Six years ago, I was 30 and had a healthy, thick, wavy black mane.

Today I’m 36 and half my hair is gray and wiry.

My son, Gus, was looking at a picture of me from when I was 30 and asked: “Dad, how did you get so old, so fast?”

Great question, son.

Going gray didn’t happen overnight. I remember spotting a few gray strands in my late twenties. A few years later, I saw some more. Then one day I woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw as much salt as pepper.

I’ve never freaked out about going gray and have never thought about dyeing my hair back to its youthful color. Even in high school my friends described me as grandpa-like, and I actually always looked forward to getting older.

But while I’ve never worried about going gray, I have been curious about it.

What caused me to go gray at such a relatively young age? Was it stress? Genetics? A combination of both?

And now that I have gray hair, do I need to do anything different with my hair care and grooming to make it look its best?

To answer those questions, as well as get the scoop on dyeing your hair for those men who’ve considered it, I did some research and talked to Thad Forrester, owner of Hudson / Hawk Barber & Shop.

Why Does Hair Go Gray?

Each one of your hairs grows out of a hair follicle, and each follicle contains cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes produce two types of pigments, or colors: eumelanin, which is dark brown or black, and pheomelanin, which is reddish yellow. Eumelanin and pheomelanin blend together to give you your hair color. (Dermatologists will often refer to eumelanin and pheomelanin simply as “melanin.”)

When melanocytes in the hair follicle start to die, the strand of hair gets less melanin as it grows and takes on a more transparent color. Gray hair is hair that’s still getting a bit of melanin, but not enough to lend the hair its youthful hue. White hair is hair that’s not getting any melanin at all. Once a melanocyte cell dies, there’s no resurrecting it — it’s dead forever, and it will never produce melanin again. Barring some breakthrough in bioengineering (or dyeing your hair), once hair goes gray, it’s gray for good.

Besides giving hair its color, melanin also helps make hair smooth and lush. Consequently, gray, melanin-deprived hair often gets a wiry or coarse texture and it becomes increasingly difficult to style and manage.

So that’s the mechanism behind hair going gray — its pigment-producing cells die. But what causes those melanin cells to expire in the first place?

Scientists don’t really know.

Age certainly plays a factor and is of course why we associate going gray with getting old. As you get older, all of your body’s cells start to die and malfunction, including the cells that make hair color.

But some people go gray sooner and some people keep their color well into old age.

What gives?

There’s a popular theory that stress causes people to go gray. To bolster this argument, you’ll often see side-by-side pictures of American presidents the day they started their term and the day they ended their term. The President of the United States is arguably one of the most stressful jobs a person could have, so if a man grays considerably during his administration, we figure it was the stress that caused it, right?

Well, maybe. And maybe not. While there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that stress causes people to go gray, scientific studies that have looked into the matter have been mixed. There’s some evidence to suggest that stress hormones could disrupt melanin being delivered to your hair strands, which would cause it to go gray, but again, it’s not conclusive. With the graying of presidents’ hair, it could just be a function of getting older; 8 years is a fairly long time, after all.

So stress may or may not play a role in when you go gray. The most significant factor, according to science, is likely your genetics. If your parents went gray at a young age, then the chances of you going gray young are increased.

So what do you do when you start going gray yourself? Should you dye your hair? If you don’t dye it, do you have to change anything with your hair care? Let’s explore those questions. 

Should You Dye Your Gray Hair?

To dye or not to dye. That is the question.

Graying hair is less disconcerting to men than losing hair, and unlike Western women, who are pressured to maintain their youthful looks, and hair color, for as long as possible, we males generally have the luxury of letting the aging process take its natural course. Gray hair is distinguished on a man. It makes him look wise, seasoned, and sometimes even sexy.  

But if you’re in your 20s and 30s, gray hair can feel like it’s prematurely taking the sheen off this last season of youthful virility. And an older man who works in a youth-driven industry, or is back on the dating scene after being divorced or widowed, may also feel pressure to look less stodgy. If you fall into these categories and/or simply feel the desire to dye your hair, keep the following considerations in mind:

If there are just a few spots of gray on your head — like at your temples — you might consider dyeing only those patches with something like Just for Men AutoStop. With this kind of product, you don’t have to dye all of your hair (though you can), just the parts that are going gray. It’s relatively easy to use (you just comb it in and let it sit for 10 minutes before you shower), and it lasts for up to 8 weeks.

