How to Revive Thin, Gray, and Out of Control Hair

Gray hair is just one of many changes within our bodies as we age. However, with the color change comes a few other undesirable effects like dry, brittle, or dull hair. Here are a few tips to help revive aging hair.

Try Dye for Gray Hair

The most obvious solution for reviving, or in this case, hiding gray hair is to dye it. Some products allow for full coverage, while others focus on the roots and stubborn gray strands. Moreover, eco-friendly and salon-quality brands are available at almost every grocery store, local, or chain.

Read More: These 21 Women Who Ditched Hair Dye Are Inspiring People Everywhere to Rock Their Gray

Blending Dye Job

Blending can be another great way to make gray hair appear healthier and more vibrant, but should only be handled by trained professionals. Essentially, a colorist will add lighter and darker shades to your hair, “blending in” the gray strands. However, this method only works for people with at least 25% gray hair.

Add Color to Gray Hair

Another fun way to revive dull or gray hair is to dye it with bright, bold colors. Women love experimenting with their hair; it gives them a nice change when life feels stale. It gives them something else to focus on after a bad breakup. Lastly, it’s a fun way for people to express themselves. However, anyone with dark hair must expose it to a damaging bleaching process. Alternatively, gray hair is perfect for absorbing bright color pigments and showing them off without harsh treatments.

Tame Gray Hair

Coarse, frizzy hair is a pain to maintain, particularly as it becomes gray hair. “Gray hairs sometimes grow in coarser, which can make hair look frizzy and untamed,” explains Renee Cohen, a senior stylist at Blandi Salon at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. A great way to combat this is a keratin treatment, a protein prized for making hair shiny and silky-smooth. Be sure the treatment is formaldehyde-free, or check with the salon. Note that the treatment can cost a few hundred dollars, but the results will last for months.

Store Bought Treatments

The shelves at Target, for example, are lined with countless beauty products, many for hair. As such, in place of a costly keratine treatment or to supplement it, use an anti-humidity/anti-frizz spray or serum with heat-activated polymers. “They repel moisture in the air,” Cohen says, “and if hair doesn’t absorb that moisture, it gets less frizzy.” Note these products will also work well for curly hair.

Special Shampoo

Purple Shampoo is another product that revives the appearance of dull gray hair. Using this a couple of times weekly will remove any brassy or yellow undertones and “keep gray or white hair looking vibrant,” Cohen said.  

Read More: Study Links Gray Hair With Immune System Activity And Viral Infection

Thinning Gray Hair

Our hair begins to thin as we age, which can mean endless bad hair days. However, products like volumizing shampoos and conditioners can help add volume and texture, making hair temporarily appear fuller. Furthermore, leave-in hair products like a “dry texturizing spray will add thickness and makes hair look temporarily fuller,” according to Cohen.

Over the Counter Help

Some over-the-counter treatments can help slow hair loss or stimulate new growth, if not both. For example, a 2017 study found topical minoxidil to increase fullness “by about 15 hairs per square centimeter for men and about 12 hairs per square centimeter for women.”

Moreover, certain supplements can aid with healthier hair, skin, and nails.

Gray Hair and Age

It’s well-known that gray hair comes from age. However, few people realize it’s new hair growth, rather than “turning” gray. It’s a loss of pigment in hair follicles, that comes with aging. “Many changes men and women see in their hair are thought to be the result of reduced activity of the stem cells in the hair follicle. As we get older, those stem cells [which replenish tissues throughout the body] don’t function as well or as quickly as they used to.” Says expert Neelam Vashi.

Not Just Age

Neelam Vashi is a dermatologist and the director of the Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Center at Boston Medical Center. Vashi and Cohen agree, that aging isn’t the only factor that causes gray hair. According to Vashi the Sun “can degrade proteins in the hair and also lead to changes that affect the texture of new strands.”  

Other factors include:

• Environmental- harsh chemicals and fumes from vehicles, for example.
• Stress
• Certain conditions of disorders
• Hormonal Shifts

Gray hair is difficult to maintain but can be done with the help of certain treatments, in addition to a proper diet. Vitamin-rich foods help our bodies maintain overall health. As a result, taking good care of our bodies promotes healthy hair, bones, nails, skin, and teeth and ensures things run as smoothly as possible.

Read More: Why Your Hair Might Be Turning Gray at a Young Age