Looking Good - November 23, 2016

*-- Caring for Your Gray Hair --*
As we age, our hair matures and begins to gray. Graying hair is only the beginning however. As we age our gray hair also becomes resistant to chemicals such as perms and hair color. Gray hair can even become difficult to curl with a curling iron. When this happens, it's often harder to care for gray hair and for many that simply means giving up. Caring for your gray hair doesn't mean it's the end of the world, however. With the right changes and a little more patience, your gray hair can be just as beautiful as you are.

Condition

When we age, our gray hair often become dry and brittle because there are few natural oils in our hair. When this happens, use a good leave-in conditioner at least once a week to restore moisture to the hair and help soften the texture.

Shampoo

Gray hair can actually look yellow or greenish on some people. To neutralize the yellow color and leave your hair shiny and beautiful, try using a graying shampoo that contains a violet based color, instead of your usual shampoo.



Hair Color

If you're not ready to go gray, a new hair color can hide a few gray strands or lighten an entire head of hair. Avoid anything that is more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color or you'll wind up looking older than you really are. If you're not sure the new shade of color will look right on you, try using a semi-permanent hair color which lasts 6-12 shampoos. Also keep in mind that color too often can result in dry and brittle hair.

Going Gray

If you don't want to go back to your natural hair color and are enjoying your gray, you may want to enhance your gray hair with a graying hair color. If you're in-experienced in coloring hair, this may be best left to a professional colorist who can help you decide what shade of gray would look best on you.



Highlights and Lowlights

Adding highlights or lowlights to the hair can disguise any gray you want to hide by blending them into the rest of your hair. As with hair color, be sure to avoid going anything more than two shades lighter than your natural hair color to avoid looking older than you really are.

Hairstyles

It used to be that gray hair was a burden and often those who had it simply cut their hair short. There is no reason why gray hair needs to be short and out of the way. If you love long hair and it suits you, then go for it. Talk to your hairstylist about a cut that will flatter your face and bring out the beautiful you. If your hairstylist isn't willing to offer her opinion or listen to what you want, you may be better off seeking a new hairstylist.

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