Gray hair care
Gray hair can be a love hate relationship. There are those who absolutely hate gray hair and do all they can to cover it up and those that love it and embrace it.
Gray hair is a result of fewer pigment cells (melanocytes) in the hair follicle. Once hair starts to lose the melanin in the strands it also tends to change texture and porosity. Most people will notice that their hair is coarser. Some describe it as having a “wiry” feel and this may be related to the development of a medulla: a hollow core.
I would like to provide some tips and tricks to helping you care for your gray hair no matter where you are in your relationship with your grays.
- Find the right haircut for your grays. Shape to your hair can completely change the appearance. Don’t be afraid to take risks with your hair.
- Avoid heat. As textured curly haired individuals we already know what our hair is sensitive to heat, but gray hair can be quite sensitive to heat and you will want to avoid heat as much as possible.
- Use a UV protectant in your hair. Melanin is important for protection against UV radiation, but with the loss of melanin in your hair it will be more vulnerable to damage from UV. Would recommend investing in a leave in conditioner that has UV protection to help protect your hair strands from damage.
- Add a toner to your wash day routine to try to reduce the brassiness or yellow hue to gray hair. Blue- or violet-based toning shampoo work by neutralizing unwanted warmth and brassiness so that your silver shade stays crisp and cool.
Toner shampoos
Aveda Blue Malva Color Shampoo
