Grey hair is often seen as a sign of ageing, whilst that’s true it’s not always the case however, it does bring on a sense of dread for many, both male and female.
In our very visual world, where everything is about being young and beautiful, any sign of ageing almost equates you to invisibility. Who wants to be invisible?
This mindset has led many women and men who experience greying, to head for that box of hair dye. The thing about hair dye is, they are laced with certain chemicals that only make the problem worse, resulting in, you guessed it, more grey hair.
I remember when I found my first grey hair, I was in my early 30s, I felt young and vibrant but here comes this intruder, how dare my body betray me like that! I panicked and did the most logical thing to me at the time and plucked it out. At that moment, I associated one grey hair with being old and invisible.
Fast forward a few years and a few more have sprung up. I have since embraced them because I realised they weren’t going anywhere and my self worth is not tied to the opinions of others.
I have experienced many friends and family who start colouring their hair when they see a few greys, then end up with a head full of grey hairs a short time later.
Causes of Grey Hair
Greying, or hair whitening, typically starts off around age 35-40 for most people. Some people may start seeing hair whitening sooner, which is classed as premature greying.
The hair starts greying when there’s a lack of melanin production. Grey hair can be caused by genetics, diet, physical health and stress.
Can You Stop Hair Greying?
There are many products touted to reverse or stop greying. Whilst there are things you can do to slow down the greying process, they may only work in specific circumstances but most won’t work at all.
If you are experiencing grey hair and it is genetic, there is almost nothing that can stop that process. Greying caused by stress may revert if the stress is no longer a factor, thus when that grey hair falls out, the new growth will return to its normal colour.
Colouring Grey Hair
Colouring grey hair is always a temporary fix because hair is constantly growing. If you have fast growing hair, you will need to use the colouring products more often, and they can breed a very toxic environment on your scalp.
Whilst I don’t advocate hair colouring – because of how damaging it can be to the hair and scalp – if you’re adamant grey hair is not for you, then I would recommend using a competent professional. Hair colouring is an art and you need an artist to help maintain the integrity of your hair.
The thing is, hair dye needs to penetrate the hair, so it is made using potent chemicals to achieve this. Similar to a perm, these chemicals need to be neutralised once the hair reaches its desired colour, otherwise the chemicals will keep working, eating through the hair strand. This then leads to severe damage and even hair loss.
A hair colour professional will not only know the best way to hide or reform the grey hair, they can also give you the best tips on caring for your colour treated hair.
Embracing Self
Let’s talk a little about feeling invisible when we get older. It’s easy to feel that way because we don’t command attention like we did when we were younger. Let’s be honest though, some of that attention was as worthless as a dead leaf in winter.
We may feel sad if we value the opinions of others above our own. You know you’re not old, so why are you allowing others to dictate what or who you are or how you feel? Isn’t it your job to live your own life in the best way possible? Isn’t that why you’re here?
For inspiration, I have included some fabulous queens rocking their grey hair, unapologetically.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
This is just a small sample of women around the world who are embracing their natural colour and loving every minute of it. Are you bold enough to shirk the outdated opinions of society and rock your natural colour? Tag us on Facebook or Instagram, we would love to see you stand in your beauty.
Until next time,
Be Great x
Photos source: Pinterest and Instagram