Everything You Need to Know About Grey Hair

With each passing day, grey hair is becoming increasingly common, especially amongst the youngsters. Earlier people believed that grey hair is a side effect of ageing and usually people in their 40’s and 50’s are expected to have grey and silver hair. However now, it’s not a surprise to see salt & pepper hair at 20. No matter how much we normalise the appearance of greys, the sight of the first grey strand is always intimidating. We frantically start looking for ways to cover the greys. The impulsive reaction to the grey hairs is either plucking them or tucking them beneath the naturally black hair. These methods are short lived and as the number of greys increase, your worries to cover them up also increases exponentially. 

But worry not. Before we tell you about a safe hair colour for grey hair, let’s understand the reasons behind the increasing problem of premature greying. Have you ever wondered what is resulting in such early greying of hair? The grey hair problem is seriously bothering the youth of today. So, clearly, there is something much more than age that results in premature greying of hair. Let’s begin by understanding the root cause of grey hair.

Causes of Grey Hair Explained:

1. Reduction in the pigmentation or melanin: Melanin is the pigment that gives colour to the hair. Grey hair appears when the amount of this melanin reduces in the hair. Age is one of the prime factors affecting production of melanin. With age, the pigment cells in the hair die. As a result, lesser melanin is produced in the hair, which in turn leads to grey hair. However, there are a lot of other factors that are responsible for reduced melanin in hair. We will discuss them in detail one by one.
2. Genes and your family history: Genes affect our health and well-being to a great extent. And early greying of hair also runs in the family genes. It is found that genes play an important role in melanin production too. So, if your parents, grandparents or relatives’ hair started greying at an early age then you are more susceptible to getting greys at an early age. There is nothing much that you can do about your genes but you can definitely try a safe hair colour for grey hair coverage at home. We have suggested the safe hair colouring ways towards the end of this article.
3. Diet: It is commonly said that a healthy gut means a healthy you. It holds true even for your hair. You must have heard about biotin which is essential for proper growth and health of your hair. A healthy gut is responsible for production of biotin which keeps the hair healthy. Balanced, nutritious diet that is rich in zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B, omega3 fatty acids will ensure healthy hair for you and help to prevent premature greying of hair too.
4. Lifestyle: Unhealthy lifestyle practices like smoking, drinking and sleeping late into the night are detrimental for the health in general. Taking baby steps, one at a time, we must try to eliminate all the unhealthy practices from our routine and  adopt healthy lifestyle practices to prevent early greys. 
5. Stress: These days there is no end to stress. It has become an integral part of everyone’s life. The stress of marks, exams, jobs, promotions, marriage, finances etc has bothered everyone. Increasing stress levels is detrimental for one’s health and causes hormonal imbalance. One of the side effects of stress is premature greying of hair too. So, keep the stress and anxiety at bay, if you wish to have natural black hair for a long time.
6. Environmental conditions: Washing the hair with hard water means exposing it to harsh conditions. Pollution and other environmental factors adversely affect the hair health and impacts hair growth too. So we should protect our hair from all the harsh conditions and take proper care of them. 
7. Excessive exposure to the sun: Sun emits UV rays which is harmful not just for the skin but hair too. People often wear sunscreen before stepping out in the sun, but forget about their hair. Constant exposure to the UV rays might become one of the reasons of premature greying. Hence, always use a scarf or a hat to cover your head before stepping out in the sun.
8. Underlying medical conditions: Certain diseases can also severely affect your hair. Such people are more likely to experience premature greying.

Is there any difference between grey hair and white hair?

There is not much difference in greyhair and white hair except for the amount of melanin in hair. Grey hair has reduced melanin while white hair has no melanin at all. Hair first becomes grey, then gradually turns silver and ultimately becomes white with age. So, white hair is devoid of melanin. 

Why does grey hair appear thinner than natural hair?

Grey hair is drier and appears thinner too. It is because the pigment cells in the hair have died, as a result of which the cuticles become thinner. So grey hair not just appears thinner but is also more prone to damage. Hence, grey hair needs extra care against pollution, UV rays, chemicals etc. 

