You’re not using hair oil
As you age and your hair starts to gray, it also becomes drier and more wiry. Hair oil will help with the moisture levels in your hair, and help prevent it looking frizzy and dry. Choose an oil that suits your hair type and use a little after the shower to help keep your hair looking healthy.
Too much blue shampoo
Using blue shampoo every wash will end up with you having baby blue hair. If you feel like you are starting to get brassiness in your gray, try a purple shampoo. The purple hues help to balance out the yellow, and it won’t be as harsh as a strong blue shampoo.
Not using a silk pillowcase
Every hair becomes precious when you start to gray, and more fragile. A generic cotton pillowcase can even be too harsh and you may start to see more of your hair fall out. Try a silk or satin pillowcase to prevent as much friction on your hair when you sleep.
Too much heat
If you insist on blow drying and styling your hair everyday, you will start to see more breakage. Heat dries your hair out and makes it more brittle, which is even worse with gray hair. If you don’t need your hair to be dry asap, stick to air drying and give it a breather.
You don’t filter your water
Water from our showers can often have a lot of minerals in, which may not sound like a bad thing, but these can over time affect the health of your hair. If your hair is already becoming more fragile, the harsh water won’t help. Invest in a screw-on shower head filter to help reduce the harm on your hair.
Not prepared for the pool
Pool days with your family are great, but not so much for your hair. Chlorine is light hair’s number one enemy. First, the chlorine could later the color of your gray, leaving it a weird green color and it’s extremely drying. Tie your hair up and avoid the water, or get a cute swimming cap.
Too many layers
It can be hard to cut and style your hair when it gets thinner, but don’t jump to a super layered style. Lots of wispy layers can actually make your hair look thinner and can be a bigger pain to style. Ask your hairdresser for a lower maintenance cut with only a few framed layers.
Using the wrong hair towel
A big cotton bath towel is not the best tool to use. The harsh friction of these towels can cause more breakage and frizz. Instead, have a designated hair towel made from a microfiber material, which will help dry your hair more gently and help prevent damage.
Alcohol in your hair products
Check the back of your bottles. A lot of products have alcohol in them because it’s usually incorporated with scent. Alcohol is very drying however, and it can especially be damaging on gray hair. Avoid products with alcohol, and always read reviews and ingredients lists.
Using the wrong hairbrush
That old paddle brush you’ve had for 10 years needs to go. The wrong brush or bristles can create more damage or breakages in your hair, and you may notice more of it fall out. Try a natural bristle brush, or a wider comb that will gently brush your hair and not get caught on the hair shafts.
Poor diet
Start looking after your hair from the inside. Omega 3 fatty acids from fish and leafy greens are a great addition to your diet for hair and nail health. Fatty fish is great for keeping your hair shiny and strong, as well as nuts and seeds.
Not protecting your hair from the sun
UV rays from the sun dries out hair and can also lighten hair, which is a problem if your hair is already gray. As gray is already a vulnerable color and condition, you should avoid direct sunlight to your head. Get some cute sun hats or silk scarves for a chic summer look.
You still smoke
Smoking usually causes early gray hair, but even if you’ve turned gray late you should still cut it out. Smoking overall is bad for all aspects of your body, including the condition of your hair. It can make your hair dry, uneven, patchy or even go white.
You’re not drinking enough water
As your hair gets dryer, you should do everything you can to keep it hydrated. Drinking lots of water will help your body stay hydrated and in turn help your hair retain moisture. Moisture will help keep your hair shinier and smoother, water also helps with keeping your skin youthful.
Chemical treatments
Perms and relaxers take a huge toll on your hair. Even when your hair is healthier or darker, chemical treatments change the texture and health of your hair. So when you are going gray, it’s best to avoid chemical treatments to avoid further damage and breakage.
Skipping supplements
If you have dietary requirements or a lifestyle that prohibit you from getting lots of minerals and vitamins naturally, supplements are a game changer. You can get supplements purposely made for your hair needs and it’s an easy way to keep up with your hair maintenance.
Your shampoo has sulphates in
Sulphates are added to help shampoos strip away oils from your hair when you’re cleaning it, but they should be avoided when going gray. They may strip away more moisture than necessary, especially when gray hair requires extra moisture to keep it looking healthy, as well as leaving the scalp more irritated.
Not regularly trimming
Your hair needs a regular trim to avoid developing split ends. Split ends are more common with gray hair due to the more dry texture, but this can be helped with regular trims at the salon. Leave split ends too long and you may end up with breakage far up on your head that can’t be easily fixed.
Neglecting your scalp
Your scalp affects your hair more than you may realise. Good scalp health will help with the development of new hair and keeping the hair healthy. Don’t forget to gently massage your scalp in the shower when washing, or you can invest in a scalp brush to massage oils with.
Tight hairstyles
Scraping your hair back everyday can damage your hair. Super tight ponytails or slicked back buns can put extra strain on hair strands and cause breakage, especially gray hairs. You could also develop a more receded hairline if you scrape your hair back tightly at the root.
