It’s said a woman’s hair is their crowning glory. Sooner or later, that crown will start to gray. You now face a decision. Banish gray hair with dye, or rock a silver mane?
Whichever you pick, know the facts about your gray strands to keep your hair looking and feeling its best.
Your hair follicles have pigment cells that make melanin, a chemical that gives your hair its color. As you age, these cells start to die. Without pigment, new hair strands grow in lighter and take on various shades of gray, silver, and eventually white. Once a follicle stops making melanin, it won’t make colored strands again.
You might blame your stressful job or your unruly teens for your grays. But it’s mostly your genes that dictate how early and how quickly it happens. So if either of your parents had a full head of gray hair in their 30s, there’s a good chance you will, too.
On average, white people start to gray in their mid-30s. Asians start in their late 30s. And African Americans usually don’t see color changes until their mid-40s.
Some people go gray 10 or more years earlier than the average person does. It’s premature if you’re gray before:
20 if you’re white
25 if you’re Asian
30 -40 if you’re African American
Do Health Problems Turn Hair Gray?
They could. These conditions include:
Lack of vitamin B12
Certain rare, inherited tumor conditions
Thyroid disease
Vitiligo, a condition that destroys pigment-making cells in the scalp
Alopecia areata causes patches of hair (usually ones with color) to fall out. This can look like sudden graying because the hair that’s left is gray or white. When your hair regrows, it could be gray, white, or your normal color.
Does Stress Make You Go Gray?
Not directly. But it can cause a condition that causes your hair to shed about 3 times faster than normal. It’s possible that when your hair grows back, it’s gray instead of your original color.
To Pluck or Not to Pluck …
There’s an old wives’ tale that says if you pluck a gray, three will grow back. That doesn’t happen. Still, don’t pluck. You’re just delaying the inevitable — another gray strand will replace it. Besides, pulling hair out can damage follicles so much, they no longer grow hair. This can make your mane look thin over time.
Do Grays Feel Different?
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. African American hair tends to be more prone to damage, compared to that of Asians and whites.
Moisture treatment and hair oils can fight dull, dry grays. Anti-frizz products can help, too. Heat and light from lamps or the sun can “bleach” gray hair and make it look yellow. Ask your stylist how to prevent this. A purple-toned shampoo can help keep your tresses a vibrant silver.
Black people’s hair usually is thinner, drier, and breaks more easily, compared to hair of people of other races. So comb and otherwise treat it gently, especially if you use chemicals to relax your hair. Add moisture with a light conditioner that penetrates your hair shafts, instead of lanolin or other oily treatments that simply coat the strands.
There are a number of things that are unavoidable in life (death, taxes, wrinkles etc.) Another perfect example: going gray. There comes a time for everyone when it is simply unavoidable, whether you’re seeing a few strays or you’re well on your way to a full head of silver strands. And as your mane changes, so too must your routine.
We reached out to some of the foremost colorists and hairstylists to find out the best way to care for your silver, from the right kinds of products to how you can subtly mask the odd strand—or embrace this phase and transition to fully gray.
What causes hair to go gray?
It all starts with melanin-producing cells called melanocytes. These cells are responsible for the pigmentation of the skin and hair. Each hair bulb has a stock of active melanocytes and a stock of dormant melanocytes.
When the hair growth phase is complete, the hair follicle reconstitutes and imports dormant melanocytes to replace depleted active melanocytes. But when the stock of dormant melanocytes is also exhausted, the hair can no longer pigment and becomes white. As we age, our hair stops generating melanin, which is what gives our hair color.
If you are transitioning to a full head of gray hair, the best approach depends on your natural hair color. For example: if you are blonde, strategically highlight around your hairline and part so that your “natural highlights” blend with your blond.
If you are brunette. I would suggest coloring your roots with a demi-permanent color that is within 1-2 shades of your natural color. You don’t get 100% coverage with demi-permanent color, but it keeps your hair’s natural dimension and a more subtle demarcation line. Using a root concealer until the dyed color has grown out enough to look more natural.
The quickest way to go totally gray. Just cut it short and let the hair grow in again.
To give dimension to fully gray hair, you can add some soft lowlights an inch or two behind the hairline and under the part that will give you a more salt and pepper appearance and make your gray tones pop!
It’s normal for your hair to change as you get older. But what does it mean?
What gray hair says about your health?
If you are a young individual, perhaps you had a full head of blonde, red, brown, or black hair. Presently, you’re a more aged personality, you may see diminishing in specific areas of your head, or your hair may transform from its unique color to dark or white.
Shedding of hair is a natural phenomenon. It is usual for an individual to shed 50-100 hairs daily, which are then replaced with new hair. However, sometimes, shed hair is not replaced with new ones, leading to thinning hair and the formation of bald patches.
Alopecia is the medical term generally used for it. It has various types, Telogen Effluvium is one of them.
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