Gray hair is usually seen as a sign of aging, so it's understandable why you might want to get rid of it. Fortunately, there are things that can be done to cover gray hair, prevent more gray hair from growing and even reverse the direction of the process. Start from Step 1 to find out more details.
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Method 1 of 3: Preventing Gray Hair from Growing
Step 1. Eat hair-healthy foods
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet plays a big role in the health of your hair, so making sure your body gets the vitamins and nutrients your hair needs can help prevent gray hair from growing.
- Make sure you eat lots of protein (hair is made of protein), fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Drink as much water as your body needs.
- More specifically, make sure you consume enough vitamin B12 and the mineral zinc, if you feel you are not getting enough from your natural diet.
- Also make sure you get vitamins A, C and E and minerals like copper, iron and folic acid.
- Biotin (sometimes called vitamin H) is another important vitamin for healthy, naturally colored hair. Biotin can be obtained from foods such as cucumbers, oats and almonds.
Step 2. Avoid bad hair care products
Bad hair care products are full of chemicals like sulfates, phosphates, chlorine and ammonia that dry out hair and weaken hair roots, tending to grow gray hair. Therefore, use products for hair that contain as many natural ingredients as possible.
Step 3. Massage your head regularly
A head massage helps stimulate blood flow to the scalp, keeping hair growing healthily. If possible, massage your scalp with natural oils such as almond oil or coconut oil, this will help moisturize the hair roots.
Step 4. Quit smoking
According to one study, smokers are four times more likely to have gray hair than non-smokers. Smoking also causes dull, brittle hair and tends to fall out easily.
Step 5. Consumption of Melancor
Melancor is a tablet-shaped product that refreshes natural hair color by stimulating the production of melanin in the hair follicles. These tablets can help restore color to gray hair and prevent new gray hair from growing. Melancor needs to be taken once a day and has no side effects. Can be purchased online.
Method 2 of 3: Coloring Gray Hair
Step 1. Color your entire hair
Dyeing your entire hair will fill the gray hair with color, so this step is good if your gray hair reaches 40%.
- You can choose a semi-permanent hair dye that lasts a few weeks, or use a permanent hair dye that won't change until "new" hair grows.
- If you're trying to match your hair dye to your natural color, it might be a good idea to have a professional color your hair, as it's hard to predict how a homemade hair dye will react with your hair. But many people use hair dye as an opportunity to experiment with new hair colors.
- If you decide to dye your hair, avoid hair dyes that contain ammonia, as they can damage and dry out hair.
- Be careful, using this method will require a lot of care, as you will need to dye again (or at least add color at the roots) every time the hair grows.
Step 2. Create hair highlights
Hair highlights are another option for covering gray hair. Instead of dyeing your entire hair, select only a group of hairs that need to be colored, highlights will add texture and bring hair to life.
- Highlights can be very subtle, adding subtle color and shine to the hair, or highlights can be vivid and bold, adding variety and contrast.
- Highlights need to be done by a professional hair stylist and can be quite expensive. However, highlights tend to last longer than dyeing the entire hair.
Step 3. Try using henna
Henna is a natural hair dye. Henna does not contain chemicals and even improves the condition of the hair, leaving hair shiny and moisturized.
- Henna will give your hair a rich red color. The lighter your hair color (or the more gray you have) the lighter the red.
- Using Henna can be messy – because it is made from a kind of brick that needs to be melted, or in powder form that needs to be mixed with lemon juice or tea or coffee. The texture is like mud and needs to be left on the hair for a few hours for the color to settle into the hair.
- One thing to note is that chemical hair dyes cannot be used on hair that uses henna, so if you choose to use henna, you can only use henna for a short period of time!
Step 4. Experiment with other temporary solutions
If you're not ready to dye your hair, there are other temporary solutions to covering your gray hair.
- Use hair mascara. It looks just like the name suggests – mascara for hair! This is a good way to cover a strand of gray on the forehead or hairline. The mascara will last until you wash it.
- Use a root concealer (to hide the roots of your gray hair). Root concealer works like dry shampoo – it comes in an aerosol form and can be sprayed onto gray hair at the base of your hair, matching your natural hair color. The root concealer will disappear once you wash it.
