Rockin' the Gray: My Tips for Gray Hair Care
“Look, moon
I turned silver for you.”
-Sanober Khan
It took guts, didn’t it? When you went gray!
Even when everyone around you said, “No, no, no! You’ll look old. You’ll look drab. Don’t do it!”
But you’re one gutsy broad and you dived into the deep end of the pool.
Bravo, yet I hate to tell you that’s just the beginning. There’s a lot more to it. It’s like learning a new language. Because now you need to rethink your make up, and the colors that best frame your face.
When I went gray around 32 years ago. it was simple. I cut my hair short. Very short. I loved it that way. I could wash my hair, dry it a little, put some Japanese balm on it and I was done.
My husband, Bob and I in front of Frank Loyd Wright’s masterpice Falling Water in Pennsylvania.
Monastery of San Marco, Florence, Italy
Well, that was then and this is now.
I’m older and so is my hair.
It’s thinner and coarser and that creates a whole new set of problems.
Bob and I appear in Ari Seth Cohen’s book, Advanced Love by Ari Seth Cohen
A few years ago, I broke my wrist and my foot. To be honest. I was pretty immobilized and so my husband would shower with me –– yes, we do know how to have fun –– but doing my hair was above his pay grade, so I went to one of those blow dry places.
On a wing and a prayer. Broken wrist, broken foot.
After a few visits, the stylist said, “Why in the world are you having your hair cut? You have great cheekbones. I think your hair would look great longer.”
Well, she was right, but I soon found out that gray hair means different care. I’d noticed that my hair had a weird, yellow streak in front. It took me awhile to realize that the straightening iron I used at home was scorching my hair. While it did a good job making it straight, it was burning a section where it’s very white . So be wary of those straightening irons. I don’t use one any more. Instead, I have my hair straightened professionally every four months. And voila! No more yellow streaks.
At the Hotel Allegretto in Paso Robles, California
Over time, my hair has become more coarse and a bit wild. So these days, I need a Keratin treatment to straighten my hair. The truth is I could really use a straightening now, but it’s not going to happen until we all get our viral-get-out-free card.
The salon I had been going to uses Oribe products and they work quite well, so I started using them.
When I shampooed my hair. I used to simply use the Clairoil Silver Lightening Shampoo. But, then I discovered Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo for Beautiful Color. It seems the strongest to me and gets my hair the whitest. But, I suggest only using it every two weeks or so because it can dry out your hair. I also use Klorane Anti Yellowing Shampoo on a regular basis. I use both the John Frieda Flawlessly Straight Conditioner and the John Frieda Leave In Conditioner to protect my hair. It depends on how dry or how much I need weight in my hair to keep it straight. Then, before blow drying, I apply the Oribe Setting Gel, and spray another product, Wow Color Wow, on to my sectioned hair. After my hair is blown dry, I rub the Tancho Pomade Stick onto the palm of my hand and pat down the wild hairs.
OK, so now that I don’t have a broken wrist or a broken foot, I’m blow drying and brushing my own hair. I love my large, round Boar Bristle brush and I have a regular, off-the-shelf blow dryer. And here’s another great tip:. Let’s say the next day you want to fluff up your hair. I use, and absolutely love, my John Frieda Curling Brush. It really smooths and softly curves my hair better than any other I’ve tried. And you can’t beat the price!
As much as I love Oribe products, I must admit that their prices are ridiculous. But, They really do the job and that’s worth a lot to me. I’ve purchased any number of other products for less money but they just didn’t work.
How about what wardrobe to wear with gray hair? I feel you have to be very aware of colors next to your hair and face. Good Housekeeping says that navy is the best color for gray hair. Yes, it works well, but I also wear a lot of charcoal, other greys are not the same color as my hair, and some bright clean whites.
Beiges look terrible on me. How about you? I find when I’m shopping that how a color looks with my hair is one of the most important factors in my choice. If my hair is complimented, I buy it. If not, thumbs down.
Some lively colors. My grandson took this photo at the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Basic black and white.
Now is also a good time to step up your makeup game. Your face can kind of fade away within the halo of your newly gray hair. You need to sharpen your makeup to make your face and eyes more defined. Try eyeliner and blush, mascara and lipstick. It makes a huge difference. Now’s the time to have fun with your new look. So, use your new, beautiful hair as the setting and wear color on your eyes and lips. It can be very exciting and rewarding, not to mention a lot of fun.
Would you like to read about how I went gray so many years ago? Just click on the the link. “You’ve Got to Have Guts to Go Gray”
How about you? Have you gone grey?
Will you go grey? Do you have hair products that work for you?
Please let me know. I appreciate your comments.
Now you’re in for a treat. These marvelously entertaining bloggers have joined together under the guidance or our indomitable leader Cindy Hattersley to inform and delight you on the subject of gray hair.
Please click on the links and read their creative and diverse takes on the subject.
These are some of my favorite bloggers. Enjoy and enrich your life today.
I can’t wait to read what they have to say. So here they are:
