Grey Hair After 40: Why It’s Dry & How To Keep It Soft and Strong

In a previous post, we learnt that melanocytes are cells that produces melanin in the hair follicle. Melanin is the pigment responsible for the color of your hair, skin and eyes. When melanin production slows down or dies, hair turns grey.

Let us now explore what can cause melanin production to slow down or die.

With aging, comes the changes of everything, including the gradual decrease of melanin activity and production in the hair follicles. Consequently, each new hair that grows contains less pigment, resulting in grey, silver or white strands.

Genetics are also a deciding factor in the greying of the hair and sometimes determine when it will start. For some individuals, it begins as early as adolescence, others in their 50’s. I know personally of a lady who is 65 and has no greys . She also remembers that her mom died in her 80’s with a jet-black head of hair.

Free radicals and also oxidative stress whether it be from the environment or internal can damage the melanocytes and accelerate greying. Chronic stress damages the stem cells that replenish melanocytes. It will not cause greying over-night but if you are genetically pre-disposed or already starting to grey, the process can speed up. Note however, that there is research which suggests that some greying from stress might be reversible, if managed early.

Now that we have explored what causes hair to turn grey let us delve into why it is dry and how we can keep it soft and strong.

In my previous blog article, Why Your Hair Behaves Differently After 40 and What To Do About It, I touched on why many women 40 and over, notice their greys coming in wiry, brittle and drier that the rest of their strands. It is not as soft and manageable, My sister would refer to hers as being, “unruly, wild and attention seeking”. Please read article.

Here is what you can do about it:

1. Prioritize Deep Moisture - use products that are humectant-rich. Moisturizers, leave-in conditioners, deep conditioners and moisturizing shampoos with ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin, marshmallow root shea butter and others, can help with adding moisture. Using weekly is recommended for best results.

2. Protect Your Cuticles - hair cuticles are made up of over-lapping, scale-like cells, similar to scales on a fish. their main job is to protect the inner layers of the hair (cortex and medulla). They control moisture balance and have an effect on smoothness, shine and strength. When they are flat, they allow moisture to be retained in the hair.

   However, grey hairs have raised cuticles and makes it easy for moisture to escape. Sealing with sealing oils like avocado oil, coconut oil, castor oil and other sealants, after moisturizing helps lock moisture in.

3. Avoid Frequent Heat - heat styling with blow dryers, etc. and direct heat from the sun can further raise the cuticles of greys, pulling moisture from already fragile strands. Use low heat sparingly and only if necessary, when styling.

4. Protect The Ends Of Your Strands - protective styling where your ends are not exposed fully to the elements can help to retain moisture and prevent dry, split ends. This also helps with hair length retention. Furthermore, using satin or silk either to wrap hair or on pillowcase nightly can better retain moisture and prevent friction that can further raise cuticles.

5. Moisturize Effectively After Clarifying - Product build-up makes grey hair look dull and lifeless, lacking luster. Using a clarifying shampoo every 2 months to deep cleanse and restore shine is important and should be immediately followed by a deep moisture application, to improve moisture absorption.

   Remember, grey hair is not a downgrade - it’s a shift that calls for loving understanding and the right care.

   Inside my R,E.T.A.I.N.™ Method, we focus on nourishing strands for moisture, elasticity and long-term length- greys included. Let your grey shine without the breakage. Join waitlist here, for early access and exclusive updates.