Gray Hair
Wash that gray out of your hair? More women are saying, “No way!” According to L’Oréal, nearly half of women older than 40 are no longer hitting the bottle. Besides being profoundly liberating (no more pesky roots!), going gray makes a statement of supreme confidence: This is who I am, and I’m proud of my natural beauty. Gray hair can also look fabulous: Think Meryl Streep’s chic silver cut in The Devil Wears Prada . If you want to give gray a try, here’s how to avoid the awkward gray hair growing-in stage that keeps many women from returning to their roots. But fear not; this step-by-step guide will help you look terrific every minute of the way to gray. MORE: 7 Ways To Make Your Gray Hair Look Gorgeous
Go Gradually
Wait until your roots are at least 60% silver before giving up your dye job, so your new gray hair hue will look symmetrical and natural as it grows in, suggests colorist Jennifer Jahanbigloo. But don’t give up color altogether just yet. “The contrast in texture and tone as your hair grows can look unkempt,” she says. During this phase, which can last up to a year, get a do-it-yourself highlighting kit or ask your colorist to weave in a few fine highlights or lowlights (darker streaks) to add dimension and blend in roots.
Consider A Cut
Cropping your hair above your collarbone during the in-between period will lessen the contrast between silver and pigmented strands. Layers can help camouflage multiple hues. “A choppy cut looks youthful and helps hide your roots,” says colorist Jonathan Gale.
Go Contemporary
When your gray has grown out, don’t regress to a matronly ’do. “For gray to look glamorous and chic, your cut should be contemporary,” says salon creative director Mark DeVincenzo. To enhance silver strands, which absorb light, making your mane look dull, style hair straight (use a flatiron or a dryer and a round brush) to promote shine. Once your hair is completely white, talk to your stylist about adopting an above-the-shoulder, layered style that provides movement and softly frames your face.
Pick Silver-Specific Products
When hair turns gray, the protective cuticle thins out, which can make strands coarse and prone to breakage. Keep tresses soft and healthy by using a moisturizing shampoo and using a formula geared for gray hair once a week to counteract yellowing. And apply a clear gloss or glaze each month to coat the cuticle and boost shine.
Hair Loss
A normal person has about 150,000 strands of hair on their head and loses 100 each day, but you have to lose much more—over 50% of your scalp hair—before hair loss becomes apparent, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. More than half of men have heredity-driven male pattern hair loss by the age of 50. Women aren’t immune either. About 40% of women notice that their hair is thinning by the time they reach menopause. Hair loss in women typically begins between ages 25 and 40, says Dominic A. Brandy, MD. “Hair is very much a part of a woman’s body image. Losing it can cause a great deal of stress and, in some cases, can make women lose a certain amount of self-respect,” he says. MORE: 9 Common Causes Of Hair Loss—And How To Treat Them The most common cause of hair loss in women is a shift in the growth cycle, says Rebecca Caserio, MD. In other words, at any given time, some of your hair is growing and some of it is done growing. Most hairs have a life expectancy of 3 to 6 years. These hairs go into a resting stage for 3 months and fall out. But then new hairs are produced from the exact same roots. Hormone shifts, rapid weight loss, severe dandruff, iron deficiency, and a low protein intake can also speed up the normal rate of hair loss, says Caserio. Because some medical conditions and medications can cause hair loss, it’s best to check in with your doctor if you notice your tresses thinning. “Hair loss, particularly when it occurs at the crown, can also be caused by genetics,” adds Caserio. Hereditary baldness is not just a male problem; women, too, can inherit a predisposition to baldness from either parent. You can use proper nutrition to help prevent hair loss.
Kitchen Cures For Dry Hair
Try these expert-approved kitchen cures for dry hair: Go heavy on the mayo: “Mayonnaise makes an excellent conditioner,” says Steven Docherty, former senior art director at the Vidal Sassoon Salon. He recommends leaving the oily, white goo in your hair for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour before washing it out. Try a sudsy solution: “Beer is a wonderful setting lotion. It gives a crisp, healthy, shiny look, even to dry hair,” says Docherty. The trick is to spray the brew onto your hair using a pump bottle after you’ve shampooed and towel dried, but before you blow-dry or style. Don’t worry about smelling like a lush—the odor of the beer quickly disappears, he says. Go for natural nutrients: Hairdresser Joanne Harris makes a nutrient-rich conditioner in her kitchen. “I take old bananas, rotten and black, and mash them together with mushy, rotten avocado,” she says. Leave the tropical puree in your hair for 15 minutes, and then wash it out in the kitchen sink. (Or, try moisturizing with an avocado and honey hair mask.)
Get Adequate Protein
Eat at least two 3- to 4-ounce servings of fish, chicken, or other lean sources of protein every day, says S. Elizabeth Whitmore, MD, ScM. Protein is needed by every cell in your body, including the cells that make the hair. Without adequate protein, the cells in your body don’t work efficiently and can’t make new hair to replace old hair that’s been shed.
