Why Does Gray Hair Become Frizzy?

Your hair may turn gray as you age. Various underlying conditions may also cause premature graying. Along with pigmentation changes, gray hair loses moisture due to less sebum production. This causes the cuticles to weather and becomes porous, causing dryness and frizz (1).

This is a natural process, and that is why you have to be extra careful with aging hair. Here are a few ways to minimize frizz and make your grey hair manageable.

How To Manage Frizzy Gray Hair

1. Trim Your Hair Regularly

Trimming your locks every six to eight weeks is the easiest way to prevent split ends. The hair ends often do not get the natural oils and may weather easily. Trimming them will prevent further damage and frizz.

2. Avoid Hair Accessories

Gray hair should be handled with care. Avoid tying, pinching, or binding your frizzy gray hair tightly. This may cause hair breakage and aggravate frizz. Go for relaxed hairstyles. Keep your hair loosely tied or rolled up in a loose bun. Use gentle accessories like silk hair bands and scrunchies to style your hair.

3. Use Gentle Hair Care Products

When choosing shampoos and conditioners, avoid any drying ingredients like alcohol and SLS. Use natural, SLS-free shampoos or choose products with mild surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine. Go for hydrating conditioners and hair masks that contain plant oils like shea butter, argan, jojoba, and coconut oils. These will keep the strands moisturized and minimize frizz.

4. Avoid Hot Showers

Always use lukewarm or room temperature water to wash your hair. Hot water can damage the cuticles and cause further dryness and breakage. Cold water helps flatten the cuticles and keep the hair smooth and soft.

5. Handle Wet Hair Gently

Wet hair is prone to damage. Avoid twisting and rubbing your wet hair with a towel. Instead, wrap it with a microfiber towel and then air-dry.

6. Ditch The Blow Dryer

Minimize the usage of a blow dryer as much as possible. The blast of warm air from the tool can aggravate frizz. Hence, use it in a cool setting. Also, avoid using heat styling tools frequently.

7. Remove All Hair Accessories Before Bedtime

Make it a habit to remove all hair accessories and free your hair before you hit the bed at night. This will allow your hair to breathe and prevent traction.

Often, wrong hair care practices make the hair frizzy and unruly. Take note of these gray hair mistakes and avoid them to keep your hair manageable.

Gray Hair Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Mistake 1: Not Maintaining The Scalp pH

Like the skin, our scalp has a pH of 4.5 – 5.5 and is alkaline compared to the hair shafts. While the ideal pH range of maintaining the scalp, hair, and skin health is yet to be determined, it is ideal to use hair products that have a slightly higher pH than the normal scalp pH. Alkaline products can increase the friction between hair fibers and cause breakage (2).

How To Fix: When buying hair care products, ensure the pH is slightly higher than 4.5 – 5.5. You may buy products with pH values within a range of 6 to 7.

Mistake 2: Not Following A Proper Night Hair Care Routine

Just like your skin, your scalp and hair need nourishment during the night. Applying serums and oils and taking measures to avoid friction during the night is crucial to maintain overall hair health.

How To Fix: Always detangle your hair and wrap a satin or silk scarf around your head to prevent friction during sleep. Use hair serums and treatments to provide additional moisture and manage frizz.

Mistake 3: Not Drinking Enough Water Throughout The Day

Dehydration affects your health, including your hair health. It halts hair growth and may make the scalp dry, triggering issues like frizz, itchiness, hair fall, and breakage.

How To Fix: Make it a habit to drink at least 2.7 liters of fluid in a day.

Mistake 4: Not Oiling Your Hair Regularly

Gray hair lacks moisture and nourishment. Oiling is a way to replenish the lost moisture. If you do not oil your hair often, it may become dry and frizzy.

How To Fix: Once a week, treat your hair to a nourishing oil massage. Use argan, jojoba, and coconut oils. After massaging, wrap your head with a warm towel and wash off after an hour.

Mistake 5: Using Hair Products With Harmful Chemicals

Hair products with harsh chemicals and synthetic preservatives make the hair dull, dry, and lifeless. Avoid ingredients like parabens, alcohols, artificial fragrances, and colors. They cause dryness and frizz and leave a residue on the scalp.

How To Fix: Always use gentle products suitable for your hair type. Use a clarifying shampoo once in two weeks to clear buildup and always follow up with a hydrating conditioner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is apple cider vinegar rinse good for gray hair?

Yes. A well-diluted apple cider vinegar rinse, ideally one tablespoon of vinegar per liter of water, will gently clarify your scalp of product buildup. It will also seal the hair cuticles and give your hair a healthy, frizz-free shine.

Should I use purple shampoo on gray hair?

Gray hair turns into brassy tones when exposed to hard water and heat styling. A purple shampoo can help remove those yellowish, brassy tones and bring a silvery shine to your gray hair.

Does lemon juice help gray hair?

Lemon juice may help reduce the yellow tinges from gray hair and clarify the scalp. However, it does not help restore hair color.

Is ginger good for gray hair?

There is no evidence to support the benefit of ginger for gray hair. However, a study revealed that ingesting ginger may support hair health and growth in people with alopecia (3).

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