As we get older, our scalps produce less oil and – as a result – gray hair may seem drier… though gray hair is finer than colored hair. Finer hair just means the diameter of the hair is thin as the result of a narrow follicle. Gray hair is also more fragile and prone to breakage than when it had pigment.
Your Hair May Look Thinner
So when you stop coloring your hair, you may see a decrease both in actual volume, and in the appearance of body and thickness.
Contributing causes for grey and thinning hair however include (but are not limited to) excessive stress, constant tension on the hair follicles, smoking, certain medical conditions and surgeries, vitiligo, nutritional deficiencies and anaemia, childbirth and some medications.
Gray hairs are thicker and wirier, so your hair gets coarser as they multiply. You can't do anything to stop graying -- it's something you inherit. But you can tame gray hair with a good hairstyle and special care.
Your scalp health will improve.
"Letting your hair go gray is an effective way to avoid exposing your scalp to toxic ingredients of hair dyes," says Monica Davis, a professional hairstylist and founder of Hair Scream. Instead, your scalp will be calm and free of any rouge dye stains.
Typically, white people start going gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and Blacks in their mid-40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.
Seeing a visible scalp is often a sign of fine hair, and genetics can be the primary cause for this type of hair loss. However, other common causes of thinning hair include stress, hormone imbalances, certain medications, illness or infections and malnutrition.
Copper and iron deficiency also can cause graying of hair. A study reported significantly lower levels of copper in patients with PGH when compared to the control group. The study, however, did not report lower levels of zinc or iron in the affected population.
Scientists still don't know why some people turn gray early, late, or not at all, although they suspect genes, nutrients and possibly the immune system play a role in depleting melanocyte stem cells.
Gray hair comes down to melanin, or rather the lack of melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives hair its color. Gray hair has reduced melanin, while white hair completely lacks it. This occurs because of a gradual decline in the number of stem cells that mature to become melanin-producing cells.
Gray hair is actually finer than colored hair, but it may seem drier because our scalps produce less oil as we get older. Another reason it could seem more rough? "Your hair may also 'feel' coarser if you pull out your first few grey hairs," says Philip Kingsley trichologist Glenn Lyons.
"Dark colors recede and make your face seem slimmer," he says. The ombre trick works best with deeper brunette shades, so consider dyeing your hair darker if it's naturally light, he adds.
Don't assume that grey hair makes you look older
Hair naturally loses pigment as we age, but stylist Paul Falltrick points out that the notion that grey hair makes you look older is increasingly becoming a misnomer: "Grey shades can be stereotyped as ageing, but a clean-looking grey is stunning" he says.
If you are a natural brunette, you'll want to blend your greys with darker lowlights. For natural blondes, you should add highlights and lowlights ranging from pearl to medium blonde. And if you are a natural redhead, a range of brown and blonde highlights and lowlights will enhance your grey locks best.
Why Is My Hair So Flat With No Volume? Flat hair is often the result of hair that has been weighed down, as buildup in the form of product residue, dirt, excess oil, and other impurities can pull and flatten your strands over time.
Always Use a 20 Volume Developer
Gray hair tends to be resistant and typically takes longer to grab hold of the hair. Since there is no pigment, there is no need to lift. You just need to open the cuticle enough to deposit the color.
Darker colours tend to add more depth and dimension to the hair, which can make it look fuller and thicker. If you have very fair skin, you may want to avoid going too dark, as it can make you look washed out. Some of the best hair colours for thin hair include chocolate brown, auburn, mahogany, and black.
Stacked bobs, pixie cuts, crop cuts, and soft shags are popular haircuts for women over 50 with thin hair. These stylish cuts add volume and have a timeless appeal. Should fine or thin hair be layered? Soft and subtle layers can add volume to thin hair, especially if your hair is fine but thick.
Your hair follicles produce less color as they age, so when hair goes through its natural cycle of dying and being regenerated, it's more likely to grow in as gray beginning after age 35. Genetics can play a role in when this starts.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.