If you’re already pretty salt and peppery and you want to color all of your hair, do so gradually. If you go from George Clooney to Keanu Reeves overnight, people are going to notice. To gradually color your hair back to a more youthful color, try something like Just for Men Control GX which is hair dye in a shampoo; as you use it over the course of a month, more and more of your gray is colored, and you can stop once you’ve achieved the desired effect.

A lot of men’s drugstore/DIY hair dyes don’t actually cover all of your gray, and that’s okay; it can look more natural to still have some showing.

The downside of off-the-shelf/DIY hair coloring products, especially if you’re dyeing all your hair and want close to 100% gray coverage, is that you’re limited in the colors you can choose from. As Thad explains, “Natural hair colors and tones are extremely varied, but [men’s] color dyeing products give you like four color options to choose from — black, dark brown, light brown, and blonde. If you color with a product like that, it’s not going to match your natural hair color and things are going to look off.” When your hair’s a monotone color, it looks flat and fake, like you rubbed your hair with shoe polish.

Thad says if you truly want a better-looking end result, you need to visit a professional who specializes in hair color: “The reason women look great when they color their hair and men typically look bad is because women pay a professional a lot of of money to make it look as natural as possible, while a man will typically opt for the DIY approach. Professional hair colorers can do a better job of matching natural hair color compared to what you can get out of a box.” Traditional barbers typically aren’t trained in hair coloring, so you’ll need to visit a salon.

But before you book an appointment with a hairdresser or pick up a box of Just for Men, consider the many downsides of coloring your hair (always thoroughly read through the Amazon reviews for dyes to understand what you’re getting yourself into):

1. You have to dye your hair every 3-8 weeks. Every month and half or so (depending on how fast your hair grows, how often you get your haircut, and how frequently a particular formula of dye is applied), you’re either going to have to visit a hairdresser to dye it, a process that can take up to an hour, or go through the rigmarole of dyeing your hair at home (which is considerable: you’ve got to apply vaseline around your hairline to keep it from staining your skin, clean up stains on your countertops and hands, and so on).

2. You have to keep dyeing it for-ev-ver (or until your age surpasses your vanity). To keep your hair colored, you’ll have to keep up the dye jobs indefinitely. Once you stop, your hair, especially if it’s gone predominantly gray, will look funny growing back. Before you start dyeing, imagine yourself signing a contract with Just for Men, agreeing to use their product until 2050. As that’s essentially what you’re doing, if you’re not comfortable with that commitment, think twice about starting to color your hair.

3. It costs $$$. Getting your hair colored at a salon can cost $25-$100. That’s really going to add up over time, which again, can be decades.

4. Dyes can be harsh on hair. Hair dye contains chemicals that can sometimes make your hair fall out. Gray hair ages you, but so does thin hair.

5. No matter how natural the hair color, dyed hair never looks completely natural on a man. No hair dye — even those created by a salon — completely matches your original hair color, and even when it’s close, it still doesn’t look quite right, at least on older guys: our brains are used to seeing older women with colored hair, but don’t expect to see older men with such, so when you see a guy with a 50-year-old face, but completely jet black hair, it just registers as being a little off. You realize he dyes his hair, calling attention to it, and his age, and making him seem a little vain and insecure — the very opposite effect from what he’s looking for!

For these reasons, Thad and most male barbers recommend that men who are starting to go gray just let the process take its course. “It’s just easier to manage than dyeing your hair, [and] it looks good, and shows a lot of confidence in a guy,” Thad said.

Embracing the Silver Fox: How to Take Care of Gray Hair

As mentioned above, gray hair is caused by a reduction in melanin. Besides causing your hair to turn gray, a decrease in melanin also makes your hair wiry and harder to manage. So if you decide to embrace your gray hair, there are some changes you’ll need to make to your grooming routine to ensure your new silver mane looks its best:

1. Opt for a shorter haircut. If your hair is still thick, despite the fact it’s going gray, Thad says you still have a lot of options on how to cut and style it. “There are a lot of men with longer gray hair that look good.” (Paging Sam Elliott.) If you’re going to go longer with your gray mane, ask for a cut with more texture. A textured cut involves the barber cutting your hair at an angle which gives it some volume and movement compared to cutting your hair straight across.

