Are you tired of covering your grey hair? Covering peek-a-boo grey locks has long hovered at the top of many a woman's must-do beauty ritual list. And with approximately a quarter of the female population showing evidence of grey hair between the ages of 24 and 35, worrying about the big cover-up can start relatively early in life.

The good news is that there are options. The popularity of hair highlights and the need to express one's individuality are incentives for some women to want to “wash that grey back into their hair” and show that grey is a shade worth flaunting.

“It's all in the attitude,” says Angèle Desgagne, president of the Association of Image Consultants International and owner of Imagélite International in Oakville, Ont. Angèle tells clients who like their grey hair to get a great haircut. She suggests a current, fun style that works with your personality.

Lily Jakel, colour director at Toronto's Michael Kluthe Salon, says she meets many clients who want to keep their grey hair. “If this is what they want, we have a solution to make it look better,” explains Lily. “We work with the client's colour rather than changing it completely.”

It's all about enhancing the grey to add brightness to the face, says Lily. She says that few women have the ideal cool white shade of grey and that there are some women who will look especially good with grey hair. “You have to have the total picture,” explains Lily. “Pink skin tone, blue eyes and white hair.”

To obtain the best results Lily recommends adding textured highlights or lowlights over the grey to make it a brighter, whiter shade of grey. Another option is to apply a demi-permanent without any pigment. This product is like a clear polish for the hair that is applied for 10 minutes. It adds shine and controls frizz. A simple do-it-yourself option is to purchase a silicone-based serum and work a few drops into your hair to improve its manageability and shine.

If you're just starting to notice a few grey strands here and there but otherwise like the colour of your hair, Lily recommends applying highlights only over the grey areas to diffuse the grey. This will allow you to grey gracefully without encountering nasty root problems caused by colouring the hair.

Report on Business reporter Linda Sims started turning grey in her late 20s. Covering the shock of grey near her forehead was never an option. She liked the way it looked.

“It was a bit dramatic and I decided to let it stay,” says Linda. “And as I got older I saw no reason necessarily to cover it up.” Linda's advice is not to give up on grey too easily. “You shouldn't be quick to hide it because sometimes it can be quite dramatic and quite flattering,” she says.

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