Flair for Elderly Hair

The beauty of  white hair!

Fear enters our lives in many facets. From the moment we see the unexpected crawl of a bug or feel the rapid beat of our heart brought on by public speaking; everyone has something they fear. While the appearance of gray hair doesn't crawl and startle you or causes your to beat rapidly when you speak in front of crowds, for many, gray hair coupled with aging is a pain in the watoosi (otherwise known as the butt)! Gray hair and aging can be difficult. Some dislike having it, some anticipate it, and others downright embrace it.

Whether you embrace your gray hair and age or fight it every step of the way with make up, color sticks, mascara, Bigen or hair dye, there are a few key things everyone who is aging as their hair turns gray must always consider...

Hair definitely changes as we age.

Complaints about aging typically includes a fuss about gray hair. The complaints primarily focus around four issues. Limpness,  turning yellow, style ability and unruliness. The complaints are not so much related to aging. On the contrary, they are attributed to hair styling issues. Infrequent shampooing, not combing hair enough and using the wrong kinds of hair care products and styling agents are what makes gray hair look bad as opposed to how old you are.

Gray hair is an actual disorder that causes hair to loose it's pigment (color). Many people believe gray changes the structure of your hair. It does not. Often mistakes are easily seen and happen more frequent on gray hair because of the optical illusion that gray hairs are more tedious and less attractive to those who have it. Your gray hair is not difficult now compared to when it was darker. Your gray is is just as attractive as you was when you were younger. It is only the difference in color that sometimes changes one's attitude when their hair become shunned.

I don't know whose worse at selling bogus hair care products; social media, info-mericals or the myriad of home shopper programs. Whatever the options, selling visions of long hair from yesteryear, all modalities are like buying a cheese burger someone one took a bite from. If you are looking to revitalize your aging hair or your loved one's aging hair avoid buying products claiming to return hair to it's youthful luster, revert your gray hair to it's natural color or making your hair thicker. Anatomically and biologically, hair changes as we age. Yep, that is correct. As we age, hair naturally become thin, gray and thinner for most people. I attribute the changing of your thick strands of hair to thin strands of hair to the mouth of follicle (the tiny hole your hair grows from). As we age, the mouth of the follicle shrinks in diameter; thus shrinking the diameter of our hair right along with it. Hair care products and supplements can not revert this naturally occurring phenomenon. Therefore, buyer beware.

Au naturale

While aging may be the inevitable, there are ways to make maximize the optical illusion of younger, fuller and with more shine without trying to look like someone you are not. The easiest and most affordable way to enhance and modify the appearance of graceful aging are: haircuts, hair coloring wigs and head wraps/turbans. I advise everyone, short of the shampoo, a haircut is thee most important aspect of a salon visit. A haircut is to hair what fashion design is to fabric. Yes! Haircuts are that important and magnanimous. Hair coloring is a great way to camouflage, enhance or outright hide the changes that occur with aging hair. In earlier times, people wanted to return to their younger years as it related to their hair color. Not today. Today hair color is art. You can do what you like. To be exact, going darker is not the best way to reverse the signs of aging. Because of loss of pigment in the skin as we age, going darker makes most skin tones look stark and pale. Wigs are quick, easy and flexible. You can purchase a wig in any style and hair color, makes wigs a great alternative. Wigs can be removed whenever you want which makes wigs an even greater alternative. Wigs can be bought in most neighborhoods, online or via a catalog makes them one of the greatest alternatives. Head wraps or turbans are great for showing cultural pride and a sense of style. They sell head wraps and turbans in varying prints and colors. Some are pre-made. While others require intricate twists and turns of fabrics, cloths and for some even old t-shirts. Whatever your style, there is a fabric just right for your style. Covering your hair is also a great way to protect your hair from the sun and will suffice for a quick fix when all else fails or if you want to boldly steal the scene!

African head wrap!

The flair for elderly hair definitely ain't the ol' gray hair it used to be. Gray hair can be natural, short, spiked, sassy, colored or covered. Gray looks great on everyone at every age. Today's attitude towards hair, "It's mine and I love it." Regardless the texture, rather it is thick, thin, or balding, long or short, natural or colored; gray hair is on the minds of many. How to care for it and alter it means a lot many. Be sure to continue to make purchases for your gray hair according to it's texture and type, using the right products, the right tools and the right techniques.

Color Treated Hair

Inquiring minds wanna know!

