Caring for Gray Hair

Gray hair needs the same basic care as any other hair, with a few changes. It has no melanin, so it shows sun damage and yellowing more easily, and many people find it drier or harder to control than the hair it replaced. Gentle washing, conditioner after every wash, low heat and a hat in strong sun cover most of what it needs.

This guide sums up what the research says about each change and what you can do about it. Each section links to a longer page if you want more detail.

What changes when hair turns gray

Hair turns gray or white when the hair follicle stops making melanin, the pigment that gives skin and hair its color. That is how the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains it, and it adds that there are no effective medical treatments that bring the color back. If you want to know where hair color comes from in the first place, read how hair gets its color.

Changes in how the hair feels are less clear. Three studies found three different things:

• Few average differences, many personal ones. A 2011 study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science tested hair from people with a mix of gray and dark hairs. They came from a community that does not dye hair and limits time in the sun, so dye and sun damage could not explain the results. Across the whole group, gray and pigmented hairs were much alike. But many individuals did show differences, and small changes in how gray hairs take up and lose water support the common complaint that gray hair is drier and harder to manage.
• Thicker white hairs. A 2004 study in the European Journal of Dermatology measured 3,343 hairs from women. On average, the white hairs were thicker than the pigmented ones (67.68 against 57.41 micrometers). They also had a more developed medulla, the central core found in some hairs, and they grew slightly faster.
• No clear difference. A 2001 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found no significant difference between gray and black hair in thickness, cross-section shape or strength.

So your gray hair may feel very different from your old hair, or almost the same. It depends on the person. Our page on why gray hair feels different compares these studies and explains what they mean for daily care.

Age brings its own changes

Most people go gray as they get older, and age changes the hair and skin at the same time. That makes it hard to say which changes come from the lost pigment and which come from age.

• Less skin oil for many women. A 1979 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that oil output from the skin's sebaceous glands falls gradually in women after menopause. In men it stayed essentially unchanged until age 80.
• A more fragile surface. A 2015 study of Japanese women aged 10 to 70 found that the cuticle, the thin outer layer of each hair, becomes less resistant to daily brushing and washing with age. The change showed up in the 40s and 50s.
• Less shine. A 2009 study of 230 Japanese women found that hair shine drops with age. One cause was that individual hairs became more irregularly curved, so they no longer lay neatly side by side.

None of these changes is a problem in itself. But they help explain why a routine that worked for years can start to feel wrong in your 40s or 50s.

A simple routine for gray hair

Most care for gray hair is ordinary good hair care. The AAD's tips fit gray hair well:

1. Wash as often as your scalp needs. The AAD says people with straight hair and an oily scalp may want to shampoo every day. Dry, curly or thick hair can be washed less often, but at least once every 2 to 3 weeks.
2. Put shampoo on your scalp, not along the length of your hair.
3. Use conditioner after every shampoo. If your hair is fine or straight, the AAD suggests putting it on the ends. If it is dry or curly, put it on the whole length.
4. Be gentle with wet hair. Detangle it with a wide-tooth comb, and wrap it in a towel instead of rubbing it dry.
5. Keep heat low. The AAD suggests the lowest heat setting on hot tools and using them once a week or less.

Too much cleaning can make dryness worse. A 2015 review for dermatologists in the Indian Journal of Dermatology notes that a shampoo strong enough to remove all the oil from hair and scalp leaves the hair dry and frizzy.

Do you need a special shampoo for gray hair? Usually not. Choose one that suits your scalp, and add a toning shampoo only if yellow bothers you. Our post on whether gray hair needs a different shampoo goes through the choices.

The table below matches common complaints with what the research points to and what usually helps.

What you notice	What is behind it	What can help
Dry or rough feel	Small differences in how gray hairs hold water, less skin oil in many women after menopause, a more fragile cuticle with age	Conditioner after every wash, gentle washing, less heat
Yellow cast	Breakdown products of tryptophan in the hair; heat makes white hair yellower	Low heat, sun protection, a toning shampoo once or twice a week, trimming old ends
Frizz and flyaways	Hairs that curve irregularly with age, a worn cuticle	Conditioner, a light silicone product, a cut that suits your texture
Less shine	Hairs that no longer lie flat reflect less light	Conditioner, less heat, regular trims
Faster sun damage	No melanin to absorb part of the sunlight	A wide-brimmed hat, shade at midday, a leave-in product with UV protection

Why gray hair turns yellow

Yellowing is one of the most common complaints about gray and white hair. A 2009 study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science measured gray hair from 11 people. The yellower the hair, the stronger the signal from breakdown products of tryptophan, one of the building blocks of hair protein. The yellow also grew stronger toward the ends of white hairs, which are the oldest part of each hair.

Why is this easier to see in gray hair? A 2014 study in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B puts it simply: white hair has no melanin, so the effects of this kind of damage are more visible.