Maintain Iron Levels
Iron-deficiency anemia can also cause hair loss, so make sure that you eat a well-balanced diet that includes a daily serving or two of iron-rich foods, says Whitmore. Good sources of iron include lean red meat, steamed clams, cream of wheat, dried fruit, soybeans, tofu, and broccoli. Take vitamin B6. “I have no idea why it works, but 100 milligrams a day of vitamin B6seems to decrease hair shedding in some people,” say Caserio. Just don’t take any more than that without consulting a doctor, she cautions. Larger amounts can be toxic, especially over a prolonged time. You can also try the following tips: Make a styling change: Maximize the hair you have. If you have white hair, add some color so that it shows up better. If it’s straight, a mild perm will help fill in the spaces. Consult your hairstylist for the newest, most gentle products, suggests Lenore S. Kakita, MD. Avoid pulling on your hair: Don’t use tight braids or rollers on thinning hair. These styling methods can break off thin hairs and make your situation worse. Use an over-the-counter solution: Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a hair-restoring treatment available in different strengths for men and women. Applied twice a day, it has been shown to stop hair loss and regrow new hair in some people. Be patient. Rogaine, like other solutions to thinning hair, takes a while to work. Expect it to take at least 6 months. MORE: 4 Hair Products You Should Never Use After Age 40
Dry Damaged Hair
Dry hair is generally caused by overprocessing—bleaching, coloring, straightening, and perming. It’s further aggravated by use of heat-intensive devices like blow-dryers and curling irons. Swimming, overshampooing, and too much exposure to wind and sun are also common causes of strawlike locks. Normally, the cells in each strand of hair line up in straight rows like the shingles on a roof, explains Yohini Appa, PhD. But if tiny sections of your hair’s outer layer have been chipped or stripped away by harsh chemicals or intense heat, exposing the inner layers of the hair shaft, the hair loses moisture. Also dry, damaged hair doesn’t reflect light the way that healthy, smooth hair does, so hair looks dull and lifeless. Here’s a quick rescue course of action for dried-out hair. (Here’s 8 tips to get healthy, gleaming hair.)
Condition Before You Wash
Coat dry hair with a prewash conditioner or a deep conditioner that contains jojoba, lavender, shea butter, or rosemary oils. Keep it on for up to an hour to trap moisture in the hair, says salon owner Carmine Minardi. Wear a shower cap over the conditioner-coated hair, and wrap a warm towel around the cap to help the conditioner penetrate the hair’s outer layer. Do this once or twice a week.
Shampoo With Care
Shampooing doesn’t wash away only dirt, it also washes out the hair’s protective oils, says Thomas Goodman Jr, MD. If your hair is dry from too much lather, give it a needed break by washing less often. Use only a mild shampoo, one labeled “for dry or damaged hair.”
Use A Conditioner
When hair becomes dry, the outer layers, called cuticles, peel off from the central shaft. Conditioners glue the cuticles back to the shaft, add lubricant to the hair, and prevent static electricity (which creates frizz). Pick a conditioner that contains ceramides, naturally occurring lipids that penetrate the cuticle and give strands shine and elasticity, suggests Minardi, and use it after every shampoo.
Pick The Right Brush
When styling your hair, if at all possible use a boar-bristle brush; it’s less prone to static buildup than metal, plastic, or nylon bristle brushes, and it smooths the cuticle with the least trauma to the hair, says Minardi.
Avoid Styling Products With Alcohol
Many gels and mousses contain alcohol, which can make dry hair even drier, says Minardi. Better options include styling creams packed with emollients like panthenal, silicone, or essential oils to add shine and texture without drying out hair.
Snip Off Those Frayd Ends
Dry hair tends to suffer most at the ends. The answer? Snip ’em off. A trim once every 6 weeks or so should keep those frayed ends under control.
Chill Out
Hot curling irons and electric curlers can both contribute to dried-out hair, says hairdresser Harris. She suggests that you rediscover those unheated, plastic cylinder rollers from years gone by. For straightening, wrap slightly moist hair under and around rollers (like a pageboy hairdo) for about 10 minutes. For curling or adding wave, try sponge rollers overnight, or sleep with moist braids.
Protect Your Hair From The Elements
“Whipping wind can fray your hair just like a piece of fabric,” says Docherty, former senior art director at the Vidal Sassoon Salon. Sun, too, takes a mighty toll. Solution: Wear a hat, both on breezy, balmy summer days and gusty, frosty winter days.
Use A Swim Cap
“Chlorine is one of the most destructive things to hair,” says Docherty. So make a rubber cap part of your regular swim attire. For extra protection, he says, first rub a little olive oil into your hair.
When To Visit A Doctor About Hair Problems
Excessive hair, hair loss, and hair texture problems can signal hormonal imbalances, illness, nutritional deficiencies, or stress. See a doctor if you notice a sudden change in your hair, just to rule out a serious underlying cause. Even if your problem is cosmetic, doctors can offer a number of solutions that aren’t available as an over-the-counter product.
Panel Of Advisors
Yohini Appa, PhD, is executive director for scientific affairs for Neutrogena Corporation in Los Angeles. Dominic A. Brandy, MD, is medical director of Dominic A. Brandy and Associates, a permanent hair restoration practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rebecca Caserio, MD, is clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. Mark Devincenzo, is creative director at the Frédéric Fekkai Salon in New York City. Steven Docherty is the former senior art director of New York City’s Vidal Sassoon Salon. He has cared for the hair of some of New York’s top magazine and TV models. Jonathan Gale is a colorist at the John Frieda Salon in Los Angeles. Thomas Goodman Jr, MD, is a dermatologist and former assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He author of Smart Face. Joanne Harris has created character hairstyles for some of Hollywood’s top actors and actresses, including Richard Gere (in Sommersby) and Gwyneth Paltro (in Seven). She operates the Joanne Harris Salon in Los Angeles. Jennifer Jahanbigloo is a colorist and owner of Juan Juan Salons in Beverly Hills, California. Lenore S. Kakita, MD, is a former assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles and a dermatologist in Pasadena, California. Carmine Minardi is the owner of Minardi Salon in New York City. S. Elizabeth Whitmore, MD, SCM, is an associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