Your showers are too hot
A lot of us love a scalding shower, but the super hot water isn’t good for your hair. Hot water can be very drying on the hair follicles and this can cause further damage to already brittle hair. Cool your showers a bit when washing your hair.
Stingy with conditioner
Conditioners can be expensive so we may try to use them sparingly so it lasst longer. Conditioner is especially necessary for gray hair as it locks moisture back into the hair after shampooing, so don’t be stingy with the amount you use and make sure your ends are fully coated.
Not using hair masks
Hair masks are a great source of hydration for your hair and they can be put on whilst you clean or lounge around the house. You can get packs individually to try out before buying a full pot, so try out different ones to see how your hair reacts and what kind of scent you enjoy the most.
Not working with your hair texture
Not everyone grays the same way. You may find your natural curls don’t sit the same, or your long thick hair no longer feels smooth. This is normal and okay, and you should embrace the new changes and choose products or hair cuts that work for you, rather than copying others.
Using the wrong hair elastics
Tight basic elastics from the dollar store or drug store can actually be damaging on gray hair. The small pressure of the bands can cause breakages, and especially if you wear high ponytails or buns, it can make the root area frizzy or damaged. Choose silk scrunchies or spiral bands instead.
Sticking with an inexperienced hairstylist
Sometimes we want to be loyal no matter what to our hair stylist we’ve had for years, but if they don’t know what to do with gray hair it’s time to move on. Gray hair can be a new challenge to cut and style due to the change in texture, and you don’t want someone using you as their guinea pig.
Your styling tools are too hot
You don’t have to avoid heat completely, but turn down your tool’s temp. Having your curling wand at 370 is going to damage brittle hair and can even make some of your hair fall out. Use a lower temperature and also use a heat protectant spray.
Too many hair products
Trying to layer too many products on top of each other will just stop any of them being absorbed properly, making them a bit useless. Choose a couple of products to rotate and try, and don’t build up product in your hair as it will do more harm than good.
You rub your hair dry
Drying off your hair with a towel by scrubbing it dry will only cause frizz. Rubbing the hair strands and follicles will make them stand up and disturbed, so you can end up with knotting unmanageable hair, as well as further damage from the friction.
Not prepared for the beach
Salt and sand are very abrasive on the hair. If you fancy a dip in the sea, be sure to avoid as much salt water as possible. Tie up your hair or use a swimming cap, as the salty sea water is very drying and can make gray hair more brittle and prone to snapping.
Only trying one hair style
Gray hair doesn’t need to stop you from trying out styles. Using your face shape, you can still get the look that suits you, just with extra care taken with the cut. Short hair can look sleek and healthy when gray, and long hair when styled can still look youthful.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep is important for pretty much all functions in the body, that includes hair maintenance. The more tired you are, the more likely you are to eat an unhealthy diet or become stressed. These aspects can affect how your hair looks and feels, as well as fast the body restores damaged hair.
You’re getting too many opinions
Don’t take everyone’s advice at the same time. A lot of people will tell you to just dye it, cut it all off, use this special oil or eat this special herb etc. Make the best decisions for yourself, and it will make your hair care journey a lot easier and more clear.
Washing your hair with bath water
A warm bath at night is relaxing, but be sure to wash your hair and body separately. Bath water has soap, bath bombs and grime from the skin mixed into it, which will not help to clean your hair. Soak your body first and then wash your hair with the shower head.
Trying to find the ‘perfect’ gray
Your natural gray shade will look different to that woman in the magazine. Trying to tone with shampoos or diluted toners will only end up with patchy colors or a weird pastel color of purple or blue. Embrace your natural color and tone as and when brassiness arises.
Trying to grow it out
Longer styles can look chic with gray hair, however it can be too long. Super long hair below the ribs or to the waist can look odd with gray hair as the texture often gets super wispy at the ends. Longer hair shows thinner parts off more, and it can actually age you more than a shoulder length cut.
Plucking the white ones
Plucking the lightest ones that stand out isn’t a good idea. You may think it will just grow back eventually, but you could permanently damage the hair follicle in that area, which could prevent the hair growing back. Instead, embrace the different shades of gray or lightly tone with purple shampoo.
Not managing stress
Stress can give you gray hairs prematurely, but if you’re already gray it can cause even more thinning. Stress hormones affect our body in all sorts of ways, to lack of sleep, weight gain and hair loss. If your hair is already more fragile when gray, trying to manage stress in a healthier way could make your hair look better.
Using too much dry shampoo
In between washes dry shampoo can be a great solution, but on gray hair it can start to dull it. Because dry shampoo is powder based, it’s very drying, which isn’t the best thing for brittle gray hair. Powders can also build up on the scalp easily, and cause irritation or itchiness.
Not using heat protectant
It’s even more important with gray hair to use heat protectant when styling. Regular styling can cause a lot of damage to your hair, and heat protectant will take some of that potential damage away. Use it every time you are using a hot tool, and don’t skip any days to keep your hair as protected as possible.