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.
To counteract the more coarse and often wiry texture of gray hair, it is important you use a good daily conditioner and, as needed, a deep moisturizing treatment once a week. A shine boosting spray will also give you a smooth and healthy look.
Gray hair grows when hydrogen peroxide builds up in your hair follicle. "This causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out," says Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist in New York and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology. Gray hairs are thicker and wirier, so your hair gets coarser as they multiply.
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.
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.
Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.
The aging process causes your hair to gray, but you can stop premature graying with home remedies like coconut oil. Coconut oil acts as a natural sunscreen that protects your mane from oxidative stress. Coconut oil mixed with lemon juice is a popular remedy for treating gray hair.
“While gray hair feels coarse and rough, the structure of the strand hasn't actually changed. When those melanin-producing cells run out of steam, the hair follicles also produce less sebum (the natural oils that hydrate hair) which makes gray hair to be drier, giving it that wiry texture,” she explains.
Neutral colors (like rose or nude) have a tendency to fall flat against gray hair. Instead, go for bolder hues like a bright berry or a pink-y peach; shinier or satin finishes also tend to be more flattering than matte lipsticks.
Purple shampoo has been used for decades by hairdressers, mostly to help tone and neutralize blonde and gray hair, getting rid of brassy or yellow tones for an overall more cool-toned look.
Another option is to mix a bit of apple cider vinegar into a dollop of shampoo. This clears build up from environmental toxins and hair products. It also seals the hair cuticle, making your grays silky, shiny and frizz-free.
Hydrogen peroxide attacks the enzyme tyrosinase by oxidizing an amino acid, methionine, at the active site. As a consequence, this key enzyme, which normally starts the synthesizing pathway of the coloring pigment melanin, does not function anymore.
Regular use of baking soda in your hair can eventually turn your locks dry and brittle, leading them to break, while it can also irritate the skin, according to Kindred.
To help coarse hair feel more supple and silky, we recommend using a water-based leave-in conditioner that contains essential oils and 'good' fats. These products help the cuticles stay closed and tightly sealed tight to keep hair shiny by giving it a smooth surface to reflect light.
Coarse hair is part of a long list of hypothyroidism symptoms. In some studies, up to 75% of people with hypothyroidism have coarse hair, making it the second most common hair change in an individual with hypothyroidism, after hair loss.
Because gray hair needs more moisture than other hair (more on that below), you must get regular cuts to avoid split ends. Split ends can easily travel up the shaft and become a major source of frizzy gray hair.