7 Ways To Fix Grey Hair Without Dye

We’ve all come across a strand of grey hair at some point in time in our lives. And, we’ve all had mixed reactions to this. Some of us might find grey hair beautiful and a sign of wisdom, while the rest of us might find it extremely pesky.

If you’re in the latter category, then you’re going to have to step into a salon frequently or have a few coloring sessions at home. But, if you’re constantly on the go, this can get extremely frustrating. Here are a few hacks to minimize the appearance of and fix grey hair without all the hassle of coloring.

1. Trim It

Carefully trimming your grey hair as close as possible to the root is a good way to hide grey hair if you’ve got a few of them. This is a better alternative to plucking, which might cause trouble in the future.

However, this trouble has nothing to do with more grey hair. The age-old saying that plucking one grey hair leads to several more, might not be entirely true. Experts state that considering how each hair grows from a single follicle, the surrounding hair is unlikely to go grey unless the pigment cells in their own follicles die as well.[ref]Gilbert, Sarah. The Imperfect Environmentalist: A Practical Guide to Clearing Your Body, Detoxing Your Home, and Saving the Earth (Without Losing Your Mind). Random House Publishing, 2013.[/ref] [ref]Why does hair turn gray? The Library of Congress.[/ref]

However, plucking might damage hair follicles and cause them to get inflamed. Furthermore, studies indicate that making plucking a habit might lead to alopecia (hair loss) when most of your hair is grey. Hence, if you’ve got a few grey hair, simply trim them to hide them away. But, if you’ve got more than just a few strands of grey on you, it might be a good idea to skip this hack.[ref]Oon, Hazel H., and Joyce SS Lee. “Treatment of pseudofolliculitis in trichotillomania improves outcome.” International journal of trichology 3, no. 2 (2011): 92.[/ref]

2. Dab Some Mascara On It

This is a quick fix solution for people who’ve got grey roots peeking out of their hair. Have a shade of mascara that matches your hair color on you at all times and dab a little on your roots to hide the greys. However, be sure to let it dry out completely and not smudge.[ref]Hagloch, S. B. “Going gray, looking great!: The modern woman’s guide to unfading glory.” (2004): 154-+.[/ref]

3. Give Concealer Products A Go

Of late, several products in the market promise quick touch-ups for people who have gray hair and roots. These range from concealer sprays and airbrushes, to temporary powders and coloring sticks. But, be sure to check for any allergens before you do.

4. Try A Tea Rinse

It is believed that a tea rinse can temporarily darken hair color, although the effectiveness of this method is difficult to ascertain. To try this method, make a strong infusion of sage leaves or any other tea leaves that match the shade of your hair.[ref]Levett, Carolyn. Reclaim Your Life-Your Guide to Aid Healing of Endometriosis. Lulu. com, 2008.[/ref]

Rinse your hair with this solution after you shower. Don’t wash it off. Repeat this for a few weeks to see a difference.[ref]Handa, Parvesh. Herbal beauty care. Orient Paperbacks, 2005.[/ref]

5. Quit Smoking

Your smoking habit might be turning your hair grey. Studies indicate that there’s a link between smoking and premature (before the age of 30) greying of hair. Other studies indicate that consumption of tobacco in any form speeds up hair greying.[ref]Sabharwal, Robin, Atul Gupta, Ninad Moon, Ashish Mahendra, Vinod Sargaiyan, S. K. Subudhi, and S. Gupta. “Association between the use of tobacco and age on graying of hair.” Nigerian Journal of Surgery 20, no. 2 (2014): 83-86. So, quitting might just be a permanent fix to your gray hair and roots problem.[ref]Zayed, Ayman A., Awni D. Shahait, Musa N. Ayoub, and Al-Motassem Yousef. “Smokers’ hair: Does smoking cause premature hair graying?.” Indian Dermatology online journal 4, no. 2 (2013): 90.[/ref]

6. Switch Up Your Diet

Nutritional deficiencies could lead to greying. Studies indicate that people who are deficient in calcium, ferritin, and vitamin D3 are prone to premature greying.

Additionally, iron deficiency and B12 deficiency might also lead to pigmentation abnormalities in the hair follicles. Hence, it might be a good idea to get a blood test done to determine if you’re deficient in anything.

If you are deficient in certain nutrients, incorporate more nutritionally dense foods in your diet. If you choose to try supplements, be sure to consult a professional first.[ref]Bhat, Ramesh M., Rashmi Sharma, Anita C. Pinto, Sukumar Dandekeri, and Jacintha Martis. “Epidemiological and investigative study of premature graying of hair in higher secondary and pre-university school children.” International journal of trichology 5, no. 1 (2013): 17.[/ref]

7. Reduce Stress

It’s true what they say about stress turning our hair turn grey. Studies indicate that oxidative speeds up the greying process.

This kind of stress is characterized by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to detoxify their harmful effects through antioxidants.[ref]Trüeb, Ralph M. “Oxidative stress in aging of hair.” International journal of trichology 1, no. 1 (2009): 6.[/ref] In order to counter this, try meditation and breathing techniques regularly.[ref]Mahagita, Chitrawina. “Roles of meditation on the alleviation of oxidative stress and improvement of the antioxidant system.” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand= Chotmaihet thangphaet 93 (2010): S242-54.[/ref]

Apart from these techniques, eating probiotics is believed to reverse aging’s effects on hair.[ref]Sharma, Divya, Mary-Margaret Kober, and Whitney P. Bowe. “Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotics.” Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD 15, no. 1 (2016): 9-12.[/ref] It’s important to remember, however, that grey hair is completely normal and very fashionable at the moment. So, don’t be afraid to flaunt your salt and pepper locks whenever you can.