Actress Jamie Lee Curtus looks stunning in a pixie hair cut with her gray. (Photo credit: PRPhoto.com)

Stylists' simple tips, at-home remedies keep gray hair beautiful

By Lana Perry, My Salon Scoop writer

Getting older and older...and older isn't the easiest thing to do. Sometimes the physical, emotional and hormonal changes we experience leave us feeling like a different person. Then on top of it all, your hair turns gray and decides to act up.

You know what I'm talking about. Let's face it—gray hair has its own personality. It's going to do what it wants when it wants and not a minute or two earlier.

Gray hair can be stubborn. As it comes in, the gray hair may not work with your relaxer or perm, it may not style as easily, and it may not color as quickly. You also may notice that the gray hair doesn't even look gray. It seems to look more yellow than that beautiful silver or sparkling white you've seen on other women. Dealing with all of this can leave you feeling as confused and frustrated as handling a cranky 3-year-old toddler in the middle of your shopping spree. Bottom line? You need relief!

"As always, the treatments and products that will work best on your hair depend on its texture," says Martha Randolph, owner of Monique's Hair Salon in Gainsville, Ga. "The first thing you need to do is go in and talk to a stylist about your options for relaxing, color, curl, or whatever you're looking for. And even then, a lot of the suggestions will be trial and error to see how your 'new' hair responds."

After you make the decision to keep or ditch the gray, stylists offer the following choices to help you maintain healthy, gorgeous hair:

Salon option for restoring gray minus the yellow: Stylists say that the best way to remove the yelllow tint is to use a mixture of peroxide and shampoo, which strips the yellow out of each strand. Randolph says the yellowing can be due to the "medications you are taking, chemicals you are using, or even hard water you are drinking."

Salon option for color: "Stylists will usually attack the grays especially if they've been relaxed, (colored using a dark) semi- or demi-rinse...that will last up to eight weeks, or a permanent rinse," says Vicki Pouncie, a stylist at Nubiance Salon in Atlanta, Ga.

Store-bought options for getting rid of the yellowing grays: Purchase shampoo products that are created specifically to keep the yellow or brassy cast at bay for a brighter gray, white or silver look. Both Randolph and Pouncie recommend Clairol Shimmer Lights or Jheri Redding Shiny Silver.

So there you have it! Look, we all know our hair has its moments, and we do what we can to enhance or diffuse our natural style. Whether your hair is all gray, salt and pepper, or you just have a few silver strands...take a deep breath, talk to your stylist, and above all be kind do your hair. You two have been through a lot together!

Lana Perry in Atlanta, Ga. writes about hair, music and empowering teen girls.

Copyright 2010 © My Salon Scoop, LLC

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