What starts the breakdown is less settled than you might expect. In lab tests, heat made white hair yellower. Light gave mixed results. A 2007 study found that lamp light including ultraviolet made white hair less yellow, and in that study only infrared light yellowed it. The 2014 study found that light could yellow or bleach white hair, depending on the type of light and how yellow the hair was at the start. A 2015 review in the International Journal of Trichology states that heat breaks tryptophan down into compounds that turn white hair yellow. That is one more reason to keep hot tools on low.

Tobacco smoke can also stain white hair. A 2021 review in the journal Cureus describes yellow staining of white mustache hair in people who had smoked for years.

Purple and blue toning shampoos work by adding a faint cool tint. On a color wheel, purple sits opposite yellow, so a violet tint cancels part of the yellow cast, as a medically reviewed Healthline article explains. In the physics of light, yellow and blue are complementary colors, which means they add up to white (HyperPhysics, Georgia State University). These shampoos do not lighten hair, and using them too often can leave a purple, pink or blue tint.

Our page on yellowing and purple shampoo explains how to use toning products well. Our post on why gray hair turns yellow looks at each cause in more depth.

Sun, pools and heat

Sunlight damages all hair, and gray hair has less protection. Melanin absorbs part of the sun's radiation and gives it off as heat, which shields the proteins in hair, according to a 2009 review in the International Journal of Trichology. In an AAD article, dermatologist Farah Moustafa says gray hair is more susceptible to sun damage than darker shades for this reason. She explains that UV damage breaks down hair proteins and changes hair color, leaving hair dry and brittle, with less shine.

Lab studies point the same way. A 2001 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that gray hair suffered more severe UV damage than dark brown hair. A 2004 study found that UV light increased protein loss in every hair type tested, and that color changes were larger in light hair.

The AAD's advice for protecting hair in the sun is short:

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
• Avoid peak sun hours, typically from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Stay in the shade when you can.
• Consider hair products with sun protection, such as leave-in conditioners or sprays.

Keep one limit in mind. Unlike sunscreen for skin, hair products have no regulated test for sun protection, a 2015 review in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B points out. That makes their results hard to compare, and it makes a hat the more predictable choice.

Pools matter too. The AAD says chlorine dissolves the natural fats that coat and protect the hair shaft. It suggests a swim cap, or oil or leave-in conditioner on your hair before you swim. Rinse right after, then wash with a swimmers' shampoo and use a deep conditioner.

Heat from styling tools is the third factor. It yellows white hair in the lab, as described above, and it can roughen the hair surface. A 2011 study in the Annals of Dermatology found that surface damage grew as dryer temperature went up. In the same study, a dryer held 15 centimeters away and kept moving caused less damage than letting hair dry in the air. Our page on gray hair and sun covers protection in more detail.

Styling and haircuts

Gray hair usually looks best when the cut and products suit its texture. Shine depends on a smooth surface. Conditioners flatten the scales of the cuticle and reduce friction between hairs, which increases light reflection and improves shine, according to the 2015 review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology. Dimethicone is the most widely used silicone in hair care, and conditioners with oils and silicones reduce rubbing and friction on the cuticle, according to the International Journal of Trichology review.

A cut that suits your texture can also mean less time with hot tools. For our editors' view on cuts, read haircuts that work with gray hair. Our page on styling gray hair covers products, heat and daily habits.

Growing out dyed hair

If you have been coloring your hair and want to stop, the main question is time. Permanent dye does not wash out. The International Journal of Trichology review explains that the white roots you see after coloring are new growth, not dye washing out. Cleveland Clinic says scalp hair grows 4 to 6 inches a year, which is 10.2 to 15.2 centimeters. At that rate, 6 inches of dyed hair takes 12 to 18 months to replace.

A shorter cut makes the change faster. There are softer options too. Highlights and lowlights can blur the line between gray roots and dyed lengths; see gray blending and lowlights. Demi-permanent color fades after 10 to 15 shampoos or sooner, according to the same review, so it can soften the contrast for a while.

Our page on growing out gray hair walks through each stage. Our post on how long growing out gray hair takes has a timeline for different lengths.

If you would rather cover it

Keeping your gray is a personal choice, and so is covering it. If you are weighing dye, gradual color or root touch-ups, our guide to ways to cover gray hair compares the options. For the biology behind the change, start with why hair turns gray.

When to see a doctor

Gray hair that arrives slowly with age is normal. Sudden or patchy graying, or graying that comes with other symptoms, is a reason to see a doctor. The AAD notes that an underlying condition, such as a vitamin deficiency, can affect hair color. The 2021 Cureus review also lists some medicines and nutrition problems, including vitamin B12 deficiency, among the causes of yellow hair. This guide is general information, not medical advice.

LIUMIQ is a gradual color product for gray hair that we are still developing. It is not on sale. If you want to follow the work, join the waitlist.