I recall the day I announced to my colleagues in social work that I would be switching careers from social work to hair care. They were all very excited for me. "What will you do, what will be your areas of expertise?" Those were the questions of the day. I would happily respond, "I will specialize in Trichology and hair coloring." I hope to travel the world teaching the masses how to do their own hair and in between engagements color the world beautiful!" They would all smile. Then one day, my dearly beloved colleague, Ellie Heiser overheard my response. She called me over to her office and said,"Ladosha, I'm a little old Jewish lady who spends a lot of money and time in hair salons. And though I don't know much about hair care for black women, I can tell you that women of all colors want to have their hair colored by a colorist who specializes in hair color who also has her hair colored."  I laughed so hard as I looked in the mirror at my black hair with a serious skunk streak going off center down my entire head of hair. 

The rest they say is history. At that pivotal moment, I decided I needed to step my A-Game up and learn more about what I was to specialize in and of course, re-vamp my image. I turned to my very southern belle of a cousin, Nickcole to help me in the image department. And boy did she pluck every hair that didn't belong, threw out my standard social work jacket, cut down my nails and urged me to fix my smile. Ahh, nothing like the brutal honesty of family!

Now that my image was all together, I still had this skunk streak I needed to get rid of. The interesting thing about becoming a colorist was learning the truth about hair color. So in my quest to get my tresses colored properly, I quite naturally devised a list of things to consider about coloring my hair. As a colorist, I have pretty much stuck to that list and only modifies it when a new technology enters the scope of services. 

So for those of you who are just dying to know the secrets to great hair coloring; read on!

There are five simple things to consider if you are interested in having your hair colored. Perhaps you are having problems with getting your gray hair to cover properly or maybe you are simply afraid of getting your hair colored. 

When it comes hair color, don't sweat the small stuff. The five tips I put together will surely help you if you want your hair colored or like me; want to become a colorist.

Money makes the world go
round and your colorist too!

Number one, the cost. Not in the spirit of you get what you pay for. The cost has to do with technology, ingredients and availability. That scenario includes what you purchase over the counter and who you pay to formulate and apply it.

Second is the formulation. Now this is where the cost and the results could increase or decrease; improve or worsen. A true colorist and a forthright company will formulate according to the desired outcome the person is looking for. If you are coloring your hair at home, this can be difficult. I suggest you call the company's 1-800 number for advice instead of re-reading the box trying to figure it out. Coloring your hair is nothing like polishing your nails. As for paying a professional, the colorist should always do a consultation upon every visit and prior to mixing anything up in the back. If your colorist at the salon is saying things like, "So are we keeping the same color?" Run for the door!

Applying hair color is not like
applying nail polish.

Third is the application. Applying hair color is as intricate as painting the walls in your home or finishing your hardwood floors. Meticulousness to details. In addition, a "method to the madness" always brings about flawless mouth dropping results. Apply color in haste not only makes waste, but it also brings about blotchy inconsistent patchy results.

Fourth, is maintenance. What you maintain your colored tresses with is as important as what you color your tresses with. Shampoos, conditioners and styling agents that are formulated for color treated hair are always best. These products are more gentle. These products have the technology and ingredients to prevent color from fading. They also help your hair from becoming brittle as well as afford you to chemically alter your hair by way of Keratin treatments, chemical relaxers, flat ironing and perming your hair. I recommend that you follow the manufacturers suggestions if you are coloring your hair at home. Do not play in this area. Doing so, almost always results in damaged hair and faded color. If you are going to a salon, purchase what your colorist recommends without hesitation. Almost all products are money-back guarantee; therefore you are never stuck with a product.

Framesi's Color Lovers
line for color treated hair is
one of the best on the
market. 

Read the technology and care
Framesi put into their
Color Lovers product line.

Do not be tempted or duped into buying products according to race and lifestyle. Quality hair care products are like soap. They are formulated to address the skin/hair condition; not the race of the person. I mean have you ever heard or read a Dove soap commercial say, "Dove, formulated for dirty white people only?" Neither should hair care products. There is something unique in all hair textures not just Blacks and minorities. There is also something unique in every individual. So while a certain group of people may be of the same race, they are all individuals. Customize your hair care just like you do your skin care. 

The best flat irons for the price.

Fifth, are the styling tools. If you are using heating implements that are too hot; you will cause the color molecules to dissipate and your color will fade faster. If you are using heating implements that are not hot enough you will cause your hair to feel rough, brittle and the color molecules will dissipate. Your hair will break, your color will fade and damaged hair is again almost always the result. Invest in a quality pair of flat irons that have the technology built in just like your hair color and hair care products. Remington Flat irons have some of the best technology that is safe and effective for all hair textures at prices under $70.00.

As you can see, dying to know about hair color not only gets you the answers, it will also bring life back to your hair. The responses will have you thinking more responsibly about coloring your hair or having it colored. If money and time are "true" concerns, then do not apply hair color or have color applied to your hair. It does not matter if the hair color line is organic or synthetic; temporary, semi, demi or permanent .... they are all chemicals and they all chemically alter your hair. 

So now that you have the answers, you can get back to living with your hair!