Grey hair, does this mean I’m getting old?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately as the sands of time pass us by, sadly our hair gets thinner. A common misconception is that grey hair is coarser, but in fact grey hairs are usually finer in diameter. This is because oils glands tend to produce less sebum as you get older, which dries the hair giving you the appearance of coarseness.

To help promote healthy hair and a healthy scalp try to use a hair and scalp mask at least once a week. While there are many available on the market, such as exfoliating and intensive moisture treatments, you can make your own combined hair & scalp treatment at home if desired. The formula I will leave at the end of this article for you, should you wish to try it.

Grey hair is not always viewed in a positive light by the person that is sporting it. Sign of ageing and that youthfulness is leaving them behind are common thoughts and comments that I hear. People can often be as unsure how to describe their changing hair colour as they are in how to hide, flaunt or care for it.

With grey hair being the stereotypical antithesis of a youthful appearance it creates an edgy look. By playing with the usual associations of grey hair with older age, it suggests attitudes to grey hair can shift for women, since men already have the positive image of natural grey tresses in the label “silver-fox”.

By the age of 30 most of us will have a few grey hairs and by 50 at least half of your hair will normally have turned grey.

The grey hair so many of us try and cover up is in fact a combination of normally pigmented hairs interspersed with white ones, which have no pigment. It is genetics, nutritional and hormonal factors that most influence the arrival of grey hairs. And we can all take comfort in that it is, ultimately, an ageing inevitability that happens naturally to everyone.

There are many grey areas about greying hair, and a whole host of hair myths. Firstly is the debate as to whether vitamin B and stress levels have great influence over what can be a sensitive issue- greying hair. It is thought that grey hair is due to a lack of vitamin B- and it is know that a lack of vitamin B can be caused by stress. It was this perhaps that led John Freida to coin the term GHOSTS (grey haired over stressed twenty somethings).

In some experiments with black rats it has been shown that deprived of vitamin B their hair turns white, with vitamin B taken in large doses then reversing the greying effect. It has not been proven in humans, but anecdotal evidence suggests that large doses of the B vitamins may slow down greying, but not reverse it.

Another of the key mysteries is as to whether pulling out a grey hair will cause more to sprout in their place. Fear not -this is just a hair myth.  When you pull out a grey hair, two do not grow in its place. As the number of hairs in each follicle is genetically determined and pulling out stubborn greys won’t increase that number. However, it is far from advisable as if you pull out the same strand repeatedly you can damage the roots.

This also leads on to another popular myth: that grey hair is coarser, when in fact grey hair tends to be finer. It may be drier which gives the impression on being coarser, though it is usually finer since hair gets finer as we get older. Also, we often pull out our first few grey hairs in an attempt to remove the signs of ageing, and this constant pulling can distort the hair follicle, which can give the appearance of being coarser too.

I suggest you use both a scalp and hair mask at least once a week to help promote healthy hair and a healthy scalp. While there are many available on the market, such as our Stimulating and Exfoliating scalp masks and Wheat  treatment, you can make your own combined hair & scalp treatment at home if desired.

 

Mix together:

2 eggs

2 half eggshells of witchhazel

Half an eggshell of vodka

 

Apply the liquid liberally to your scalp and all through your hairs’ length. Massage gently and thoroughly for ten minutes and then wash off with the correct shampoo and conditioner for your hair texture. Although this is effective, individual hair and scalp masks will give an even better result. The astringent (witch hazel) makes the scalp tissue a little firmer, so that it doesn’t secrete too much sebum or sweat. The egg contains fats & proteins (lecithin) which help to moisturise the hair, and vodka is a scalp stimulant (when used externally!) Enjoy!