Redefining Going Gray

Sep 27, 2021 by Better Not Younger

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Covering up your gray hair—it’s so yesterday! We‘re celebrating the fact that we’ve arrived at the age where the grays are coming in and we’re treating them with the kindness and respect that they deserve. After years of avoiding gray hair—and perhaps dyeing it a lot—we know how tricky it can be to settle into a new way of life with new hair. But don’t worry, that’s the easiest part—and we’re here to help with all your gray hair-care questions and provide you with all the gray hair treatments and tips you’ll ever need. The most important part is that your grays are showing and you’re loving it—and it’s a power move if we’ve ever seen one!

Transitioning to Gray Hair Redefined

Once upon a time, dyeing your gray hair was a way to escape your hair’s visible sign of aging. Though there are still plenty of women who choose to cover their grays, today more and more women everywhere are transitioning to gray hair—redefining what going gray actually means. In fact, in the past 18 months, embracing the gray has become practically the norm.

Much of this can be attributed to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, salons were closed, forcing people everywhere to take on their hair-care routines at home. For women of a certain age who spent their salon time covering grays, they suddenly found themselves trying to figure out what to do at home—and many of them just didn’t. Instead of attempting a risky dye job, they instead let their silver strands shine.

Gray Hair Popularity Among Celebrities

Not only did women the world over start embracing their grays, but celebrities too also embraced their grays during this time. After being stuck at home for months, some celebrities stepped out in 2021 with a head of gray hair that no one ever realized they were hiding.

Actress Andie MacDowell famously stepped out at Cannes in summer 2021 with her gray hair on full display. She told Vogue that embracing her silver strands was empowering: “The age on my face, to me, no longer matched,” she said of her previously colored hair. “I somehow feel like I look younger because it looks more natural. It’s not like I’m trying to hide something. I think that it’s a power move, and that’s what I kept telling my managers. It’s exactly what I need to be doing right here.”

Younger Generations Are Going Gray

Embracing gray hair as a statement of empowerment hasn’t stopped with celebrities and women with naturally gray hair. Younger women are purposely dyeing their hair silver to emulate this iconic color. Silver and gray hair colors are ever popular with both young men and women, and while everyone has their own reason for picking a hair color, one sure reason people pick silver is because they know that going gray is a sign of a life lived. You earn your gray hairs, and that’s definitely something to be admired!

How to Take Care of Gray Hair

If you’ve avoided your gray hair at all costs up until now, you probably fall into two camps: Either you’ve been dying your hair for years and are ready to give up the dye or you’ve been showing some silver strands for a while and you’re realizing that maybe the hair-care routine that once worked isn’t quite right for your gray tresses. Remember, your gray hair needs a little bit more love than it once did, but once you’ve embraced your locks, it’s easy enough to keep up your new gray hair-care routine.

Transitioning to Gray Hair

The first step toward embracing your gray hair is allowing your strands to transition to gray. This can be a long process of letting your hair grow and it can be made easier in the salon. One way to ease into this transition is by adjusting your hair color from root to tip to gradually lighten it.

If you don’t want to continue to color the whole strand, though, you can have your hairstylist blend your roots into the rest of the hair so that the incoming grays blend more seamlessly. There are different tricks your stylist can try out, so just have a chat to get started. We’ve covered this topic extensively, too, and you can read about it here.

Gray Hair Shampoo, Masks and More!

Your gray hair needs love, and we have just what your delicate tresses require. First and foremost, make sure you’re washing your hair with a purple shampoo. Our gray hair shampoo will tone down any brassiness that comes with the silver color and keep it beautifully shiny—just how you want it. It will also help add strength, hydration and vibrancy.

You can pair your purple shampoo with our Second Chance Repairing Conditioner for Dry or Damaged Hair or use our Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque when you feel like your strands need the nourishing and restorative benefits that only a deep conditioning gray hair treatment can provide. Because your hair does get more dry and brittle as you age, you want to make sure you’re giving it enough moisture to be shiny and strong—and these gray hair-care products will certainly help!

You can also add some gray hair vitamins into your routine to strengthen your hair’s roots and promote healthier hair. It’s never a bad idea to give your hair all the nutrients it can hold!

Learning to Love Your Gray Hair

Your silver strands are a badge of honor—so wear them that way! We’ve all been through a lot since the beginning of 2020 and our gray hair is a marker of that. And you know what? That’s beautiful. Show your gray hair some love with a gray hair treatment or two and whip it into shape with a new hair-care routine. We’ve got all the products you need for your gray hair-care needs in our online shop. Those wiry, brittle grays that you thought you were going to be stuck with will soon be a thing of the past—and soft, silky silver hair will be yours for keeps.