Grey hair's acceptance can save time and money without challenging dominant beauty standards.

The global beauty ideal prioritizes thinness, firmness, smoothness, and youth—not hair colour.

Grey-haired celebrities often meet other beauty norms, reinforcing rather than disrupting the ideal.

Coauthored by Heather Widdows and Jessica Sutherland, University of Warwick

The hair colour dominating 2026 is not blond, or brunette, or even "ginger spice" or "cherry cola," but grey, or if you prefer, silver. Last week, Good Housekeeping declared that “grey hair is the biggest beauty statement of the year.” It shows pictures of 10 celebrities who have embraced the grey: Glenn Close, Salma Hayek, Pru Leith, Andie MacDowell, Melinda Messenger, Helen Mirren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone, and Kristen Scott Thomas. The enthusiasm over Oliva Coleman’s transformation from her trademark short dark curls to long and flowing grey curls is gushing all over media and social media.

Grey can be a few strands as highlights, blended and woven with blonde or brown, creating a "natural ombre" or a luminous single colour. But in whatever form, grey is the hair colour of the moment.

Women & Home says "going grey is the most stylish thing you can do in 2026," also listing celebrities who have grey hair. Helen Mirren and Andie MacDowell feature on this list, too, along with others. Harper's Bazaar has an article this month on........

© Psychology Today