Stella Parton's Blond-To-Gray Hair Transformation Is Perfect For Older Women To Try

Stella Parton, younger sister to Dolly Parton, showed off a beautiful way to transition from blond hair to gray. Parton, who has long been blond just like her sister, showcased a new color scheme that offers a useful visual tutorial for those considering a transition into gray. Parton posed for an outdoor photo, showing off a softer palette that had nuance and many tones, adding to the natural and subtle effect of gray hair. 

Parton posed with her gray hair to mark a belated birthday in May 2020. "The weather is just too beautiful to sit inside in sweatpants so I decided to play dress up and sit in the yard since I wasn't able to for my birthday!" she posted on Instagram. Parton's straightened and layered hair was a solid foundation for gray, as it was one example of many perfect hairstyles for showing off gray hair. Parton's hair tone had a subtle variance to the color, with hints of her darker roots peeking through, while her longer layers faded into a lighter gray. Allowing for some salt and pepper tones is hugely helpful as roots grow out. Rather than a harsh line as hair grows, styles like Parton's offer a little more leeway when it comes to touch-ups, thanks to the blending effect. Parton is one of many celebrities who have embraced their graying natural hair color. After all, in ditching the dye, Parton and others are embracing the empowering choice of owning their aging journeys. 

There are many ways to transition to gray, and all are perfectly acceptable. But Stella Parton's styling method is particularly successful, and one worth considering if going gray is in your future. For one, the ombre effect of her hair — starting dark and then ending in light gray tips — is particularly compelling because it gives the hair natural depth and color contrast. While going for a single shade of gray can certainly be bold, the variation of dark and light tones gives the gray hairdo a multidimensional life. After all, going gray can be a big change, and there are helpful tips to rock gray hair with confidence. The beauty of Parton's situation — and this applies to anyone else who started out as a blond — is that the transition to gray is much easier, since blond hair is already light and the contrast is similar. 

Because of this, Parton is a great example of how going from blond to gray doesn't have to be a scary thing. Comparing Parton's blond hair to her silver hair, one can see that the difference is subtle. Her gray hair has a slightly cooler color scheme to it, compared to her more sunny yellow blond. But with Parton's gray hair, the shade has echos of her former blond style, making the leap into gray hair so much less scary.