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What are the solutions for coloring white hair?

02 October 2022

No white hair at all?

Well, you're either very young or very spoiled by nature, and the question that's been nagging at us - we're nearly one in two French women who color their hair - about how to mask gray hair doesn't concern you (yet!).

But if you've seen the film The Devil Wears Prada, where Meryl Streep wears her beautiful white hair like a "Cruella d'enfer"-style suit of armor, or if you ask yourself the question when you see a woman (or man) over 50 with a pretty natural color and no white hair: how does she or he do it? Then this article is for you.

My experience as a brunette who doesn't like the appearance of white hair at the roots has given me a better understanding of how to achieve and maintain beautiful color.

And as a bonus, I'd like to offer you the advice of the hair color experts at l'Atelier Blanc, a salon that knows how to talk to those who are phobic about white hair, how to repair all kinds of failures, and how to carry out the most technical requests as well as the most subtle white hair colorations. All this under the guidance of the inimitable Frédéric Ménétrier and his professional and attentive head colorist Luc.

And for the curlyheads out there, or anyone who uses chemical straightening (Brazilian straightening) and wonders how to mask their graying hair, I asked Aude Livoreil, founder of Salons Anae and a specialist in curly, frizzy and frizzy hair in Paris, for her advice.

The eternal question about color

To color or not to color your white hair: it's a question we ask ourselves every time we have to re-color our hair or come across a stylish woman or man with salt-and-pepper hair or beautiful white hair.

The color of our hair reflects our personality, influencing our make-up, our clothes, our looks and often our mood. Far from being superficial, it's a choice for ourselves and for others. And often, changing your hair color can change the course of your life. All right, Marilyn Monroe isn't who you want to be...

But should I color my first gray hairs or not? What coloring suits us best as we age? Can I color my hair if I have fine hair? Is it possible to keep beautiful white hair by coloring it? And how do you maintain your white hair color, your natural hair color or your hair color at all?

In this article, we'll answer these questions with the help of expert colorists and pro tips.

By the way, why do we have white hair?

Responsible for hair color: melanin

A quick reminder of hair composition: hair is made up of three different layers. The heart of the hair is made up of medullary cells. This part is also called the medulla or the shaft. Surrounding it is the cortex. This layer represents around 80% of the hair. The cortex is made up mainly of keratin, a special form of protein that forms the basic substance of hair and nails. This layer is the first to be affected by hair treatments at the hairdresser's. The cortex is also home to pigmentation hair. These are the biological pigments that give hair its natural color. Human hair ranges from black and white to various shades of brown and red.

These pigments are also called Melanin as in the skin. White hair is hair that has lost its melanin, and generally first takes on a shade of gray, then turns white.

White hair and aging: is it the only reason?

It's true that ageing is the primary cause of bleaching in our hair, and we're not all equal in this respect. As we age, the number of melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) in the hair diminishes and is no longer renewed.

This is what happens in most cases. There are rare diseases that can lead to white hair unrelated to aging, but in most cases, it's the lack of pigmentation that causes it. And this phenomenon has nothing to do with hair loss, because once white, hair can remain strong and thick. In fact, hair that loses its pigment is often drier and coarser, with a tendency to frizz. So color and texture are two very different things.

True or false: Five tips for coloring white hair

As you've probably noticed, some people have their first gray hairs at a very young age, while others have them much later. It's all in the genes! We don't choose their arrival, but we can live very well with our "whites" and it's often an opportunity to change our look.

So I'm drawing on my memories, my past experience working for a major French hair color manufacturer and my countless visits to hairdressers around the world to bring you this section true and false on the best tips for masking gray hair.

Hair can be lightened to conceal white hair: True

The darker your hair, the more white hair will show at the roots. So be careful not to choose a color that's darker than your natural base, because when the hair grows back, white hair tends to stand out in contrast. As a brown to dark brown brunette, I managed to reconcile myself with my roots when Frédéric Ménétrier, my Star colorist and founder of L'Atelier Blanc, gradually lightened my natural color.