While it’s possible to go long with gray hair, Thad likes to steer men with graying locks to cuts that are short on the sides and a little longer on the top (think Clooney). “I like to use clippers on the sides and the back and use some textured cuts on the top,” he said. “A short haircut lets you hide or blend the gray more compared to longer haircuts. Short gray hair is also easier to manage and style than long gray hair. Also, there’s something about a short haircut that takes the years off of a man’s face, so if you’re worried about gray hair making you look old, a shorter haircut can counteract that.”

2. Use a product with a bit of shine. As gray hair loses its natural shine (thanks to the lack of melanin), Thad recommends avoiding completely matte hair products when styling: “Matte products make your hair look a bit dull which is something you don’t want to do when you have gray hair because gray hair is already dull.”
Thad likes semi-matte hair products for gray hair, which have some shine, but not so much that it looks unnatural. A couple specific recommendations from Thad were Cardinal Atlas texturing clay and Firsthand Supply texturing clay.

One product that I’ve had success with on my gray hair is Mitch Construction Paste. It holds my hair without getting crunchy, has a bit, but not too much, shine, and includes conditioning ingredients to reduce some of the wiry-ness of my grays.

3. Don’t shampoo your hair as frequently. Thad told me that most men, including men with no gray hair, shampoo their hair way more than they need to. But shampooing your hair less frequently is even more important when you have gray hair. “Every time you shampoo your hair, you’re washing away your hair’s natural oils. You only need to shampoo your hair a few times a week. This is especially true for men with gray hair since gray hair is already naturally drier,” he said.

Instead of shampooing every time you shower, do it every other day or so.

4. Consider a hair oil. To tame the wirey-ness of your gray hair, try a hair oil, which softens and moisturizes the hair. If you’re having trouble with the coarseness of your gray hair, Thad recommends rubbing in a few drops after you shower.

5. Consider using shampoo and conditioner made especially for gray hair.Once a week use what’s called a “purple shampoo.” It’s called a purple shampoo because it’s, well, purple. They’re designed to make your gray hair look bright and vibrant rather than dull and yellow. Thad recommends talking to someone who specializes in hair color before you start using a “purple shampoo,” though, because while “They can help remove brassy tones from your hair over time . . . it’s possible to overdo it with these shampoos.”

If you reduce how often you shampoo, and use the right hair product and perhaps a hair oil, your gray hair will be in good shape, and you can confidently step into your maturity and enjoy your status as a silver fox.


This article from the blog Art of Manliness
(Guys: you might want subscribe to this blog.  Their posts are full of great information.)

If you shower before bed, you’ve probably wondered whether sleeping with damp hair is a problem. Maybe you’ve heard it could make you sick, or that it can damage your hair or skin. What’s the truth?

Let’s address the “it can make you sick” myth first.

“This idea seems to fit into the old bit of folklore that getting yourself chilled and wet will cause you to come down with a cold,” says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

While this idea persists, Schaffner says it was long ago disproved. It’s true that you’re much more likely to catch a common cold during the winter months. But this has to do with the ways respiratory viruses proliferate and spread, he says. “You cannot catch a cold from being cold,” he adds.

Another wet-hair rumor is the idea that harmful bacteria will colonize your pillow. Illness-causing bacteria and viruses don’t appear spontaneously, and so you’re not going to make yourself ill by getting your pillow a little damp at night, Schaffner says.

But there is a possible exception. Some research has shown that pillows—especially those made with synthetic materials—can harbor asthma- or allergy-triggering molds and fungus. These microorganisms tend to do well in damp environments, and so do dust mites, says Dr. Payel Gupta, a board-certified allergist and spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Gupta says there’s no evidence that people who sleep with wet hair experience more allergy or asthma symptoms, so any concerns about wet hair are theoretical. But if you wake up with a stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, breathing problems or other allergy or asthma symptoms—or even if you don’t—you should wash your pillow cases and sheets in hot water at least once a week to reduce your exposure to any potential irritants.

When it comes to the health of your hair and skin, there may be a few other legitimate reasons to worry about water-logged locks.

“Generally, it’s thought not to be good for hair to sleep with it wet,” says Dr. George Cotsarelis, a professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Over time—anywhere from a few days to weeks or months—water can degrade a hair follicle’s protective outer layer, which is called the cuticle, he explains. Once that cuticle breaks down, water can penetrate it and rupture the follicle’s inner cortex. The resulting damage can lead to breakages, he says, as well as a loss of shine and elasticity.

