Gray hair has a different texture because your hair loses the pigment or melanin and the hair follicle doesn't produce as much sebum. 3 The sebum is the oil your body naturally produces to hydrate your hair. As a result, gray hair often feels more coarse, dry, and wiry, but using the right hair products can help.
Shampooing your hair 1-3 times per week should be perfect. Make sure you are using very moisturizing conditioner, and perhaps include a weekly hair mask in your regimen. Seal in moisture after the shower with a good leave-in conditioner, hair oil or moisture serum. This will calm unruly hair and soften your strands.
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.
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.
When you go grey, your hair may feel quite dry. But this is not because of its texture — it is because hair usually greys at an age when your sebaceous glands (which are attached to each hair follicle) begin to secrete less oil than before.
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.
“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.
Just like blondes, brunettes and redheads can benefit from using color-specific shampoos, those with gray and silver hair are no exception. Gray hair, since it lacks pigment and can be coarser, needs a little extra TLC to keep it shiny and healthy.
Given that gray hair tends to be a bit drier, it's necessary to add moisture to your haircare routine, through a deep conditioner, a shampoo, or your styling products.
Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
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.
If your gray strands lack hydration and need a little TLC, then you won't find a better toning shampoo than the Pureology Hydrate purple shampoo. Whether you've got thick or fine hair, this purple shampoo will transform your natural gray hair, leaving it bright, soft, and shiny.
As we mentioned, gray hair's lack of sebum can make it feel dry. To reduce further dryness, you'll want to wash it as infrequently as possible. "Washing every other day or three to four times a week can help with this," says Mazzei.
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.
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.
Your hair turns gray or white from a loss of melanin, a pigment-producing component that produces melanocyte cells. These make up your natural hair and skin color. The less melanin you have, the lighter your hair color. Gray hair has minimal melanin, while white has none.
Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and Blacks in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.