Should I Color My Gray Hair?

Gray hair is distinguished. Makes you look wise.

Ya right!

Some people can pull off the beautiful snow white locks look. It all depends on your age, original hair color and overall appearance.Not everyone is so fortunate to gray beautifully and gracefully.

Some people gray into a mousy off gray color. Or their gray turns salt and pepper with shades of gray varying from white to steel gray.Spotty gray patches usually start at the temple area and leave the back of your hair dark.

A good way to judge how you are going to gray and how early is to look at your parents and see how much gray they had at your age and how they grayed through the years.Chances are you'll take after one of them!

Coloring gray all over can bring you to a whole world of maintenance you may not be ready for.If you have a family history of heavy graying early (under 40) then stay away from all over color.

Your looking at eventually having to color your roots every 4 to 6 weeks to hide those unsightly roots from screaming " IM TRYING TO NOT LOOK OLD!"

Some great alternatives to all over color!

Lowlights: Pulling darker color through in the same manner as highlights can lessen the amount of grays while leaving some here and there.This helps buffer the line of demarcation (regrowth line) so you can go longer between colorings.This is also alot easier to grow out if you decide to let the gray do it's thing.

Streak It: If you have your natural color on the majority of your hair, but seem to be graying up top, take a tip from Stacey London and leave a gray streak! This says "Im not hiding the gray, I'm proud of it" Use your gray to accessorize and look classy, not old and haggered.

Demi Permanent Color: Demi permanent color will not give you 100 % gray coverage.It will blend the gray hair into your natural color making them look like natural sun kissed highlights. Demi permanent color lasts 4 to 6 weeks and eventually fades back to your natural color.If you go with permanent color your going to be in every 4 to 6 weeks for touch ups anyway.With demi permanent your not rushing in because you look like hell, you can go au naturale for a week or two if you cant get in for an appointment.

Semi Permanent Color: Again not gray coverage but gray blending.Lasts 4 to 6 shampoos and will just buffer the look of gray for special occasions without any commitment.

If you do decide your finally ready for going gray and want out of the commitment you made when you colored your hair, use the same techniques to grow your natural color out gracefully.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when coloring their hair to hide gray is coloring it too dark. Go for a lighter shade instead of your original hair color. A softer color looks more gentle against aging skin.Darker colors can look harsh and accentuate dark circles and wrinkles.Also a lighter shade will blend easier with regrowth leaving less of a line of demarcation.

Another problem with coloring gray hair is that gray hair has no underlying pigment to blend with the artificial hair color. This can cause color to look flat and lifeless.Natural hair colors are made of different shades of the same color.One flat color all over on any hair doesn't look natural.Shades of brown or blonde that are similar blended into your hair will give you the softest most natural looking color.Put the lighter shades where your hair would naturally be lightened by the sun like toward your face and on the top layer of the hair.

If your comfortable with having gray hair then by all means, let it go and be proud of it!

But if your gray makes you feel old and makes you self conscious, fight it off for as long as possible.

Just remember, when your 80 and you have black hair, people know its fake and it just looks funny. Plan for going gray eventually and make wise decisions.