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What to Do about the First Gray Hair

woman highlights hair to cover up gray

As the saying goes, in the place of one ripped out white hair seven new ones will grow. Apparently, ripping out de-pigmented hair is not a viable solution. Besides, modern coloring techniques make it easy to get rid of gray hair

first grey hair

A lot can be done to hide the first gray hair, such as tinting, coloring and highlighting your hair

Genetic factors determine when the body starts shutting down the hair pigment production. Some people find first white hairs on their head at age 20, others keep their original hair color until old age.

Scientists are trying hard to find out why hair turns gray and whether stress plays a role in the process. In rare cases, disease or drug therapies may accelerate the graying of human hair.

With the right tinting solution your first white hairs may be your last

A few stray white hairs can look pretty in ash blonde hair. In contrast, in darker pigmented hair stray white hairs may result in a not so appealing salt-and-pepper look. White hair strikes the eye more if it shows up in thick white strands. We are going to teach you the art of gentle defence against graying hair.

Seven Tips: Getting Rid of the First Gray Hair

  • Blondes don’t have much reason to worry about the first white hairs because they are barely noticeable. As long as the white hairs are few and far between, streaks and tinting rinses will keep the graying in check
  • Streaks in several shades of ash blonde are the best solution for more substantial strands of white in blonde hair. This suppresses a possible yellow tinge and does not lead to conspicuous new growth near the roots. With this method the need for color touch-ups is limited
  • Re-pigmentation treatments help to re-establish the natural color in originally medium blonde or brown hair. In these treatments, precursors of hair pigments fill the pigment gaps in white hair and help restore the natural hair color. Unfortunately, re-pigmentation treatments do not achieve good results for originally light blonde, red or black hair
  • Generally, intensive tinting covers up to half of the gray hairs. Keep in mind that the white hair adsorbs more artificial pigments than the still naturally pigmented hair. To achieve a medium brown hair color you should therefore start experimenting with a dark blonde tinting application. Shampooing quickly fades the results of intensive tinting, thus making it possible to use intensive tinting as a means to slowly approach the desired darker hair color
  • For completely gray hair we recommend coloring the entire hair in a shade, which is just a tad lighter than your original hair color at a younger age. This produces a harmonious look and avoids hard color differences at the roots
  • Products for home use are very convenient. You can use one of the new ammonia-free foam formulas if you are not too sure about using tinting applications. These foam applications make hair coloring simple, and even beginners and women with gray hair are able to achieve very good results
  • You need individualized hair care if the used coloring agents do not cover the white portion of your hair. Shampoos and conditioners for color-treated white or platinum blonde hair give hair a cool luster and prevent a yellow tinge
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