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You may not see your gray hair as being something that is beautiful, but maybe that is because you have not seen all the possibilities. Gray hair can look downright gorgeous if you take care of your hair. All you have to do is know how to show it off to advantage.
Why You Should Show Off Your Gray
Gray hair is one of the latest attention-grabbing hair colors that you can see. Even though it is called “gray,” this name does include white, cream, silver, dark grays that seem almost black, and every shade in between.
Part of this change is all of the different shading techniques and shade options that you can use to dye your hair gray. All these options have made gray hair more of a style option instead of a last resort because you turn gray.
Gray hair can be quite stylish, and more actors, models, and other celebrities are proudly showing off their gray hair. Going in this gray hair trend can not only be a way to look a little more like your favorite star, but it can be a way to stand out of the crowd a little as well.
When you are going to work or are starting a new job, it can be useful to stand out a little. However, having pink or purple hair may not exactly look professional, though those colors would certainly stand out.
This is where gray hair fits perfectly. It is classy enough to look entirely professional, yet it can still help you to stand out. Gray hair is one of the only colors that can keep this balance between professional and noticeable.
It is true that it can get tiresome to fight with your gray roots if you are trying to avoid going gray. However, you should not feel as though you are forced to go gray. You should be looking forward to it. Still, knowing that you will eventually lose the war on your gray roots is a good reason to simply concede and let the grays win.
How To Care For Your Gray Hair
In order to truly show off your gray hair, the first step is to take care of it. Gray hair that is not taken care of will get dull, dingy, and scraggly. There are two main parts to caring for gray hair: protecting it from damage and pampering it.
Since gray hair is brittle, it is much more prone to damage of any and every kind. This includes damage from chemicals in hair products. Shampoo that strips your hair under normal circumstances will be worse for your gray hair.
Virtually anything that you know damages your hair is worse for gray hair. Straightening or curling your hair using heat, the chemicals that are in swimming pools, and more are all bad for gray hair. Even too much sunlight is bad for gray hair since it is the melanin’s job to protect your hair from UV rays.
Protect your hair by using heat protection if you need to use heat to style your hair. Rinse any chemicals out of your hair as soon as possible and try to go with hair products that are more natural. You can also strengthen your hair by making sure you get enough vitamins to keep your hair healthy.
As for pampering your hair, one of the key things that your gray hair needs is moisture. Since gray hair is sometimes porous, it can soak up more moisture. Therefore, it needs more moisture in the form of moisturizing shampoos and hair oils so that it can be shiny.
There are countless products that are made specifically for gray hair. These do an excellent job of moisturizing your hair. If you prefer DIY, you can also make your own hair mask as a way of moisturizing your hair.
How To Show Off Your Gray Hair
There are many ways to show off your gray hair. These range from simple things you can change in your routine to time-consuming things that take a bit more work. What you choose for your hair is entirely up to you, but it is helpful to know what they are.
First, if you are going to be showing off your gray hair, you do not want it to have an unsightly yellowing tint to it. If your hair was naturally blonde, this is more likely to happen. However, this off-white look is almost never flattering.
To combat this, there are shampoos and conditioners that have purple or blue colors. These give your hair a slight undertone that gets rid of any yellowish color. The result of this mild color infusion is that your hair looks cool and your gray looks crisp.
This should become part of your regular hair care routine, and it does not require you doing anything more than switching out your shampoo. Along with moisturizing your hair, this will help your hair to be shiny no matter what you do with it.
Moisturizing your hair will also help keep down any frizz since gray hair is more prone to frizz. Don’t use too much hair products though. Too much moisture makes your hair look greasy and in need of washing. Other hair products can make your hair look dusty and dull if you use too much of them too.
There are hair oils that are perfect for this; the purpose of them is to give your hair some shine. Usually, these oils often also help strengthen your hair while they are at it. Just be careful with the oils that you don’t apply too much.
Color And Highlights
Your natural gray can sometimes look perfect on you. Sometimes, though, you would look better if your hair was just a few shades lighter or darker. Hair that is one solid shade of gray can look classy but, more often, more than one shade of gray is even better.
Ombre coloring is one example that uses two different shades of gray. With the top section of your hair being one color and the bottom of your hair being a lighter color, you can create all sorts of effects. This change can be subtle or drastic.
