Have you made the transition to gray hair? Or maybe you’re in the process of growing out your silver strands. Whatever the case, you may be wondering how to style gray hair. For your hair to be styled to its full potential, your hair care routine has to be on point so that your hair is as healthy as possible. Read on for a collection of gray hair care tips, products to use, and styling tips and tutorials for gray hair.
How to Style Gray Hair
1. Focus on Volume
The best thing you can do is choose a haircut that adds volume and movement, such as layers or a textured cut. Your hairstylist can help you decide on a cut and style that’s best for your hair. Regular trims will also help maintain the shape and prevent split ends. After the salon, use lightweight, volumizing mousses or volume sprays at the roots to lift and add body to fine or thinning gray hair. Be sure to avoid any heavy products that can weigh hair down.
2. Get Moisture Back Into Your Hair
It’s important to moisturize your gray hair as it tends to be more coarse and prone to frizz. Use products specifically designed for gray hair, which often include extra moisturizing ingredients. Look for shampoos and conditioners with hydrating ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, and glycerin. And apply a deep conditioning mask like the L’Oréal Absolut Repair Mask once a week to replenish moisture and keep your hair soft. Distribute through towel-dried hair, leave on for 3-5 minutes, and rinse out.
3. Try Soft Waves
We absolutely love the look of soft waves for gray hair. They look amazing no matter the length, but this shorter lob cut looks particularly chic. To get this look, you’ll need a flat iron, and don’t forget to use a heat protection spray beforehand. Take a look at this tutorial to learn how to do flat iron waves. And finish off with a wave spray for hold.
4. Boost the Shine of Your Hair
Apply a small amount of hair oil or serum to the ends and mid-lengths of your hair to add shine and reduce frizz. The Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil offers maximum shine, softness, and colour vibrancy, plus heat protection. Another way you can enhance the shininess of your strands is with a cold water blast at the end of your showers. Finish your hair washing routine with cold water rinse to seal the hair cuticle and add shine.
5. How I Style My Short Gray Hair without Heat Damage | Nikol Johnson
This tutorial is loaded with tips for how to style short, gray hair (without heat damage). She talks about the products and tools she uses, and shows you exactly how she styles her hair. She recommends products including the Kerastase Initialiste Hair Serum, velcro rollers, and the Kerastase Elixir Hair Oil. She also offers amazing tips for how to care for your gray hair, so it’s an all around very useful tutorial.
6. Get Frizz Under Control
Gray hair is more prone to frizziness, especially if it’s not properly moisturized. Use anti-frizz serums or creams such as the COLOR WOW Dream Coat Spray to tame flyaways and keep your hair smooth. Apply it to clean, towel-dried hair, comb through to distribute, and blow dry to activate. If you live in a humid climate, you can also use styling products designed to control humidity and prevent frizz, such as the Revlon UniqOne All in One Hair Treatment.
7. Opt for a Braid
Transitioning to fully gray hair can be a challenge when it comes to finding hairstyles that camouflage your hair. If you’re currently trying to grow out your gray hair, braids are one of the best hairstyles you can do. Create a French or Dutch braid on the top of your head and throw the rest of your hair into a high bun. This works particularly well for blonde or lighter brown hair.
8. Prioritize Colour Maintenance
Without UV protection, gray hair is susceptible to yellowing. Use a purple shampoo once a week to neutralize yellow or brassy tones in your hair. The Hair Biology Purple Shampoo cleanses and removes residue so your true silver colour can shine through. It’s free of parabens and infused with biotin, which is known to keep your hair strong and healthy. Follow it up with their conditioner (it comes in the set!), which moisturizes without weighing your hair down.
9. Protect Your Hair from Heat Damage
Always make sure to use a heat protectant spray before using hot tools like blow dryers, curling irons, or straighteners. It’s best to limit the use of high-heat styling tools as much as possible to prevent damage, but we know it’s not always possible. Try to stick to using them once or twice a week at most. It’s also important to protect your hair from UV rays by wearing a hat or using hair products with UV protection when spending time outdoors. As we mentioned above, UV rays can cause gray hair to yellow and become brittle, so proper protection is essential.
We hope these tips, products, and hairstyles make you more confident in styling your gray hair!
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