Grey hair care – tips for a trendy and healthy silver mane

If the activity of the melanocytes – the cells that produce the body’s own colour pigment melanin – decreases, there are no longer enough colour pigments available for storage in the outer layers of the hair. Instead of dark, blonde or red pigments, colourless air bubbles are deposited that cause the original hair colour to fade. The impression of grey hair occurs through the mix of these bubbles with the original hair colour.

Grey hairs cannot be prevented. The time they appear is primarily determined by genetic disposition. While some people already start seeing their first grey hairs in their younger years, others only start turning grey in old age. The average age for men to start getting grey hairs is around 30 years, while for women it is around 35 years. Nicotine use, lack of sleep and vitamin deficiencies caused by a poor diet can speed up the greying process.

The colour of the hair is not the only thing that changes with advancing age – its structure does too. The density, thickness, elasticity and moisture content of the hairs decrease over time. This often makes grey hairs appear weak and they feel coarse and brittle.

Don’t worry, with high-quality care products you can make your silver mane shine and help regenerate the structure of your hair. Your hairs will get stronger and more resilient.

Grey hairs can take on a yellowish tinge – similar to what can happens with bleached hair. Unwanted yellowing is caused by by-products known as kynurenines. These occur when the amino acid tryptophan is broken down and are deposited on the surface of the hair fibres.

To counteract the yellowing of grey hair, you can wash your hair regularly with a light silver shampoo. This contains blue violet colour pigments that counteract the yellowing and give your hair a beautiful, natural silver tone. Fruit acid shampoos are perfect for retaining the grey colour tone.

When the hair turns grey, it also loses moisture, elasticity and density. The activity of the sebaceous glands on the scalp also declines, thereby reducing sebum production. In order to strengthen the hair structure, protect it against harmful environmental influences and supply the hair and scalp with sufficient moisture, it is necessary to adjust your haircare products to the different requirements of grey hair.

• Shampoo and conditioner: shampoos and suitable conditioners for dry hair give the hair valuable moisture and are also suitable for grey hair care.

• Hair masks: special hair masks with silk proteins and keratin help repair hair damage and store microproteins at key locations in the hair. The hairs can then store more moisture, making it stronger, glossier and more supple.

• Hair oils: nourishing oils protect the ends of grey hair, which tend to suffer from dryness, against the heat, cold and mechanical influences such as rough clothing. In addition to the use of hair oils, you should also be sure to have the ends of your hair trimmed at regular intervals.

• Leave-in spray: in order to give grey hairs a natural shimmer, you can apply a leave-in spray after every wash.

• Foam styling mousse and hair spray: volume-enhancing care products that are massaged into the roots ensure a fuller look without weighing down the hairs along their length.