Transitioning to grey hair is a great opportunity for colour blending – and in 2026, we’re finally acknowledging its trend potential. The quiet silver look is a prime example: a subtle approach to embracing greys that delivers intentional and super-flattering results.

“The quiet silver hair trend is an age-positive take on greying, which actress Jennifer Aniston has recently been embracing,” says Annabelle Taurua, an expert at beauty and wellness booking platform Fresha. “By blending subtle greys with low-contrast regrowth and soft greige tones, the trend delivers a healthier, low-maintenance finish that keeps the hair looking effortlessly refined.”

If you’re looking to add more dimension to your hair (or you’re sick of battling those harsh root lines), keep reading.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Jennifer Aniston attends the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

How do I achieve quiet silver hair?

The key to achieving the quiet silver look is to blend and tone grey streaks highlights, lowlights, and a complimentary base colour. The result is rich and dimensional rather than single-toned, which not only helps to diffuse grey streaks but also adds depth and movement to your whole head.

To start, “most people benefit from adding cool-toned highlights or lowlights to blur the line between existing colour and new growth, which creates a softer, more intentional transition,” says Sean Michael, stylist and owner of Salon Beau in Andover, Massachusetts. It may sound counter-intuitive, but strategically adding more grey to the body of your hair can soften contrast and make grey roots less noticeable. “I would recommend getting strategic highlights and lowlights to diffuse and break up the hard grey line of demarcation that you so often see,” says Jackie Seabrooke, hair artist at Kristen Ess hair care maker.

“This isn’t too different from the freehand hair-colouring techniques used for balayage and lived-in blonde hair treatments,” Taurua notes. Quiet silver hair can also be achieved using the trending colour-melting technique, which involves hand-painting sections to create a seamless blend of tones.

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Which base colours does quiet silver work best with?

“The transition to quiet silver works best when the hair is already lighter on the colour spectrum, as this allows for a softer contrast between the natural grey growth and new hair,” Taurua says. Light to medium blondes are likely to have an easier transition, but she says that cool, muted tones such as ash brown, mushroom, and even certain shades of red can blend effectively with grey tones.