Gray hair is porous
What is porous hair? Hair stands have pores, which are like holes. There are a certain amount of pores in each person’s hair naturally. That amount is predetermined. However, there are also things we can do to our hair to cause more ‘holes’ or pores. Chemical services are one such thing. Just the same, the natural graying process makes hair more porous. The lack of pigmentation leaves gaps or holes in the hair strand.
When the hair strand is porous, it requires more color to achieve a certain result. The cuticle also has to be lifted more so that the color penetrates deeper into the hair strand. This is the reason permanent dye is a better choice for covering gray hair. It lasts longer and has a higher concentration of active ingredients which allow the color to penetrate and stick for a longer lasting result.
Gray hair lacks pigment
This one is obvious. Hair color is made up of layers of pigments of many different colors. This is why professionals who specialize in color application examine your hair prior to applying color. Base tones may be different than the color that the outer layers appear to be.
With gray hair or non-pigmented hair, there is no base tone or pigment visible. However, remnants of the layers of pigments that made up your former hair color are still there. The amounts and intensity of left over pigmentation or color, differ from person to person and can even differ from strand to strand on the same head of hair. This is why some people have very white hair while others have muted gray hair.
Because there is some leftover pigment, hair dye applied to gray or graying hair, may not be visible over the top of the leftover base color or colors.
If you are gray because you choose it in a bottle, have at it and enjoy the ability to reverse it while you can. But, if you are gray because Mother Nature came knocking and you don’t like it, you may want to, keep these four factors in mind. You should also be conscious of the fact that hair color specifically designed to cover gray hair may take some of the hassles out of it for you.
And last but certainly not least, you can always consult a professional colorist who is versed in applying color to non-pigmented or gray hair.
Look Glam Box says
Who else? <3makeup ? Think there are plenty like me
Tamika Jones says
If grey(dead) hair resists color, explain how it takes the color better than your live(not grey)hair?? Huh?
Shanieka Gaines says
You don’t “dye” hair.
Shanieka Gaines says
Some grey hair is really resistant. Your have to color twice at times. Or use double neutral
MsCurlyKat says
One thing that was missed, is that you have to alter what color you use once you get over 50% gray. For instance, let’s say you color your hair a light or medium auburn (a coppery red-brown). When you have more gray, those strands will look a golden red color, like a strawberry blonde almost, when you use the same color, because the base pigment is missing from your natural hair, which in this case we will say was a dark brown. To get the same result you used to get, you need to add back those base pigments. In this case when you color your 50% or more gray hair, you would use 1/2 bottle of the color you have been using, and 1/2 of a dark warm brown color which closely resembles what your natural color once was, and one of the bottles of developer from your kits. You would save the other developer and the two half bottles of color for your next touch up. I learned this when I was a cosmetologist, and used it on my mom, whose hair was almost 100% gray, when I finally got her away from coloring her hair black. Her hair looked much like mine did, and mine was dark brown, colored a medium auburn color.
Someone mentioned gray hair being dead and pigmented hair being live; all hair is dead once it sprouts from your scalp.
I agree gray hair is very resistant-the outer cuticle layer lays very flat to the shaft, because there is no longer any pigment inside (melanin) to prevent the cuticle from closing completely. An alternative to coloring twice is to use a 10 volume peroxide to pretreat the hair or new growth before you color it-this helps lift the cuticle some to let the new pigment in.
Marguerite Cole Willis says
Pretty hair
Jean Moncrieffe says
I want something that is permanent for good and I do not have to do my hair every 6-8weeks
Valerie Vallion says
I got tired of putting color on my hair every two weeks because I didn’t like seeing gray roots and edges. So I embraced my gray hair but it look better with a perm for now. After it grow some more I might try being natural.
Anonymous says
Maybe because you don’t embrace the fact that aging comes with it. No need of reversing it.
Vietnam_Remy_Hair says
wonderful
Brenda Baltazar says
Beautiful
Alecia Henderson says
I refuse to dye my gray hair.