Amongst all the other lifestyle changes that COVID-19 has made people think about, one of the choices is to go natural with their hair.
Do you still dye your hair?
Have you ever considered letting your hair grow out into its natural colour?
With the lockdown situation of the opening and closing of salons, work from home and self-home quarantine, dressing down has been a welcome break for many.
For years, covering up even the slightest hint of silver has been the norm for millions, but now there is a generation of middle-aged adults who are choosing to embrace their natural hair colour.
Let’s understand the how’s and why’s of greying hair —
Daniel Lynes, lead stylist DOVE — “Our hair colour is dependent on how much melanin each hair strand has, as we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles, which make melanin, gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent colour as it grows – like grey, silver or white. The reason the shade of grey varies between each person is because it depends on how much melanin that person’s hair follicle has. Grey hairs occur when there is some still natural colour left in the hair. Once this colour has completely gone, the hair will turn white.”
A team of European researchers has found that going grey can be due to a development of “massive oxidative stress’ an accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, as we all know hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, so this build up of hydrogen peroxide causes greying. The research team has found a remedy for this build up, a treatment called PC-KUS, a topical UVB- activated compound. It reverses or even halts greying.
The Columbia University directly links stress with greying hair — We often hear that the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, mitochondria are actually like little antennas inside the cell that respond to a number of different signals which include psychological stress.
Just as the rings in a tree trunk hold information about past decades in the life of a tree, our hair contains information about our biological history.
In middle age, when hair is near that threshold because of biological age and other factors, stress will push it over the threshold and transition it to grey.
Once you are over strolling down the aisles of boxes of hair dye saying “100 percent grey coverage” wherever you are on the spectrum of salt and pepper, grey silver or white. The end result everyone is looking for — shinny locks, strong and healthy silver strands.
Looking after your crowning glory can be cumbersome but if your hair is right you feel right too.
Let the transition be gradual — Our genes mainly determine greying, so at whatever age you decide to go grey, transition gradually, speak to your hairdresser who may advice adding highlights to break the darker tones. Its personal and what works best for you.
Hold the moisture — Silver hair can become dry and wiry as it does not hold moisture. Use high quality products to suit your hair type.
If you have fine, limp looking hair, go in for light voluminising products to give your hair extra life and bounce.
If you have medium coarse hair, use an oil-based conditioning system for a natural soft, sleek, smooth look.
Neutralize tones — Sometimes grey hair has a tone of yellow, especially if you have used mehndi to colour your hair, get rid of the yellow by using violet toning products.
Scalp care — Many of us neglect our scalp by lathering up and rinsing off the shampoo too quickly. Instead gently massage your scalp, I repeat ‘gently’ no rough scrub needed, I am a victim of ‘dhobi Ghat’ hair wash and have slowly made the switch to gentle massage. Gentle massage exfoliates the scalp without damaging hair.
Sarah Harris, deputy editor VOGUE who went grey at a tender age of sixteen and her silver locks cascade down to her waist — “ I never really considered dying my hair, my mother spent years dying hers and I remember her six-weekly trips to the hairdresser for touch-ups, it was a commitment that I never wanted to embrace. I think it’s so empowering to finally see more and more women of every age embrace their grey hair, but I can understand the nervousness around it in a society that’s largely obsessed with looking young.”
Something to ponder over —
Have you embraced your grey?
Are you taking special care by using the right products?
At what point do you want to stop dyeing your hair and allow the grey to grow out? After you leave the workforce? Or are you considering it while you are still working?
When do you think you will make that decision?
If you have already embraced your new look, did you notice a difference in the way you are treated socially?
Though we are all constrained by society’s norms and expectations when it comes to appearance, expectations are more rigorous for women. Women are constantly battling to remain forever youthful and retain their status of being competent and pleasant looking. All this is being compensated by use of beauty products and treatments.
Men also have their vanity to uphold. The trend is opting for the salt-pepper clean-shaven look. The transition is gradual from more pepper less salt to more salt less pepper. Some how they get away with both looks at any age.
So lets be clear, embracing grey isn’t the same as embracing looking old.
Make well thought out decisions on your new look new attitude.