But it’s worth noting that almost anything you do to your hair—from brushing and blow-drying it to coloring it or exposing it to the sun--can damage it. While sleeping with wet hair may not be optimal, using conditioner can help restore and repair it, says Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and interim chair of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Friedman says the same is true of any potential skin issues that could arise from sleeping with wet hair. If you’re a side or stomach sleeper, pinning wet hair between your pillow and the skin of your face could cause some irritation, he says. Also, as the water in your hair evaporates, this could promote dryness on your face or scalp, he adds.

But a lot of people sleep with wet hair and don’t seem to have any problems, he says. And in some cases, wet hair may actually be a helpful sleep aid. Research has shown that cooling your head at night helps calm the brain’s metabolic activity in ways that promote sleep onset and restorative ZZZs.
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There may be some mild risks associated with going to bed with wet hair. But of all the health concerns you could worry about, this one shouldn’t keep you up at night.


This was found at TIME.com

​Hitting the chlorinated water nearly every day is not always the healthiest for an aquatic athlete’s hair; however, with a focused hair care routine, you can aim for easier styling. Everyone has their own routine, but here are a couple of tips swimmers, divers, and all others – whether involved in aquatic sports or not – can rock a great hair day after intense time in the water. Grinnell College diver Jonathan Rebelsky and swimmer Gretchen Schreiner offer some tips to make sure their hair stays tame during the season.

1. Pre-Practice Hair Care Routine

First of all, know your hair type and how long you will be involved. Sometimes, swimmers have some product left over in their hair, causing their caps to slip off mid-practice and sometimes creating a slimy feeling in the water. Schreiner, who claims to have thin, straight hair, tends not to wash her hair before practice because of how easy it is for the cap to slip off. Rebelsky says that since he just dives, he only worries about rinsing his hair after practice.

As an extra precaution, Schreiner also has a certain way of making sure her cap stays secure. “I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I also do not wear my hair tied back under my cap, since I find the combination of the cap and hair tie pulls a lot more of my hair out during practice,” Schreiner says. Eventually, she just leaves her hair down, puts on her cap, tucks in her hair, and swims a full practice with her cap slip-free.

2. After-Practice Hair Care Routine

After jumping out of the pool, you will have that picture-perfect effect on your hair for a quick minute. However, once you hit the locker room, the tangles are pulling at your scalp. To keep them from getting any worse, Rebelsky uses an anti-chlorine shampoo – a popular product in the locker room – does a quick rinse and condition and finishes it off with a leave-in conditioner.

Schreiner sticks to her usual hair care routine of a regular shampoo, then conditions for about five minutes, which soaks up all the “chlorine grossness.” To follow, she rings her hair out and dries it with a towel, avoiding brushing to prevent breakage – but once in a while, the tangles need taming.

Both the swimmer and diver also recommend treating your hair to a deeper treatment once in a while. Rebelsky claims that a once-a-week almond oil treatment will leave his hair feeling healthier than ever. Schreiner treats herself to a clarifying treatment at a salon once or twice a year to hydrate her hair and remove pool contaminants: “It makes my hair feel like new!”

3. Handling Bad Hair Days

Once in a while, aquatic athletes may run into a time where they are rushing after practice and have little time to focus on their hair. Schreiner’s remedy for this is simply leaving conditioner in for a little longer. This quick step allows for the hair to detangle a bit more and remain silky before putting a comb to it.

Rebelsky is one of the lucky ones who claims to have no bad hair days. This is due to his consistent routine of keeping his hair healthy. Following the same hair care routine each day can lead to improved growth and shine, leaving little room for breakage and hair color changes to occur.

4. The Don’ts of Haircare

There are certain actions that can make it harder for aquatic athletes to keep their hair healthy, leading to hair drought, breakage, and oiliness. Schreiner says that a shampoo more than once a day can lead to hair drought: “If I have a full day of swimming, lifting, and running, I rinse my hair off to remove sweat after each practice, but I don’t wash my hair until the end of the day.” She highly agrees that a hardworking day calls for full treatment at the finish! On the other hand, Rebelsky feels that no “don’ts” exist in the world of hair care.

At times, being greatly involved in aquatic sports can make it difficult to take care of your scalp. It may take some time to find what works best for your hair. Try some of these suggestions and others as many times as needed, because what work for others may not work for you. A little experimenting can’t hurt, but don’t go overboard. Cheers to many happy and good hair days ahead!

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.


This article is from Swimming World

​When it comes to hair types and textures, has there ever been any one desired as much as curls?! We think not. After all, looking back over centuries of hair styling reveals all kinds of tips and tricks for creating the perfect ringlets, waves and curlicues, from cushion curlers to the ubiquitous curling iron.

