Gone are the days when media-driven beauty standards controlled our hair routines. Now, embracing your natural hair is the real deal, be it a hard-to-tame curly mane or graying hair that doesn’t stand a chance in its fight against time.
But embracing gray hair doesn’t necessarily mean you should leave it without care. Instead, you can make it look softer, shinier, and overall healthier.
Today, we’ll help you make your gray hair shine brighter than a crown. Like any hair type, gray hair requires a specific routine to stay attractive, and it’s simple enough to do daily. So let’s find out how to make gray hair shine!
How to Make Gray Hair Shine
Having healthy gray hair in your forties and fifties is achievable through a simple routine. Here are the steps you should follow.
1. Use Purple Shampoo
The first step to making your gray hair shine naturally is to wash it thoroughly using purple shampoo. White hair, in general, is susceptible to yellow hues that creep up hair strands and cause dullness. Luckily, these shampoos can prevent these hues and give you shiny gray hair with minimum effort.
There are many good purple shampoos on the market. For instance, you can try the Joico Color Balance Purple Shampoo. It cleanses hair, keeps it shining, and moisturizes it. Over time, it’ll do wonders to keep your hair texture soft.
You can also bid your dull gray hair goodbye with the GBG Purple Shampoo. It’s one of the best hair products for graying, and it’ll leave your hair all shiny and soft.
Ideally, you should wash your hair twice per shower. On the first wash, focus on the roots and massage the shampoo into your scalp thoroughly. As you wash it, the shampoo will reach the gray hair tips and clean them for you. The next wash will remove any buildups from your scalp and clean the mid-lengths of your hair.
On a side note, overusing purple shampoos can leave you with dry hair. So use it only once weekly, and alternate between it and a moisturizing or a clarifying shampoo.
2. Condition Your Hair
Conditioner is a must in your hair care routine to keep your gray hair smooth and shiny. First, however, you should know how to choose the right one for your hair.
For starters, if you have straight hair that doesn’t frizz or dry easily, you can use conditioners manufactured specifically for gray hair. They’ll benefit your hair and keep it moisturized for a long time. However, if your hair is too stubborn for such conditioner, you should look for one that suits your hair texture, not color.
To elaborate, if you have thick, dry hair, you should buy a heavy conditioner that can tame your strands. On the other hand, if you have fine hair, you should buy a moisturizing leave-in conditioner that’ll help you style your hair without weighing it down.
It’s worth mentioning that gray hair is more susceptible to absorbing pigments from hair products than other colors. So when buying a conditioner, make sure it doesn’t have a yellow pigment so that it doesn’t affect your gray hair’s shine.
The right way to use a conditioner is to apply it to your tips and comb your hair using a wide-tooth comb to untangle it. Then, rinse it thoroughly. Combing it while in the shower will reduce frizz once it dries.
3. Use a Satin Pillowcase
Gray hair has thinner cuticles than normal hair, so it’s naturally weaker. This point can cause it to break easily and frizz. This is especially the case while sleeping because of the friction with your pillow. However, there’s a solution: Satin pillowcases
.
Satin pillowcases don’t cause friction with hair, thus protecting it from breaking during sleep. Also, they prevent your hair from frizzing too much and keep flyaways at bay.
That’s why using them is a must to maintain your natural, gray hair. Alternatively, you can wrap your hair with a silk scarf before you sleep. Though, it’s fair to warn you that it might not be as comfortable as a pillow during the hot summer months.
4. Stay Away From Heat Tools
As much as you can, you should approach heat styling carefully if your hair starts graying. As we’ve mentioned before, silver hair is a bit fragile, so heating it frequently will make it go dry and rough.
If you absolutely can’t stop using hot tools, we recommend you use a heat protector, be it a leave-in conditioner or hair mask. This way, the heat won’t affect your attractive gray shades.
On top of that, you should only use heat tools once a week. This is essential to keep your gray hair soft and healthy. Also, too much heat can cause some yellow tones to appear amidst your strands.
5. Use Hair Masks From Time to Time
Hair masks can work wonders to make gray hair look healthy. You can use them from time to time to nourish your gray strands and moisturize them, especially if you use purple or blue shampoos. Such shampoos successfully prevent brassy tones, but they’re known to cause dryness. But how do you know the right mask for you?
First, you should identify your hair type. For instance, if your strands have smaller diameters than normal, you have fine hair. But if your hair goes all greasy a day after washing it, you have oily hair.
Next, buy a mask that’s specially formulated for your hair type. Hair masks for oily hair often have lighter formulas that don’t leave residues, while hair masks for fine strands often promote hair growth.
6. Trim Your Hair Regularly
Split ends on gray hair cause an unattractive, frizzy look. But luckily, you can bring them to a minimum with a regular trim every couple of months or so. Regularly trimming your gray hair will reduce hair loss and give you a healthy shine.
On top of that, you don’t have to cut it too short. Instead, ask your hair stylist to remove only the ends. And if you’re in a good mood, you can go for a bob or a shag. These two cuts are famously among the best haircuts for gray hair because they bring out its color and are easy to style.
7. Consider Buying a Hair Toner
Over time, gray hair might develop a yellow undertone that affects the unique appearance of your silver strands. Luckily, there’s an easy fix for this issue. You can use a toning shampoo or any violet toning product to help your hair shine naturally without undertones.
Such products give your hair a blue or violet undertone instead of yellow, which causes the white strands to stand out and shine.
8. Protect Your Hair From the Sun
Believe it or not, the sun can affect your natural, gray hair as much as your skin. For instance, if you spend long hours in the sun with your hair flowing behind you, you might find some yellowish darkening strands by the time you go home. To prevent this, always wear a cap in the sun and put your hair in a braid or a bun to minimize the damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Gray Hair Rougher Than Normal Hair?
Gray hair is rougher than normal hair because your follicles don’t produce sebum as much as before. Sebum is mainly responsible for keeping your hair moisturized and your scalp lubricated. So when it drastically decreases, your hair becomes more prone to dryness and gains a coarse texture.
How Can I Prevent Yellow Staining on My Hair?
To keep the yellow stains to a minimum, use a purple or blue shampoo once a week, protect your hair from the sun, and use a toning product every now and then.
Does Stress Cause Gray Hair?
Studies have recently shown that, yes, stress might cause gray hair. We all have pigment-producing cells that dictate our hair color called melanocytes. These cells gradually disappear with age, so we gain a gray color. However, researchers noticed that stress fastens this process and causes more loss of melanocytes.
Can Diet Affect My Hair’s Shine?
Yes, your diet might affect your hair’s shine. A well-balanced diet with healthy fats and nutrients will keep your hair nourished and thus shiny. Some foods are also known to boost hair health, like avocadoes, spinach, and walnuts.
Does Dyed Gray Hair Require Special Care?
Yes, it does. If you’ve recently dyed your hair gray, then you should follow all the steps mentioned above.
To Wrap Up
In the past, women used to panic about the first gray hairs on their heads and immediately look for ways to conceal them. But nowadays, wearing your natural, gray hair like a crown is an ongoing trend. And to keep it looking fabulous, you can follow a simple hair care routine and give it regular trims!
