Hair Colour
What causes grey hair?
Grey hair is caused by a loss of pigment to the scalp. Pigment is produced by a substance called melanin which is dominant in youth but, as one gets older, there becomes less melanin in the skin. Therefore, the hair cannot take the pigment and becomes white or grey. Grey actually is a combination of the natural colour and white hair, giving the appearance of grey. It isn't actually a grey hair.
Can I prevent or slow down the production of grey hair?
Regrettably, there is no way as yet of slowing down or preventing grey hair. Fortunately, you have so many products, tints and the like, that we can do it cosmetically but grey hair can't be treated medically, as yet.
Is grey hair a sign of aging?
Commonly, grey hair is a sign of ageing. But there are people who suffer from premature greying of the hair. In some cases, at the ages of 20-25, you can see people with grey hair. That obviously is not a sign of ageing, it's just a hereditary condition.
Does dying your hair damage it?
Dying the hair does not damage it if it's done correctly. Following the manufacturers instructions will prevent any damage from taking place. Hair damage can occur if you ignore the instructions or if you over-process it. Over-processing the hair will lift the outside hair cuticle, allowing the pigment to penetrate the hair shaft. By leaving it there too long or by applying too much heat or something like that, the hair cuticle will not settle down again after colouring. If that is the case, then you have damaged the hair, and the cuticle being lifted will allow the moisture to escape. This will allow the hair itself to become brittle, and it could snap.
Are there non-toxic dyes for your hair?
There are non-toxic hair dyes that one can use. They tend to be rather limiting. Henna for example is one non-toxic die, but in order to have a pure henna it is bright red. In order to have the browns in henna you actually have metal salts within those, so they can't actually say that they are non-toxic, though they are arguably less toxic perhaps then the chemical dyes. Having said that, chemical dyes prove to be extremely successful and providing instructions are followed, particularly where skin testing is suggested by the manufacturer, there is no harm in using chemical dyes to colour hair.
Should you only use certain dyes on different types of hair?
The only rule regarding different types of hair and hair colour really comes between colour rather than type. Where you have very, very dark hair, you should not ever attempt to bleach it. It won't succeed. You will end up with a very orange colour. It's not possible to take black hair down to really white or white blonde.
Will I go bald quicker if I dye my hair?
Dying your hair makes no difference whatsoever to hair loss, unless you damage the scalp in so doing. Providing you follow instructions, you cannot damage your scalp; it cannot possible make your hair fall out any more rapidly.
