All you need to know on embracing and caring for grey hair...
With the rise of #silversisters and #greyhair hashtags on social media, embracing your natural grey has been on trend for a while, and it doesn’t look like it is slowing down anytime soon. The problem, and it is one that women especially face, with embracing your natural grey hair is that we live in a youth-obsessed society where any signs of ageing are eliminated. Sometimes it is perceived that not maintaining a youthful appearance is considered to mean not taking care of ourselves – or as some say in a not so nice way, letting yourself go!
It's important that we put all the outside noise to one side and truly embrace what we feel is right for us. There is nothing more empowering than looking after your truest self and prioritising your self-esteem over anti-ageing. Whether you colour your hair and will continue to do so, or you want to go grey on your terms, the goal should be to find a happy space between taking a healthy, moral standpoint on ageing and looking your best – whatever your best means to you.
As this is an article on embracing the grey, this is the topic we shall stick to! If you are transitioning to grey either naturally or via a stylist, you will need to rethink your haircare routine. As hair starts to lose its melanin, it can also change shape and become deprived of its elastic properties. It is a myth that grey hair is coarser, in fact it is often finer with a shift in texture. At the same time, the scalp’s oil production starts to slow down, leading to drier-feeling hair. Dry hair doesn’t reflect light that well and so grey hair can lack shine. With this, you will want to focus on smoothing and glossing treatments and use a good cleansing shampoo every now and then to rinse minerals and environmental pollutants from the hair, which can risk discolouring whitening tresses.
As you grow out your grey hair, you will notice a wide spectrum of shades starting to show. It can take years for hair to turn completely grey, and so most of the time you will end up with a salt-and-pepper effect. This is where a good colourist can come in handy! If growing out the grey is becoming too painful, then you can always opt for grey blending. Dark and light strands are weaved at the roots, blurring out the tide mark between your new grey growth and the dye job you want to leave behind. A colourist can also enhance your natural colour and warm up the grey and then blend them, so you don’t see any roots. It creates a beautiful softness to the grey.
Five tips for growing in your grey hair
Patience!
It is an understatement to say that patience is needed when growing out grey hair naturally. At first, it appears the new grey strands sprout up everywhere looking unruly, but with gritted teeth and allowing a good six months to pass, you should have some good streaks of grey appearing throughout your hair. Patience is needed because you need to allow your hair to do its own thing, and that could be a few strands of grey, a beautiful streak, or a full head. It can take months or even years for your hair to go completely grey, so it can be helpful to remember that this is a transition and not a total 180.
Team up with a colourist!
If patience isn’t your thing, then teaming up with a good colourist is your best bet. A colourist will come up with a game plan tailored to you and your desired look. In some cases that may mean chopping off longer hair and embracing a softer bob, in other instances your stylist may recommend metallic or silver highlights or a balayage to help bridge the gap. Either way it’s important to know you’ve got options, and a skilled colourist is the best person to help you explore them.
Shake up your routine!
As mentioned earlier, you will need to purchase some new products for your new greying strands. With its different composition and texture, grey hair will need a lot more moisture to help keep it soft and less prone to damage. A good cleanser will help get it free of minerals that can cause discoloration, and a purple shampoo will go a long way to help keep those silver strands sparkling.
Shut out the noise!
Just because grey hair is trendy, it doesn’t mean people won’t judge. People will always have their opinions, so it’s important you remain strong in doing you for you and not for anyone else! If you are needing a little inspiration or pick me up during the transition phase, then a good place to start is the Instagram account, Grombre - dedicated to the natural phenomenon of grey hair. The account showcases myriad women who aren’t just embracing, but who are rocking the look with confidence.
Embrace the change!
If you have decided to go grey, you could embrace a complete revamp of your look. If you’ve always had long hair, perhaps you’ll want to try a shorter hairstyle on for size? Or if you’ve always had mid-length hair, maybe now is the time to see how much you’ll love those grey hair extensions you’ve always dreamed about. You can experiment with hair as much as you can with any other beauty trend, and these days there are so many nifty tools and products out there that the sky really is the limit.
Caring for your grey hair
Because grey hair has no natural pigment, it can become yellow over time. To prevent this from happening, use a clarifying/cleansing product weekly to eradicate any free radicals and impurities. You will also want to invest in a silver shampoo, as this cleans and purifies the hair while neutralising any yellowness, to give clarity, shine and softness. Lastly, you’ll have noticed that the lack of pigment in grey hair also affects the texture - it can be very dry and wiry. So, take conditioning seriously with the addition of a weekly hydrating mask to keep your beautiful grey strands feeling soft and silky.