I recent found my first grey hair, and realized that there is a lot of emotion behind those first grey hairs. Am I getting old? Does this mean that my hair will start to thin? Should I color my hair? Should I embrace the beauty of grey?
I even put those questions before friends and family, and overwhelming I was told, COLOR YOUR HAIR! Of course, grey hair can make us look older. Now, on men, often some grey hair is "distinguished" and that salt and pepper look is fantastic on George Clooney.
But what about for women? Does grey make us look older? Feel older? Or, is part of aging, and anti-aging, is aging gracefully and taking steps not so much to "cover the grey" but to maintain our hair in our natural color to maintain a feeling of youthfulness. For me, I have already made my appointment. Here is a great article that provides wonderful information about grey hair, how we get it, and what we can do about it:
At any age grey hair can materialize. It’s not always an indication of aging, it’s caused by a dropping off in pigmentation (grey hair) or a complete lack of pigment (white hair), and the basis for it is not fully known. The most obvious symbol of aging is the changing colour of our hair. As we age our hair produces less melanin, the same melanin that gives our skin its colour. This is the reason our hair turns grey.
Age also has an effect on our hair in other ways. A number of women will notice that their hair thins and lacks life, for others it will appear to be dry and coarse. As we get older our hair starts to get drier, and needs more moisture. Older hair often loses some of its elasticity and the consistency alters. This is because as we get older the size of our hair follicles get smaller and hair growth slows down. Therefore there is not as much new growth to replace what is lost.
Sebum (oil produced naturally by our skin) lessens as we age, and as a consequence our hair, therefore, lacks its natural shine and softness. And our production of keratin also slows during the menopause. This particular protein fibre is a must in maintaining healthy, strong hair. Going bald, having thinning hair and coarse hair is a subject that affects many men, plus facial hair. To conceal your grey hair opt for the right shade of hair colour. If you use a dark colour it can draw attention to a dull complexion. So do not use a colour more than a couple of tones darker or lighter than your own hair colour.
If you wish to keep your grey, try to use a hair shampoo and conditioner that is targeted specially for grey hair. Grey hair can look yellow or greenish on a number of people. To neutralize the yellow colour and leave your hair shiny and good-looking, try using a greying shampoo that has a violet based colour, instead of your usual shampoo. Highlights or lowlights can camouflage any grey you want to mask by blending them into the rest of your hair. The same with hair colourants, keep away from going more than a couple of shades lighter than your own hair colour to steer clear of looking older than you really are.
As the years go by your hair loses its elasticity and then it becomes more difficult to style, so try opting for a protein treatment to use once a month to support your hair. For both women and men, thinning hair can be given a more voluminous look by using volumizing products such as conditioners and mousses. Apply a weekly deep conditioning treatment – that is recommended for aging hair. Moisturizing (conditioning) your hair is a necessity as we get older. This will preserve the moisture levels in your hair.
About the Author:
Jennifer Summers is a great source of information on grey hair shampoo, regularly providing informative advice on greying hair.
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