Senior Beauty Care for Gray Hair
How can you use your gray to enhance your beauty? How do you care for senior gray hair?
Many seniors wish that their gray hair would be seen as a sign of wisdom and experience. Gray hair indicates a person who has successfully traveled through Life. It is a badge of honor!
Why Does Hair Go Gray?
There is so much more to hair than meets the eyes.
In a developing embryo, hair follicles are formed out of the epidermis skin cells. The cells that give color to the hair are called pigment cells. Pigment cells are similar in build to neurons. Neurons are very sensitive to changes in the health of cells. The result of so-called ‘stress’ of aging, pollution or socio-psychological stress means a change in the pigmentation properties. Thus, R.K. Finch discovered in an interview with Professor Des Tobin, of the University of Bradford, UK, Professor of Cell Biology and Director for Skin Sciences.
Initially, hair color is fixed by the dominant color gene. With time, the melanin in the cells gets cut off to individual follicles. Then the pigment supply to that follicle gets weaker and then stops. As long as there is some pigment, the hair is gray and when there is no more pigment, that hair is white, even though it continues to grow.
The process of going gray is gradual, usually. For most people graying begins in their 30’s or 40’s. Normal hairs fall out, but when hair grows back, it does so in ‘recovery’ state. Following ‘stress’ it grows back gray, or white. A follicle that has switched to growing gray or white hairs will not go back to growing colored hairs.
To Dye Your Hair? Which Shade?
As a response to going gray, many people opt to use dye, to camouflage the gray stands completely. Tricia Cusden at Look Fabulous Forever feels that it is a shame to be ashamed of gray hair – why “reinforce the ageist belief that gray hair is to be avoided or at the least postponed for as long as possible”, she asks. People can embrace their age and their grayness and look really good too! A splash of make up on a senior face, crowned by any color hair will always bring out a woman’s beauty.
If you do choose to dye there are ways to go for it that will make you look good. Three approaches follow:
One: The Natural Approach
Let nature take its course and observe the results. Some ladies naturally sport a dashing ‘badger streak’ of white in the center forefront of the hair towards the back, which can look quite dashing. Other ladies may have a lighter ‘frame’ in front of darker hair which brings out their facial skin in a contrast.
Before you slap on the dye, see what your body has to offer and if there is something in it that sparks off your sense of individuality.
Two: Coordinating Make Up to Hair Color or Skin Tone
If you dye your hair, match your make up to your skin.
Warm skin colors – such as olive skin, or moderate brown – will look better with warm hair colors. So if you choose to dye your hair to match or choose to dye your hair to go gray, remember to use make up that will make up for the fading of the skin tone, but don’t try and match the hair.
Cool pale skin tones – fair or porcelain – icy grays for the hair will look good with cool skin colors. But don’t look washed out, remember to add some color to your face with essential eye make up, lipstick and blusher.
Three: Color Hair while the Change Occurs, then, Embrace the Gray
Some opt to use hair dye for a while because they are not ready for the gray look. You would need to seek advice from a colorist to know which color to choose to dye in the first place, and a stylist and a colorist to slowly transition from the dye to a gray.
At that point, you might want to choose a dye color that is a bit lighter than you need, which will wash out gradually(semi-permanent color) so that the different shades at the roots will not stand out so much.
Keeping the hair short just at that transition point, would help to minimize the number of hair shades you sport at one time.
Trimming your hair every 6 weeks and use of professional color streaks will help take attention away from the dual-colored hair as you grow out permanent dye.
How to Care for Senior Gray Hair
Since the follicles that produce gray hair are thinner, the hair itself is thinner too. Gray hair can feel dry and coarse if it doesn’t have protection from water, sun rays and other elements of the weather, chemicals and heat styling.
Is it possible to hydrate the hair? Absolutely. Any gray-haired person can use hair moisture treatments and special hair oils to put life back into dry gray hair. When gray hair goes yellowish from light-exposure, a stylist can help to tint or re-balance the gray to a shade that you like better.
Beauty Tips for the Young at Heart
- To hide and build up gray wispy hair wear a sporty headband
- Part your hair where there is less gray or less white
- Wear an up-do to hide root colors
- Have your hair cut in a really stylish way, short or layers
- Investigate stylish shades of gray at hairstylecamp.com choose from Silver Fox, Pretty Platinum, a little Ashy, Pewter….
- Have a look at this HairAdvisor article – 50 Best-Looking Hairstyles for Women over 70
The Beautiful Conclusion:
It is not the color of your hair alone that determines whether you look beautiful.
Nor whether you feel good about the way you look!
Your complete approach to your appearance is what will decide that. Clever use of colors in your choice of clothing can hide or bring out aspects of your hair, accessories or make up.
Care for senior gray hair should be a part of your life which you can enjoy! Use of senior beauty treatments can allow you to enjoy your beauty as you shoot past the generational sign-posts!
Original Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash