2. Moisture is more important than ever before! Grey hair tends to be more dry, so be diligent with conditioners and moisturizers. Always use oils to seal in moisture, use a daily leave-in conditioner, and if you're still struggling with dryness, deep condition more often- even up to once a week.
Gray strands tend to be coarser, drier, and more unruly, thus requiring products that deliver lots of moisture. Below, our experts recommend their favorite shampoos, conditioners, masks, and accessories for taming and nourishing gray hair.
POSSIBLE ETIOPATHOGENESIS OF GRAYING
Reversible hypopigmentation of the hair can be seen in nutritional deficiencies protein-energy malnutrition and diseases of chronic loss of protein. Copper and iron deficiency also can cause graying of hair.
Take an inch of your hair and stretch it, if it doesn't stretch or breaks, feels dry and rough, it is brittle/damaged and needs moisture treatment. If the hair stretches far and does not return and/or breaks, feels mushy, gummy or cotton candy-like, your hair needs protein.
When it comes to specific ingredients to look for in gray hair conditioners, Jamie Wiley, the Global Artistic Director at Pureology, says to look for moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. “Like jojoba, shea butter, and avocado oil. These will penetrate and deeply nourish the hair,” she says.
Grey hair tends to be more dry, so be diligent with conditioners and moisturizers. Always use oils to seal in moisture, use a daily leave-in conditioner, and if you're still struggling with dryness, deep condition more often- even up to once a week.
To quench your parched grays, harness the deep moisturizing properties of natural butters and oils, including shea butter, olive oil, or coconut oil. On a cautionary note, applying too much of these intense oils can leave thin or fine hair greasy and weighed down.
All hair needs both protein and moisture to stay healthy and strong. In fact, protein and moisture can't work well without the other. You need a strong protein structure in order for water molecules to bind with your strands and to keep the water locked inside.
If you notice your hair has become stringy, limp, or sticky, you could be lacking protein.
Olaplex is NOT a moisturizing deep conditioner or a protein treatment. Olaplex does contain some protein, but not enough to be considered a hard protein treatment.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency is one of the most common causes of prematurely graying hair. Researchers have noted that vitamin B-12 deficiencies are often concurrent with folic acid and biotin deficiencies in people whose hair has started to turn gray early.
Although the primary cause of premature hair graying (PHG) is considered to be genetic, certain environmental factors also play a role. Trace element deficiencies such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and calcium may also be associated with PHG.
With the right nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C, L-methionine, copper, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, and antioxidants, you can stop further greying of hair.
Gray hair is thinner than hair with natural color because its cuticle is thinner. Your hair needs that natural protection from water, ultraviolet rays from the sun, humidity, chemicals, and heat styling. Without that barrier, your hair loses water. So your gray will feel dry, fragile, and coarse.
Healthy hair will fall slightly. If your hair is limp and flops down it likely needs more protein. If that strand is stiff and does not bounce like healthy hair does, you either have extreme damage or too much protein in your hair.
Known as protein overload, having too much protein in your hair may cause it to appear dull, dry, and brittle. Keratin, the main protein in your hair, can be added to your hair to strengthen your strands.
Anytime you apply an intense protein treatment, you must follow up with a deeply moisturizing conditioner. Rutlin explains, "You cannot have one without the other. This is why you see some people have brittle and damaged hair.
A weekly moisture mask will help soften coarse gray strands. You'll also want to switch to a violet-tinged shampoo to help neutralize yellow tones; even white hair can turn brassy from UV rays and minerals in the water.
Use natural, SLS-free shampoos or choose products with mild surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine. Go for hydrating conditioners and hair masks that contain plant oils like shea butter, argan, jojoba, and coconut oils. These will keep the strands moisturized and minimize frizz.