9 Silver Hair Looks for Every Hair Type and Length

See why everyone is embracing their inner silver fox.

Getty Images.

Gone is this old notion that you have to immediately dye your hair at the first gray hair that pops up on your head. Instead of trying to cover up the natural signs of aging, more and more people are choosing to embrace and show off their silver hair — and for good reason. Gray, white, or silver hair is just super cool and the best part? There are are countless ways to wear it, no matter your age or hair texture. 

Before diving into some hair inspo, there are a few things to consider when wanting to style this shade. Celebrity colorist and Olaplex ambassador Bianca Hillier says the first thing to keep in mind your hair’s texture. “Often times when hair transitions from color (brunette, blonde, red, etc.) to gray, the texture and feel of the hair will change,” says Hillier. “Most times the strands become more coarse and unruly.”

The next thing to consider is maintaining the silver shade. She explains that when hair turns gray, it loses its pigment and it can look brassy or yellow as it transitions (similar to color-treated hair). So you’ll be wanting to use the right hair products to keep your silver hair healthy. The first thing you should use is a good purple shampoo like the Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo to keep unwanted yellow tones in your silver hair. Celebrity colorsit and co-founder of IGK Hair Care Chase Kusero agrees and recommends something like IGK’s Mixed Feelings Leave In Toning Drops, which are purple drops that can be added to any hair styling cream to tone blonde and silver hair. 

With all that that in mind, going gray has never been easier. See below for all the ways you can wear silver hair for every hair length and texture.

01 of 09

Short Fine Hair: Gray Dimensional Pixie

silver hair

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Hillier loves Jamie Lee Curtis’ silver short hair for its varying shades, which she says gives the cut dimension and depth. Mixing bright silver highlights and soft gray roots is perfect for short pixie cuts. 

02 of 09

Short Thick Hair: Feathered Bob

silver hair

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Silver all over is bold on its own. To elevate the shade, opt for deeper undertones and feathered layers in your bob cut like Jane Fonda to frame your face. 

03 of 09

Naturally Curly Short Hair: Natural Highlights

silver hair

Instagram @tiamowry

Tia Mowry celebrated her 42nd birthday by letting the natural gray shine through. In her selfie, the actor showed off her naturally curly short pixie with gray and white highlights. 

04 of 09

Medium Fine Hair: Two-Toned

silver hair

 Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic

Meryl Streep showed that going dual toned makes for one of the most dynamic hair color looks out there. The actor let her silver hair grow in, with her white strands up top and natural dirty blonde shade at the ends. 

05 of 09

Medium Thick Hair: Pastel Undertones

silver hair

Instagram @kellyosbourne

Add subtle color to your silver hair with a tint of soft pastels. Kusero likes Kelly Osbourne’s silver lavender shade, which is a perfect mix to give her hair a cooler undertone that’s still rocker chic. 

06 of 09

Naturally Curly Medium Hair: Deep Shaded

silver hair

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Lean into the silver and go dark and deep. Amandla Stenberg’s all over silver shade is a rich hue that really accentuates their natural curls.

07 of 09

Long Thick Hair: Silver Platinum Hybrid

silver hair

Instagram @kimkardashian

Kusero recommends Kim Kardashian’s silver hair for some inspo. The star’s super long platinum blonde strands were so bright you could argue that it gets into silver hair territory.

08 of 09

Long Thick Hair: Ice Princess Pony

silver hair

Instagram @chrisappleton1

Another pick from Kusero, Ariana Grande’s signature pony got the silver hair upgrade. Opt for this if you’re wanting to channel your inner ice princess. 

09 of 09

Naturally Curly Long Hair: Gray Ombré

silver hair

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Hillier loves Andie MacDowell’s bright gray hair. “It is so stunning with her natural curls,” Hillier says. Here, the actress wore her naturally curly hair in a gray ombré shade. Light silver strands sat at the crown of her head and gradually turned into darker gray color at the ends.

Related Articles
Lily James with ombre hair.
Ombré Hair is Back — And These 30 Short Looks Prove It's Better Than Ever
emma chamberlain blue eye makeup
The 10 Biggest Beauty Trends for 2024
Sydney Sweeney, Solange Knowles, and Beyonce with blonde hair
30 Blonde Celebrities to Put on Your Hair Color Mood Board
Kelly Hu with gray highlights attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards
10 Highlight Ideas for Blending and Embracing Gray Hair
sydney sweeney strawberry blonde
16 Celebs Sporting Stunning Strawberry Red Hair
Shadow Roots
Shadow Roots: How to Get Lived-In, Low-Maintenance Hair Color
Zendaya Short Hair
10 Times Zendaya Looked Incredible with Short Hair
slick back ponytail
How to Do a Slicked-Back Ponytail on Every Hair Type
Dua Lipa
35 Streaked, Chunky Blonde Highlights Looks We're Obsessing Over
Julia Fox and Teyanna Taylor with the shag-mullet haiurcut
26 "Shullet" Haircut Ideas for a Fresh New Look
Bronde Hair
The 30 Best Ways to Wear Bronde Hair
Sofia Vergara Balayage
19 Fall Balayage Ideas Just in Time for Autumn
Laura Harrier with a classic haircut.
20 Classic Haircuts That Never Go Out of Style
Zendaya and Billie Eilish
20 Chic Low-Maintenance Haircuts for Thick Hair
Summer Hair Colors Kendall Jenner Meg the Stallion Kim Kardashian
The Hair Color Trends You Should Be Trying This Summer
Gemma Chan and Bella Hadid
33 Low-Maintenance, Medium-Length Haircuts for Inspiration