There are some things that are simply unavoidable in this life. Taxes, wrinkles, death, and going gray are some of these things, but you don’t have to view them through a negative lens. When it comes to silver strands, though, there are things that you need to do maintain healthy texture, moisture, and hydration.
What Happens To Your Hair As You Go Gray?
First off, hair turns gray because hair follicles start producing less melanin. This causes those inevitable silver strands that people cry about or pluck out in defiance. Well, in addition to the decreased melanin production, hair follicles start producing less and less sebum (the emollient that provides moisture to the hair and scalp). The hair becomes more fragile with reduced melanin and sebum production. Hair can feel a lot finer or coarser as well, so you need to evolve your hair care routine to enhance moisture and reduce brittleness or frizz.
How To Care For Gray Hair
While you can’t reverse graying hair, you can make adjustments to prevent it from drying out. Accept the natural grayness, but don’t allow it to become coarse and unhealthy. We’ve gathered some of the best beauty secrets to help keep graying hair as healthy as possible.
Skip The Shampoo
Gray hair has a tendency to be drier and frizzier, and shampoos actually strip your hair of moisture. It’s best to change up your hair washing routine and avoid shampooing every single day. Start off by shampooing every other day. That being said, if you hair looks moisturized and healthy when it’s time to shampoo, you can wait a day to shampoo it. When you do use shampoo, consider a shampoo that’s intended for gray hair. You can also use dry shampoos between washes, especially if your roots look a little greasy.
Familiarize Yourself With Hair Oils
To avoid dryness, you need to hydrate your hair with nourishing hair oils. Most oils include beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants that seal in moisture, keeping your hair healthy. Don’t put too much oil in your hair though, especially if you choose coconut oil. Using too much oil can lead to oil build-up and dryness, which are the things that you’re trying to avoid.
Moisturize The Scalp
You cannot expect to have healthy hair if you have an unhealthy scalp. The follicles may not produce enough sebum to moisturize your hair. It’s beneficial to dilute tea tree or rosemary essential oil in jojoba oil, which is actually the closest carrier oil to the skin’s own sebum. These essential oils combined with jojoba oil stimulate the follicles and moisturize the scalp.
Mist And Seal Before You Style
If you haven’t gathered by now, the most important part of caring for gray hair is locking in moisture. After you wash gray hair that is dry or coarse, it starts to lose moisture as soon as you step out of the shower. Before you add any styler to your hair, it’s beneficial to keep misting your hair with water after your shower. A simple spray bottle with water will suffice. Keeping the hair hydrated helps to provide an added layer of protection. This makes it so that your hair is still wet when you put styler in it. Whether you use a curl enhancer or leave in conditioner, adding a styler to wet hair allows for breathability and movement.
A Good Cut Goes A Long Way
When you go gray, you may have to ditch the haircut or style that you’ve grown accustomed to. Your gray hair is new, so why not try out a new style as well? Plus, your old cut that looked great with colored hair may not look as good with gray hair. Be sure to find a stylist that knows how to work with your hair. We also recommend asking the stylist for tips on how to keep your gray hair and new haircut as healthy as possible. The haircut may even encourage healthier hair!
