going grey gracefully - maintenance tips

Embracing grey hair is a powerful styling move for men, transforming a ‘salt and pepper’ look into a distinguished and modern asset. Going grey gracefully involves updating your maintenance routine as grey hair is often drier and coarser than pigmented hair, therefore, requiring specific care. When your hair begins to lose its natural colour, it means the individual hair strands have stopped producing pigment, resulting in grey locks. Going grey comes with updating your maintenance routine to have you looking your best – using purple shampoo to help neutralise yellow tones, keeping the hair hydrated, exfoliating the scalp often and avoid over-shampooing.

Use purple shampoo

Using purple shampoo is an excellent option for those with grey hair. It helps neutralise yellow, brassy tones caused by environmental damage, sun exposure and nicotine, restoring a bright, silvery look. The violet pigments act as a temporary toner that contrasts with the yellow shades. Purple shampoo helps brighten and define grey hair, boosting the natural silver and white tones in the hair, leading to a ‘silver fox’ look. This is extremely easy to upkeep, required once a week and left on for 2-5 minutes, instantly enhancing the silver tones.

Hydrate often

Hydration is crucial for men going grey as it is more susceptible to dryness, brittleness and coarseness, requiring consistent moisture to maintain a healthy appearance. As the hair turns grey, the follicles produce less natural oils, leading to drier hair and a more sensitive scalp. As grey hair is often more porous, it can become wiry and hard to style. Moisturising treatments like oils and leave-in conditioners help improve texture and keep the hair looking more polished. To help keep the hair hydrated, use sulphate-free shampoos and condition often. Additionally, a few drops of hair oil or leave-in treatments can help tame frizz and add shine.

Exfoliate the scalp

As grey hair becomes drier, coarser and more brittle, exfoliating the scalp can be extremely beneficial. Regular scalp exfoliation removes dead skin cells, debris and product buildup creating a healthy environment that helps maintain hair and scalp health. As the dead skin cells are removed it allows moisturising products to penetrate better and hydrate the scalp more effectively. It also removes mineral buildup and environmental impurities which can reveal a shinier, healthier and smoother hair shaft from the roots. If the scalp is clogged, it can stifle the hair growth. Clearing away dirt, excess sebum and excess hair products prevents clogged follicles, resulting in more vibrant hair growth.

Avoid over-shampooing

Avoiding over-shampooing is essential for men who are greying. As the hair lacks melanin, it becomes more fragile, coarser and drier than hair with pigment. Excessive washing strips away the hairs natural oils, which are already produced in low quantities as men age. Daily washing with harsh shampoos can cause the hair to look dull, dingy or turn yellow. Over-washing can also lead to cuticle roughness, resulting in hair looking dull rather than shiny. Shampooing only once or twice a week with a sulphate shampoo will help retain moisture, resulting in hair looking shinier and more vibrant.