Is grey hair reversible?

We hate to break it to you but grey hair cannot be reversed. If you manage the factors other than your genes, then you can control the premature greying. But it is almost impossible to reverse the greying of hair. Hair that has turned grey can rarely or never go back to its natural hair colour. While following healthy lifestyle practices one must use a safe hair colour for grey hair coverage at home.

What to check before choosing hair colour?

1. No ammonia hair colour: We all know that hair is made up of protein which is a chain of amino acids. When you use a hair colour with ammonia, the amino acid balance is disturbed leading to hair fall and hair breakage. Ammonia is responsible for lightening and bleaching the hair which makes the hair dry and prone to breakage too. Because of so many side effects of ammonia, one should go for an ammonia-free hair colour. It is safe for the hair. Godrej Expert Rich Crème hair colour is an ammonia free hair colour and keeps your hair strong and shiny.
2. Natural ingredients: Nourishment from natural ingredients keeps the hair healthy. Godrej Expert Rich Crème hair colour has a unique no-ammonia formula with goodness of 10x aloe vera which keeps the hair soft and shiny. Aloe vera is beneficial for the hair, making Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair colour the best hair colour for grey hair..
3. No pungent smell: Hair colour has pungent smell due to presence of ammonia in it. Godrej Expert Rich Crème hair colour has a very pleasant smell because it is free of ammonia and has aloe vera too.  

How to cover grey hair?

The appearance of greys can adversely affect the confidence levels of many. They don’t feel their best even after wearing the costliest dresses, luxurious accessories and the best shoes. A grey strand can spoil the entire look and make people conscious too. Hence, the best way to overcome this insecurity is to cover the grey hair. You can easily do hair colour at home with Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair Colour. It is a safe hair colour for grey hair coverage and super-affordable too.

Before you begin the hair colour process make sure you arrange these items:

1. Pack of Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair Colour
2. A plastic or glass bowl
3. A hair colour brush
4. Gloves
5. Comb

Step 1: Usually with box type hair colours, arriving at the right quantity with appropriate ratio of developer and colourant is a tricky task and you might either end up with higher or lesser quantity. But you won’t face this problem with Godrej Expert Rich Crème hair colour. It comes in single use pre-measured sachet. One sachet is enough for medium length hair. For long hair, you may require more than one pack of the same shade. So, simply cut open the sachet and completely squeeze out the colourant and developer in the mixing bowl. Now, mix the two properly to form a smooth paste without lumps.

Step 2: Place a towel on your shoulders to avoid colour stains on your clothes. Wear old, dark coloured clothes for hair colour at home.

Step 3: Part your hair into two. Now take a small section and start applying the hair colour. Gradually work your way up to the hairline focusing on the grey hair. Once the roots are covered, you can apply the remaining hair colour on the lengths of your hair.

Step 4: After applying the hair colour, secure your hair in a bun or with a clip. You can also cover it with a shower cap. Keep the hair colour on for 30 minutes and then rinse your hair with water till the water runs clear. Make sure the hair colour is removed properly. 

Step 5: Use a good conditioner on your hair after rinsing off the hair colour. The conditioner helps to lock-in the hair colour and helps it last longer. It also nourishes the hair and makes it smooth and shiny.

Now you know that the root cause of your grey hair is not just genes but a lot of other environmental and lifestyle factors which are under your control. So, take necessary actions to prevent your hair from greying further. If the grey hairs are bothering you then take steps to colour them. One of the easy and safe options is to use a hair colour for grey hair coverage with natural ingredients like Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair Colour. You can use it at home, at any hour of the day. And, all it takes is 30 minutes to say good bye to the greys. It gives 100% grey hair coverage and keeps the grey hair woes away. 

 Hope we were able to answer all the commonly asked questions around grey hair, premature greying and at home hair colour. Is there something we missed out? If you have any more questions, leave them in the comments below and we will answer them for you.