How to Care for Grey Hair

The changing colour of our hair is the most obvious sign of aging. As we get older our hair begins to produce less melanin, the same melanin that gives our skin its colour. This causes our hair to become grey. Grey hair can appear at any age. It's not always a sign of aging, it's caused by a reduction of pigment (grey hair) or a complete loss of pigment (white hair), and the reason it happens is not fully understood.

Aging also affects our hair in other ways. As we age our hair is prone to becoming drier, and so requires more moisture than ever before. Older hair also loses some of its elasticity and the texture changes. Some women will notice that their hair becomes thinner and lacks life, for others it appears dry and coarse. This happens because as we age, the size of the hair follicles diminish and hair growth slows. As a result there is not so much new growth to replace what we lose.

Sebum (oil produced naturally by our skin) diminishes as our body ages, and so our hair, therefore, loses its natural shine and smoothness. Plus, during the menopause our making of keratin slows. This protein fibre is vital to keeping our hair healthy and strong. For all you guys, there is the subject of going bald, thinning hair and coarse hair, especially the facial hair. Opt for the right type of hair colour to disguise your grey hair, but don't go more than a couple of shades darker or lighter than your own hair colour. If you use a dark colour it can accentuate a dull complexion.

Lowlights or highlights can conceal any grey you want to disguise by merging them into the rest of your head of hair. The same with hair colourants, stay away from going more than a couple of shades lighter than your own hair colour. That way you will not end up appearing older than you really are. Grey hair can appear yellow or greenish on many people. If you fancy keeping your grey hair, opt for using a hair shampoo and conditioner that is made especially for grey hair. To counteract the yellow colour and leave your hair shiny and good-looking, why not use a greying shampoo that has a violet base colour, instead of your everyday shampoo.

Moisturizing (conditioning) is a must for older hair. Use a weekly deep conditioning treatment - recommended for aging hair. This will help to maintain the moisture levels in your hair. With aging your hair loses its elasticity and this makes it harder to style, so try using a protein treatment at least once a month to help your hair along. For men and women, thinning hair can be given a more voluminous appearance by using volumizing products such as conditioners and mousses.