About grey hair

It is possible to start going grey at a relatively young age during your teenage years but, more usually first grey hairs may start to appear from your mid 20's. Certainly by your mid 30's you may feel the need to consider covering the grey and by your 40's you will, in all likelihood be doing just that. If you are contemplating colouring you hair to disguise the grey, then start as soon as possible before you are tempted to pull them out!

Grey hair has a different texture to non-grey hairs. This makes colouring, and indeed styling, more difficult. As a rule, frizzy/grey hairs are harder to colour but it can be done successfully.

NEVER be tempted to pull out even a single grey hair. Whilst it can be so tempting, if you succumb you can actually traumatise the roots by doing this and you will either encourage the hair to grow through thicker and coarser, or not at all! It is a myth that pulling out a grey hair will cause two to grow in its place but root trauma is not and baldness (traumatic alopecia) is very common!

• Going grey happens to almost everyone and is not an indicator of poor health or impending old age.
• Adapt your style to camouflage grey hair growth at the temples.
• The change in the texture of grey hairs is normal but this can be improved with better colouring formulæ.
• Start colouring before is becomes noticeable and don't go darker than your natural colour if you want to avoid added re-growth problems.
• At first try to colour just those more obvious greying areas as this is less hassle and saves you time.

Salon or home?

Millions of women have enjoyed success in colouring their hair at home for many years! You may just want to match greying hair with your natural base colour. Alternatively you may want to use the greying strands to add coloured texture or naturally occurring low lights. If you know what is easy and what is not, you will be able to decide whether home hair colouring is for you, bearing in mind your budget and time constraints.

Home hair colouring - 4 golden rules

1. If you really do not want to damage your hair at all, be aware that peroxide, whilst an effective hair lightener, is harmful. You may just need a permanent non-lightening colour which is effective on greying hair. "Water Colour" is the only non-peroxide, non-ammonia permanent colour for greying hair, This product is harmless! So, unless you do want to go lighter, never use any colorant which contains either ammonia or peroxide!

2. All peroxide based colorants claim their product has "special conditioners and benefits". In reality the cosmetic shine created by colorants is merely that, cosmetic! This false sheen lasts for up to 2 weeks and thereafter you are left with hair that is structurally damaged to some degree.

3. Your skin tone becomes paler as you age. Be aware of this if you choose a colour that is more than one shade darker than your natural colour.

4. Be subtle with colouring and keep it as close as possible to your natural base shade.