Specializing in highly technical colorations and transparent color patinas, I found true color artists at this salon. It took me more than a year to achieve a light chestnut color that makes my roots feel better, and me too! All this was achieved through a series of hair-friendly colorations.

To avoid white roots, recolour every month: True and False

Hair grows back at a rate of one cm per month, and it's exactly the same for white hair.

So, with white hair, it's all a question of psychological profile.

The best hairdressers will tell you: in the end, the question is how we live with our gray hair, especially at the roots.

If you're a gray-hair freak or control freak, then a monthly visit to your hairdresser may be in order. And if you're one of the half of French women who color their hair at home (not everyone has the time or budget to go to a salon), don't hesitate to ask for advice from a brand expert or on the internet (they can also be found on social networks) to choose the shade that really matches your color. Then, a friend with a good helping hand for application won't go amiss, especially the first time, to color the hair on the back of your head properly. Choose a quality brand and don't forget to take care of your hair after coloring.

If you have a light base or curly hair, white hair will show less and you'll probably recolor it less often.

Finally, today there are products that instantly and fleetingly color hair. They're perfect for spacing out your coloring.

You should color your first gray hairs: True and False

Once colored, the hair's texture changes: the color will open up the scales so that the pigment can penetrate. So if you want to hide your first gray hairs, don't stress: here are the different solutions:

semi-permanent coloring: ammonia-free, it lasts up to twelve shampoos and is gentler and more permissive, but is reserved for covering white hair up to 40 or 50%. It's ideal when you don't have many gray hairs.

Botanical hair dye: increasingly popular, this is a real alternative for gently coloring your first gray hairs. All you need to do is find the salon that can offer you this solution.

Once you've reached 50% gray hair, it's best to switch to permanent hair color for better coverage, but be careful: when hair grows back, leave the color on the roots, but only extend it to the lengths for the last few minutes. Your lengths are already colored, making them more porous and fragile. This can lead to color build-up and a dull, uniform result.

Hiding white hair with a balayage: True

It's true, balayage softens the color, so the presence of white hair will be visually less noticeable. Pretty highlights will distract attention and also provide a nice anti-aging effect! Careful maintenance: care care care care will be needed to maintain a beautiful patina over time.

White hair can be integrated into the hair without coloring: True

If your hair is quite white and you're a blonde, if you have salt-and-pepper hair that's harmoniously distributed, or even if you'd like to keep your pretty white or salt-and-pepper that's part of your personality, assert your white and accessorize it! White hair is becoming increasingly trendy. Use a purple dejaunizing shampoo to break up yellow highlights.

To be accompanied by a hairdresser: True

That's really my advice whenever possible. There's an art to coloring, and a good color should be subtle, nuanced and in harmony with your haircut and skin tone. Your hairdresser is best placed to advise you.

Blonde, brunette, chestnut, curly or frizzy hair, we don't color gray hair the same way.

Advice from Luc, expert colorist at Atelier Blanc, a hair salon specializing in coloring in Paris:

Blondes and white hair:

"For a blonde who wants to mask her whites: I'll transform the white into blonde, "veil" the white hair and apply a highlight so that it blends into the mass. This will be a subtle play on transparency or highlights. On a dark-blond base, you need to recreate the natural base and then work in transparency.

Redheads and white hair:

On a Rousse, you'll need to add red pigments and probably re-colour more often, as red pigment is fragile and tends to bleed. "

Brunettes and white hair:

On dark hair, we can mask or lighten very gradually to break up the dark regrowth bar. A bit like halo lighting. This is a time-consuming technique, but helps to reduce damage to the hair. With an occasional gloss on the lengths to break up red or green highlights on the lengths, you keep the color nuanced and lively.

If you have little white hair, tone-on-tone coloring without ammonia will work well.

Whites or peppers and salts

As for perfect white, it's either natural or very complicated to achieve. Either the hair is perfectly white and all that's left to do is maintain it, or it needs to be bleached. In the latter case, the cut is essential. The fiber will be more fragile, so a nice short cut is a good choice.

For salt-and-pepper hair, the key is to avoid yellowing. Use a de-yellowing shampoo and conditioner.

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