In the article, we shall discuss all things grey… excluding Christian! Grey or white hair is actually a colourless hair with no pigment. Once there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle the strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become more transparent in colour. People can get grey hair at any age! That’s right ladies it is not and we repeat NOT a sign of ageing. When you’re born your genes are hardwired and included in this hardwiring is when and how your hair will turn grey. People that go grey before the age of 30 usually do so because it runs in the family. For the rest of us, we can usually expect to go grey from middle age. Race can also determine when you are likely to turn grey. In general Caucasians grey in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s and African Americans in their 40s. Plucking one grey hair will not cause 3 to grow in its place! Phew! Thankfully this old wives tale is just a myth. Each hair follicle can contain only one hair so plucking it will not make it able to produce multiple hairs. That being said excessive plucking is not a good idea, as it can damage the follicle and even stop producing the hair altogether.
Smoking may cause you to go prematurely grey. According to multiple studies, smoking has been linked to premature ageing. Which includes early greying. Studies found that smokers were 2 and a half times more prone to premature greying than those who do not smoke.
Being a hair colourist for over 15 years, grey hair is a huge part of my every day. Not only on my clients but on my own head and beard since around my mid-20s. Now we have cleared up the facts and myths about grey hair here are just a few pieces of advice and general ideas to tackle those greys, ensuring the best possible cause of action based on lifestyle, budget and desired looks.
One of the biggest problems colourists can face is the instant panic of a client as soon as they discover a few grey hairs. This can result in people choosing a high maintenance colour all
over and in many cases a much lighter colour that may not even suit to blend those “pesky white hairs”. My best advice would be this… choose your colour based on the majority and not the minority of hair. By this we mean for example if you have 95% mid-brown hair, choosing a light all over colour so the greys cannot be seen as easily may hide those hairs. But they will give the 95% of dark hair a much harsher regrowth that will need maintaining much more frequently than a few grey hairs would. Remember you will see those few whites but the majority of people would see your dark roots.
Semi-permanent colour fades out as you wash your hair. It’s a great introduction to colour grey hairs and it will colour but not cover. The semi is great if you only have 20%-30% white hair.
Demi-permanent is perfect for those clients that are looking for slightly more coverage than a semi. But still, require the shine and finish of a gloss product. This product will last much longer than
a semi and depending on manufacturer can cover up to around 70% of grey hairs. Great if you’re looking for a good amount of coverage with slightly less commitment. Also, much easier to
remove than permanent. So it’s great for those that like to change their colour often.
Permanent is the go-to choice for the majority of people with grey hair. People often jump straight to this product without trying the previous 2 options. Testing the coverage and results
of the semi and demi until they each no longer provide enough coverage is a better way to progress through the products rather than jump to permanent coverage as this is permanent which
requires regular upkeep and grows out with no blend. This however provides 100% coverage so it is great for those that can’t bear to look at those pesky whites. As with all those previous
colour types, the manufacturer results will vary so always check with your colourist before choosing a colour type.
This could be the change that makes your life so much easier. When people first discover grey often at the temples the immediate action is usually to apply an all over colour one global application to remove the grey. Utilising your colourists knowledge and skill could result in creating a bespoke partial technique only colouring a specific area where the grey is. This can result in both cost effective and fashion-forward results.
The possibilities are endless but if highlighting hair with an even spread of grey not applying a root colour in-between can help to blend any white left behind and not create a harsh grey regrowth which can often look worse as it grows and cost you more. With so many techniques and colour options to choose from it can be very overwhelming. Hopefully, this small guide will help to provide a fresh outlook with regards to grey and going grey hair. But more importantly, enable you to make a more educated decision to suit individual needs. And if after all this information
you still dread seeing those greys then fear not… the market is now saturated with cover-up sprays to get you through to your next appointment.
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