A Whiter Shade of Grey

In this blog we will be addressing the "age old" (sorry ;-) topic of GREY!

Again, my aim here is to highlight a few of the myths and set the record straight about what can and cant be done with grey hair.

I will start by letting you in to a little secret......there is no such thing as grey hair. No, honestly. So next time someone refers to those little sprinklings of natural highlights as grey, you have my permission to correct them! Hair only has the effect of "grey" when it is against darker hair. You don't see many natural blondes with salt and pepper coloured hair do you?
Hair simply looses its pigment altogether and turns white. There you go, myth one squashed.  You don't have grey hair, ok? Feel better? No? Ok well read on......

Hair is pigmented by the same thing that pigments our skin. Melanin. The darker our skin is naturally, the darker our hair tends to be. Natural blondes tend to have a fairer complexion, whilst brunettes may have more olive skin.
As we age, our levels of melanin diminishes. Our skin becomes lighter, and unfortunately, so does our hair.
There are many theories on why this happens, including links between stress, DNA and genetics. My personal theory (which I should add has had no medical research involved, it is a mere thought!) is that as we age, and our body tires, it has far more important things to worry about than the pigment of our hair, such as knackered joints, general lethargy, and the stress of waiting for the kids to finally move out.... 

There is a stigma about "grey" hair that irks me. Its that its ugly, and unsightly. As a hairdresser I have to admit that a large part of my work is covering greys, but if the grey hair is beautiful, which it truly can be, I would - and actually have - refused to colour it. I have seen beautiful silvers, steels and whites that I believe would be sacrilegious to colour over!
However, some grey really does need hiding, and this I have no problem in doing!

Some myths about "greys"
"if you pull one out, twenty more grow back in its place" Think about it. Really. If you pulled any hair out, would twenty more grow back? Is the secret to thinning hair (to be covered in another blog soon) to actually pull it all out then? Actually, if you pull out a grey hair, it damages the follicle making it grow back crinkly and wiry. This hair will also tend to stand up from the rest of your hair, making it seem as though you suddenly have lots more!
Best just let it grow down.
"hair can turn grey overnight" Yes, and your skin can also turn dark brown overnight too....
this is, of course, not true. Melanin is diminished over time and it is physically impossible for it to turn literally overnight, no matter how shocked you were about your last phone bill!
"only old people turn grey" Grey hair does tend to grow through the older you get, however it is still possible for the greying process to happen when you are very young. It is not clear why, but there are links with DNA and genetics about this.If your parents went grey early, it is likely you will too, though not definite.


"grey hair is ugly" ummmmmmm George Clooney???? Meryl Streep??? I rest my case.











So what can you do about your greying hair?
As hair turns white, the texture often changes. It is impossible to predict how it may grow through, but one things for sure - you will have to get to know it all over again!
It tends to be drier, so more nourishing products will be needed.
It tends to be coarser, so more smoothing products and tools such as irons, will be needed to create a smoother finish.
It tends to be a little trickier to colour and perm, so this really must be done by a professional who knows how to deal with it.
There have been many studies done on grey hair, finding links between Vitamin B12 and Foilic Acid taken in supplements that have slowed the greying process, but there is no hard evidence on this. There is however exciting research that is ongoing in the U.S regarding a protein called Wnt and its ability to reverse the greying process.....watch this space!

If you are one of the lucky ones, who's greying hair is much like that of Helen Mirren's silky silver locks, then count yourself a trend setter! Its one of the hottest looks right now and steely grey hair is even being imitated by the young stars of today!

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