You’ve done it, you’ve helped someone or you yourself have grown out your artificial hair colour and now you want to make sure your natural grey/white hair looks great. In this blog I look at the changes in grey/white hair and share ideas on how to maintain and keep grey/white hair looking great and healthy.
Grey/white hair is different from your natural coloured hair, the melanin within the hair does more than just colour the hair strand and there are other physiological changes influenced by the changes in the scalp that will affect how our hair is and will continue to change. For more information on the science behind hair grey/white hair check out my blog Grey Hair! Where?
Having transitioned from coloured hair, the natural hair colour will not only look but also feel quite different from what we remember. Hair does change continually throughout lives. Before a hair follicle’s melanin production shuts off it will go into overdrive so pre-grey/white hairs are at their darkest and then production shuts down, for some it is gradual literally appearing grey before it turns white and others quite rapidly; giving the appearance the white hair has grown overnight. There are other biological changes too. Our hair growth life cycle shortens meaning we have shorter hairs; the individual hair strands becomes finer and we have fewer strands as some follicles run out of their life cycles. In thicker hair types the medulla is taking over more space within the individual hair leaving it not as efficient at retaining moisture so that hair looks and feels coarser. Finally, my personal favourite, we develop a curve in the hair, if you already hair curly or wavy hair this will appear as a change in the texture and in straighter hair it appears unruly, standing out and even frizzy.
Our scalp as we start to turn grey will also start to change (later if you are pre-maturely grey), it slows down sebum production, leaving our scalp dryer, it could start to feel tight, get more sensitive to shampooing or touch, start to itch and you may notice some white flakes of scalp skin. All normal and part of the aging process as our hormones dictate a new order, I like to consider my grey/white hairs as my head’s wrinkles or pigmentation. The relationship between our hair and skin is more than one of appearance, it goes further way back to the original function of hair; thermal regulation. Our hair protects the scalp or rather the important brain that lies under the scalp. Our hair colour natural or artificial helps to reduce the effects of UV light so the whiter our hair grows the weaker the UV protection. I think this ironic, the older and wiser we get with age the less protection we have on our head. Good excuse to buy a hat, wear a scarf or carry a parasol.
Care products; there is no one solution, as we all experience aging and our grey to white differently. I would recommend to simplify and specify. Find a routine that works and that you can keep to and get really specific on the needs on the needs of your hair and scalp. Look for products and combinations that will strengthen, protect, add moisture, smoothen, add shine and are gentle on the hair and scalp. Start off by finding a suitable shampoo and conditioner, you’ll know as soon as you use them; your scalp will feel great and your hair will be easy to manage and look healthy. Once you have the basics right, add in the extras one by one such as treatments and styling until you find your perfect combination and routine. As an example; my routine at the moment is Nioxin shampoo and conditioner for thinning hair, I apply a plex treatment twice a month for strengthening, coconut/almond oil (homemade) on my scalp once a month for my sensitive scalp and I lightly dry my hair with Moroccanoil Treatment. Once you find the perfect combination stick with it and no our hair does not get use to a particular product, remember our hair is dead, so it cannot form an opinion. What you may need to do is adapt your combination when the hair changes again.
Adding tone; grey/white hair is beautiful in itself but for some the white hair may yellow due to UV damage, pollutants, smoking or cooking and it will need some help to stay fresh and clear in its tone. Semi-permanent colours will add a bit of tone to the white hair, they can correct unwanted yellowing and even add a subtle tone to push the grey/white hair into a tonal direction that is more suitable for our complexion. Semi-permanent colours wash out of the hair, they do not have a chemistry that influences the natural hair’s structure and they are conveniently available in shampoos, conditioners, masks, liquids and crème across a spectrum of tones. If you notice a slight yellowing in your grey/white hair occasionally using a violet based shampoo or conditioner will keep it in check or you could subtlety tone the grey/white with a beige tone to add a hint of warmth if you are feeling too grey. For more information on how semi-permanent colour works click here.
Tone can also be added in longer lasting way through Professional glossing or toning services. Glossing and toning generally come as a specific glossing in the form of a mild demi-permanent or a diluted mix of demi-permanent or permanent colours. They are mildly oxidising which gives them the longevity and the colours used are very light so there is only a small amount of dyestuff entering the hair. There is no obvious regrowth, they create a wide range of very flattering effects on grey/white hair and they do help with some of the physiological changes I mentioned earlier leaving the hair easier to manage. I would recommend these services if you have a higher percentage of white hair (more salt than pepper) as the natural melanin can start to lighten after subsequent applications.
Adding dimension; can be done through lowlights highlights or both. There is no guarantee we will turn grey/white evenly and often there is a higher concentration of white around the front hairline. Addressing the balance of the white to natural hair involves using demi-permanent and/or permanent colour for adding darker pieces; lowlights. Or a lightener with a toning/glossing for adding more silvery pieces to the darker areas. I like to think of this as contouring for our hair.
Dimension in tone is another way to enhance the grey/white hair. Not everyone will look stunning a cool silvery tone, introducing some warmer sections throughout the hair will reduce the coolness and move the silvery into a slightly warmer grey/white. My favourite at the moment is introducing taupe sections through the hat-line of the head to create a gentle warmth (in comparison to the grey/white) peeking up through the hair. Even though colour is being reintroduced into the hair the placement and quantity are key, it should appear like nature awarded you the perfect combination of grey and when you are ready to let it go, it will easily grow out almost invisibly if done well.
Experiment; with your grey/white hair with less obvious tones. I loved witnessing Helen Mirren wearing her pastel pink on the red carpet. I am not suggesting we all turn pink but there are so many tones you can play with and you will be surprised at how well they will look against your skin. I often play with green and blue lowlights in white hair to create dimension and even with my own hair it still surprises me how often my violet-purple lights through my grey hair are complemented and described as natural looking.
Experiment with length and body; by introducing some grey/white extensions or pieces, both fun and practical. There are different attaching mechanisms, the long-term versions are glued or waxed into the hair and last for months and there are temporary versions that use clips or Velcro type attachments so you can add them easily when you are looking to make an entrance or remove them when you want lower maintenance. The temporary versions are also great for styling as you can prepare them off the head and in advance.
Eyebrows; a little after thought, as our hair on our head turns grey/white so too do our eyebrows. I am a great advocate of embracing the grey, unfortunately grey/white eyebrows can undefine our eyes and face, so colour away. Again, there are a lot of options from long lasting tattooing and microblading, 6-8 week tinting or a good pencil and powder for temporary options. Whatever method you go for try to keep the colour lighter than your natural eyebrow colour and you don’t have to match it to your hair colour. Go for a depth that offers definition without stealing all the attention.
Embracing the grey, may mean less frequent visits to the salon, but it does not mean we are giving up on our hair. Having a Professional to advise on our care and styling routines while looking to subtly enhance the grey/white will ensure we look and feel great about our colour choice. Despite the challenges, women who’ve embraced their grey agree that it’s worth it. For some, it’s a work in progress, trying to figure out how to detach the idea of youth and beauty from a rich brown tint. But for now, I am happy and have never had so many complements about my salt and pepper hair with a few ‘natural’ violet-purple tones.
Caroline