Subtle changes in the shade of gray can look natural and can even have a shimmering effect. Drastic changes in color are more eye-catching and can be fun to experiment with. However, there are other color options too.
Highlights can be given in streaks that start at your roots. These can either run down the full length of your hair or go only part of the way down. When transitioning from your natural color to gray, these streaks can be particularly helpful.
Even if you have already fully gone gray, streaks of different shades of gray can seem to give your hair more volume. These streaks can be either darker or lighter than your regular hair, or they can be a different color entirely.
Gray hair that is nearly white, and white hair, is an excellent color to add colored streaks to. These can be temporary dyes that give you just a bit of a flair for that casual party you want to go to. Bright red, blue, purple, pink, or any other color can be chosen for this and can be coordinated to match whatever you plan on wearing.
Haircuts And Hairstyles
While color is certainly important, the way your hair is cut has an equally important effect on your hair. Just like with color, the options when it comes to the cut of your hair are almost limitless. For starters, you can go with either short or long hair.
Short hair is easy to care for, and it is a good way to stay cool. It is also less likely to need color added to it, and it will not matter as much if you are a little late on your regular hair trimming. Finally, if you get the right cut, short hair can look dainty and pixie-like.
A bob is another classy option for gray hair, and the straight line right across the bottom can seem to accent the color of your hair. Different kinds of bobs can be closer to your shoulders or near where your ears are.
Longer hair can make you look like royalty if you get the right cut for your gray hair. Depending on exactly how long you want your hair, you may be better off going with a haircut that is not straight across the bottom.
Hair cut straight across the bottom like a bob looks better if your hair is perfectly straight. Even so, since your hair grows at different rates, you will need to go in for trims more frequently with these hairstyles or your hair will start to look like you obviously have not had your hair cut in a while.
Layering your hair, even a little, can make your hair seem thicker. This is a great option you can take advantage of if your hair is thinner than it used to be, and it can be done on both short and long hair and for getting haircuts less often.
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Clothing And Makeup
The right clothing and accessories are truly what make or break your gray hair. What looked good on you when your hair was a different color will probably not look good on you when your hair is gray. This even includes the shades of makeup that you use.
Often when you really notice someone with gray hair, they are wearing something that is charcoal or another shade of gray. This color makes your gray hair even more striking and noticeable. While grays, blacks, and white are some of the best colors to wear, there are a lot more options that you can choose from.
Jewel colors can look fabulous with gray hair too. Ruby, sapphire, deep purple, and other deep colors are perfect options for clothing that can really pop with gray hair. The only colors you should really avoid are earth colors such as beige and certain light olive or yellow colors.
Those colors can make your complexion look sallow or sickly, not only with clothing but also with makeup. Your foundation color can probably stay the same, but powders can make your face seem too pale with light gray or white hair, so you should switch to a liquid or cream foundation.
Your blush may also need to be switched to more of a rose or peach if you usually use a blush that is more of a tawny color. Tawny shades of makeup can make your skin look almost muddy or brassy. Jewel colors are still a great option for makeup, just like they are for clothing.
Finally, when it comes to your complexion, you need to pay attention to your eyebrows. When your eyebrows turn white, they can get lost. You can help them not disappear by using a few pencil strokes around the edges.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, deciding to go gray does not mean that you can stop caring for your hair. You may not need to buy or apply hair colors if you like your natural shade of gray. However, as you can see, gray hair still needs time and care.
While it is true that gray hair can be dry and wiry, it does not have to be. Gray hair can look stunning and soft with the proper care. Still, seeing how lovely something can look on someone else and trying it on yourself can sometimes be quite a leap.
You may feel that you are too old to be “out there” if your hair is gray, but that is not true. In fact, it may surprise you to know that around 7 out of every 10 Americans agree that people with gray hair can still look sexy, so don’t worry about losing your appeal to the opposite sex.
If you feel that you are ready to make this change and to go gray, then you should first try to decide what you want. Look at pictures of what you might want for your color and haircut to get a good idea of what you are after.
However, before you actually make these changes, talk to a hairstylist or someone else. A hairstylist would have a much better idea than you what might look good on you. You may even want to at least consider getting your hair cut or going with a temporary dye first.
Just because you are eager to see the results, it does not mean that you have to jump in with both feet. While gray hair can be beautiful, it can still take some getting used to.