Time for an update, yes?! Agreed, and that’s why we’ve rounded up all of our best hacks for turning any and all hair types into the gorgeous curls of your dreams. Bonus: none of them require walking around your home with hot pink curlers in your hair. There’s at least one or two on this list that are perfect for you, so read on and get curling!
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1) Use paper towels!
Yup, paper towels! This household product you’re nearly guaranteed to have already is the perfect tool for curly hair. Bonus? The technique is both no-heat AND an overnight trick. You know how our grandmothers and even older generations would do “rag curls”? This idea is inspired by that classic technique— and doesn’t require you to sacrifice any clothing!

2) Repurpose a flat iron.
If you’re anything like us, you haven’t gone for the ultra-flat-super-straight hair look since sometime in the very early 2000’s— and that means your flat iron hasn’t gotten a lot of play. Don’t throw it out, though; repurpose it to make curls! It’s totally possible and really easy. Simply braid and/or twist your hair, gently run a flat iron over the braids/twists, and voila! Loose, casual “beach” waves in under 10 minutes.

3) Add some tin foil . . .
No, we haven’t bought into any conspiracy theories— just the craziest and coolest way we’ve probably ever seen to achieve our long-awaited curls. If you like the idea of repurposing your flat iron, but don’t have any braiding skill – I’m in your club! – you’ll love this idea. Wrap your hair around your fingers to make a loop, then wrap that in a small piece of tin foil. Pinch each little foil-and-hair packet with the flat iron, then slide off the foil to see your curls!

4) . . . or just start turning that flat iron.
Another way to reuse that flat iron? Just flat out use it as a curling iron! All you have to do is wrap your hair and turn the iron the right way to achieve the curls you want. One less tool to clog up the bathroom!

5) Braid it.
Don’t have a flat iron? Braiding your hair will still work for you! Just braid whatever area of your hair you’d like to see curl, go to sleep, and wake up with waves. This technique is a great, classic go-to.

6) Go formal with a curling iron and a ponytail.
A braid’s not the only style you can reappropriate to give you glorious curls. A regular old ponytail can help you, too! When you use this trick and combine it with a traditional curling iron, you not only get perfect curls, you get them in only FIVE minutes.

7) Knot it.
“OK,” we can hear some of you saying, “I’m sure these tricks work great for those lucky women born with at least a little curl or wave in her hair, but what about those of us with completely straight locks?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with another natural overnight technique— no heat or chemical perms required. Just twist, coil and pin your hair into tiny buns all over your head, then go to sleep. This technique is similar to both classic Bantu knots or retro pin curls.

8) Combine some tricks!
If you find that some of these ideas aren’t working well enough for your particular hair on its own, try combining them! Tying your hair into the Bantu knots and then also applying a flat iron will give you wild curls you’ll love.

9) Do a “Friar Tuck”.
Love the no-heat overnight method but don’t really feel like you have the skill (or the patience) to do pin curls, Bantu knots, tiny buns or rag curls? Fear not! There’s an even easier method that also takes its inspiration from retro tricks: the “Friar Tuck.” (And no, we don’t mean the Robin Hood character.) All you need to is take a stretchy headband and put it around your head, then twist and “tuck” pieces of your hair through, under and around it. Go to sleep, and wake up with gorgeous curls!

10) “Plop” your hair overnight.
Yes, we said “plop” your hair into curls. We love this easy trick because it a) let’s you use the hair care products you already own and love, and b) does its magic overnight while you sleep! How great is that? All you need to do is “plop” your freshly-washed hair into a clean T-shirt, wrap the T-shirt around your head, and go to sleep. You’ll wake up with frizz-free, gorgeous curls.

11) Maintain your curls with “pineappling.”
OK, so after trying all of these tricks to get perfectly curly hair, you want the style to actually, you know,stay for awhile, right? Then you need to try “pineappling”! It sounds – and, frankly, looks – a little crazy, but this method of styling your hair in a pineapple-shape before bed is the perfect way to sleep soundly while maintaining your ‘do. It’s also a great option for naturally-curly-haired ladies, too!

We’ve got many great options, any of us can have curly hair! So now, what do youthink? Have you ever tried “plopping,” “pineappling,” or any of the other tricks we’ve mentioned here? Are there any curly hair hacks you know that we didn’t mention? Share with us and with each other!
 
This article appeared on TipHero