Gray hair as a trend
Gray-haired men in the advertising industry have long been considered interesting. Gray hair in men is seen as a sign of maturity, life experience and wisdom. Most gray-haired women, on the other hand, felt unattractive for a long time and were pressured, not least by social expectations, to dye their hair to hide gray strands. Fortunately, there is an obvious change and a growing trend for women to embrace their naturally gray hair. Even advertising is increasingly presenting older models who are confident about their gray hair.
It certainly also plays a role when your hair turns gray. Some get gray hair sooner, others later. While for some people gray hair begins to appear in their twenties, for others the first gray strands only become visible much later, usually between the ages of 40 and 50.
Why does hair turn gray?
The hair turns gray when the melanocytes in the hair follicles produce less melanin, i.e. natural color pigments. The melanocytes are specialized cells that produce the pigments for the individual hair color. Their number decreases with age, so that the hair gradually turns gray, then white. become. This is a natural part of the aging process that is heavily influenced by genetics and cannot be completely prevented. Factors such as mental stress, medications, illnesses, lifestyle, environmental factors and diet also play a role. Gray hair basically has the same structure as pigmented hair, although it usually becomes drier with age.
Is hair coloring harmful to your health?
To cover gray hair, chemical colors and tints are primarily offered. Conventional hair dyes contain aggressive and environmentally harmful chemicals. When used regularly, chemical hair dyes can destroy the healthy hair structure. Conventional coloring promotes dryness, split ends, brittle and brittle hair. Since chemical hair dyes come into contact with the scalp for a long time, it is not uncommon for the scalp to become irritated, red, itchy or even have severe allergic reactions. Some of the chemicals found in chemical hair dyes have also been linked to long-term health risks. These are, for example:
- Ammonia: Opens the outer cuticle of the hair follicles so that the chemical dye can penetrate deeply. Side effects: irritates the respiratory tract, can cause allergic reactions.
- Hydrogen peroxide: lightens the hair, enables color changes. Side effects: irritating to the skin in higher concentrations, can cause serious eye injuries.
- PPD (p-Phenylenediamine): for developing permanent hair colors. Side effects: itching, redness, eczema, can cause allergies.
- Resorcinol: develops and fixes the color. Side effects: may irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions, potentially carcinogenic.
Herbal hair color as a natural alternative for covering gray hair
Herbal hair colors consist of finely ground plant parts such as henna, turmeric, coffee, indigo or rhubarb. In contrast to chemical coloring, hair lightening is not possible. However, herbal hair colors without additives offer some advantages. They do not damage the hair structure or the environment. Pure herbal hair colors do not contain chemicals such as ammonia, peroxides or resorcinol. Since the plant-based color pigments only attach to the outside of the hair shaft without penetrating the hair, the hair remains healthy. Herbal hair colors are a good alternative for sensitive scalps.
If you are unsure whether your herbal hair color is actually purely natural color pigments without additives, you should take a close look at the ingredients on the list of ingredients and not just trust the advertising claims on the packaging .
A disadvantage of herbal hair colors is the incomplete gray coverage and the shorter durability compared to chemical colorations. However, this can also be an advantage because the color result appears more natural because the lively color structure of the gray nuances shines through easily. The growth of the gray hairline is also less visible in herbal-colored hair than in chemically-colored hair. However, you still have to recolor regularly.
The transition phase from colored to naturally gray hair
To ensure a smooth transition from colored to naturally gray hair, you should first assess your current hair condition – e.g. whether the existing coloring is still completely opaque or whether your gray strands are already showing through, as with herbal hair colors after a long time. The easiest way is to let the colored hair grow out while the gray strands gradually become more dominant. Regular, smaller haircuts are helpful in this phase - especially if your hair is structurally damaged, porous and frizzy from chemical coloring.
If your gray hairline shows too harsh a contrast in the transition phase, you can temporarily cover it with concealing sticks, spray or powder, which are available in different shades. Semi-permanent lowlights in a darker color also provide a smoother transition from colored to naturally gray hair.
Styling tips for gray hair
Here are some styling tips for well-groomed, attractive gray hair and a healthy scalp:
- Moisturizing care
Choose a moisturizing organic shampoo without drying surfactants, an organic conditioner and the myrto organic hair mask, which ensure supple hair and protect you from hair breakage and split ends protect.
- Gloss & Definition
Use styling products such as Bio Finisher hair gel, hair wax or hair oil to give your hair definition and extra shine. This is how gray hair looks healthy and vital.
- Texture
Emphasizing natural waves or curls gives gray hair more volume and texture. If necessary, you can also use a curling iron or curler for support.
- Self-confidence and charisma
Grey hair is not only time-saving and practical, but it also underlines your individuality. Gray hair looks different on everyone. Regardless of whether you have individual, elegant gray strands or a more even shade of gray - no hairdresser could achieve this as artfully through coloring. You may also notice how much you feel freer when you don't have to constantly re-dye your hairline - entirely in the spirit of the award-winning documentary “Gray Is The New Blonde”.
Conclusion
As you will notice over time, it takes a lot of effort to perfectly conceal gray hair. The higher the percentage of white hair, the more difficult it is to achieve a natural result. It is therefore worth thinking about stopping dyeing your hair at all and accepting the natural gray color - at least as long as you feel comfortable doing it.