- Use shampoos and conditioners that give hair color. Shampoos and conditioners that give hair color help color gray hair by imparting a color that is similar to your natural hair color. After washing your hair once with shampoo and conditioner that gives your hair its color, the color will last for three washes.
Step 5. Use a natural hair rinse
There are many ways to treat hair at home with a variety of liquid mixtures that can add color. Whether or not this method works is debatable, but you should definitely try!
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Rosemary and Sage:
Boil half a cup of rosemary and half a cup of sage in a large saucepan of water for 30 minutes. Strain the spices, then allow the water to cool. Once cool, pour water on your hair and scalp and let the hair dry naturally, then wash it using a natural shampoo. Repeat once a week.
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Gooseberries:
Boil some Indian gooseberries (also known as amla) in coconut oil until they turn black. Allow the solution to cool, then apply a thin layer to your hair and scalp, massaging with your fingers. Leave for 30 minutes, then rinse.
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Black walnuts:
Open some black walnuts and put them in a pot of water. Boil 15 minutes, then allow to cool. Remove the walnuts from the water, then rinse your hair with the water and let it dry naturally then wash it with shampoo. Repeat twice a week.
Step 6. Accept your gray hair as it is
Instead of trying to cover or get rid of your gray hair, just accept it! As long as you take good care of them, gray hair can look quite chic. Of course this will also save time and money.
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Haircut in a modern style.
Many women (and men) associate gray hair with looking old, but this is often due to an outdated haircut. Get a modern hairstyle from a professional stylist for a fresh look – styles like sharp bobs or blunt bangs can be tried. This will help keep your hair looking young.
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Keep hair smooth.
Gray hair tends to dry out and break easily, which makes you look older. Keep your hair looking sleek and moisturized using moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, using oil-based hair treatments (such as argan or coconut oil) and using a hair straightener (hair iron) to smooth out frizzy hair.
Method 3 of 3: Understanding Gray Hair
Step 1. Know that gray hair is mostly due to genetics
In fact, many people equate gray hair with aging, even though there is no specific age standard when a person should start having gray hair.
- Some people find their first gray hair when they are in their teens, while others don't get gray hair until middle age. Because the presence of gray hair is largely influenced by genetic factors, if your parents had gray hair at a young age, then you can be like that too.
- Race also matters. Most white people start to have gray hair at 35, Asians at 40 and blacks in their mid forties.
Step 2. Gray hair is not caused by stress
There is a misconception that gray hair is caused by stress, but there is no scientific evidence for this theory.
- In contrast, hair turns white when the color-producing cells in the hair root stop producing pigments such as Melanin (which gives hair its color).
- It is also said that the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide around the hair follicles can whiten hair color due to oxidative stress.
- However, stress has negative effects on your health (including possible hair loss) so reducing stress is a good idea.
Step 3. Check for other important conditions
Sometimes when a person's hair turns white too quickly, it is the result of an auto immune or genetic condition.
- Some specific conditions that are sometimes associated with gray hair are vitiligo (an abnormality of the thyroid) and anemia. Problems with the pituitary gland (gland under the brain) is also a factor.
- Therefore, if your hair is graying prematurely and you are experiencing other symptoms related to the conditions mentioned above, you should consult a doctor.
Tips
- Each week, apply natural oils to your hair for an hour, then wash your hair. This method keeps hair healthy naturally.
- Henna is better and healthier than hair dye, because it is made from plants and makes hair healthy, shiny and more voluminous.
- Enjoy yourself! Hair isn't everything in life, you have family and friends who will love you just the way you are!
- If you're not sure you can dye your own hair, go to a salon and leave it to the experts.
- When shampooing, try using a good conditioner after shampoo, it will make your hair shiny and healthy and reduce damage from coloring.
- If you choose to dye your hair, choose a natural hair color that matches your skin tone and style.
Warning
- Don't pluck your gray hair, this will make it worse! Gray hair will come twice and even more!
- Don't feel pressured, there is always a way out of the problem.
