What can I do with my gray hair?

Feb 5

An Introduction to Minking

Hello, I’m Tanya Feite, stylist and owner of Expressions by Tanya Salon & Purra Medspa. I have been a practicing stylist for 30 years now. I have noticed in the last 10-12 years more clients asking what they can do with their gray hair. They say: “I know I’m aging, should my hair look like I’m not?” “What can we do to change my horrible grow out line?” “I don’t want to look crazy old.” “I don’t like the color of my gray hair.” “I don’t want to be all gray.”

I’m here to tell you that there is an easy way to combine all of these questions with one answer. Gray Minking. Minking is a great way to mix your gray hair in with your colored hair. This practice is achieved with a foil-highlighting technique. We use foiling so we can attain the exact look that you would like to accomplish. Using foils we can let YOU control how much of your gray is seen. This can be changed from appointment to appointment and totally guided completely by you.

What exactly is Minking?

To come by Minking we must use two to three different shades of color. Everyone has multiple shades in their natural hair. We take your base color and match it up to two very close shades. Often these shades are a little on the ash side. We will make one shade an ash base tone while the other may have very little warm tone to it. Generally, we will add a very low ammonia highlight as a third color. This is used exceptionally on a small scale to make this come together for a more natural look! The plus with the third color is changing the amount used with the seasons.

Will it work for me?

Are you all gray or all white? Minking can still be used for you! Through use of a very light brown and/or dark blondes as the two colors to get your minking started. Usually, in these cases, we will have at least one beige tone. We will use our expert advice to help you decide what tonal values will look best for your skin tone. To make this look more natural we will almost always add very little of a third tone.

You say, “I already have all over hair color”. No problem. We can make the switch to move you to minking. We work with you to decide colors and tonal values. Then, get started with the heavy foiling process. You will most likely need to come in more often at first to attain the look. Within three to four appointments, you will be able to stretch out your scheduling to between eight and twelve weeks.

Benefits of Minking:

✅ Extremely natural look.

✅ Grow out is hardly noticeable when using the tonal values we advise.

✅ Many clients look washed out with gray hair, this gives your skin color again.

✅ Less color appointments a year. It’s recommended to go 8-12 weeks in between color appointments.

✅ Little to no ammonia used in color.

✅ Color does not touch scalp, always in foils.

✅ You the client decides how much gray is left out, the plan of action is up to you.This can be changed every appointment.

✅ Often gray hair is coarse and unruly, color will get that under control.

✅ You will appear to look more your age.

Hair Care and Color with Expressions by Tanya Salon:

We are located in Dillsburg, PA.