrap themselves from the air conditioner for more than 30 seconds. If you fall into the latter camp, the summer months may find you wanting to do as little as physically possible to avoid the weather — and paring down your monthly hair-colour appointments [4].
If that means skipping out on those root touch-ups for any grey hairs, we have a solution that's as low-maintenance as it is stylish: "herringbone highlights."
According to Tom Smith [5], hairstylist and international colour creative director for Evo Hair [6], this trend makes perfect sense, given the times: "Since the pandemic, it's wonderfully more acceptable to show your natural greys [7]," he tells POPSUGAR. "Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston [8], Gwyneth Paltrow [9], and Sarah Jessica Parker [10] are leading the way when it comes to incorporating their grey hairs into their iconic hair colours."
So, what exactly are herringbone highlights? "Using a herringbone pattern of highlighting, various shades are woven in among the grey strands, giving a finely balanced mix of warm and cool tones," Smith says. "The trend really celebrates grey hair by including them in a hair-colour design as an additional highlight colour instead of covering them up."
If you want in on the trend but are unsure of what to ask of your stylist at the salon, Smith has a suggestion. "Ask your colourist to include your grey hair into your highlight pattern by adding a warm- and a cool-toned highlight and mixing them throughout your hair in an irregular way," he says. "Not alternating each shade but scattering and diffusing the various shades around the irregular pattern of your own grey hair. Gray hairs tend to arrive sporadically and scattered — some even cluster into streaks — so work with this rather than fight against it for a hair-colour design that is totally tailored to you."
Keep scrolling for some of our favourite examples of "herringbone highlights."
