Truth is, we all start to go gray at some point in our lives. While gray hairs are completely natural, just the sight of one triggers an internal instinct to immediately pull it out. 

Now, the commonly held belief is that if you pluck it, many more grays will follow in its wake. This is actually a myth—what you do to a single strand can't spread like contagion. "The surrounding hairs will not turn white until their own follicles' pigment cells die," says Trey Gillen, hairstylist and creative director of education at SACHAJUAN. 

So, why all the panic about plucking gray hair? Well, there are almost zero benefits to the temporary departure of a gray strand; in fact, there are worse consequences. 

​There is only one hair that is able to grow per follicle. When your strand turns gray or white, the pigment cells in the follicle surrounding the hair have already died. "In other words, plucking a gray hair will only get you a new gray hair in its place," says Gillen, so any plucking is pretty much pointless since you're simply delaying the inevitable. 

In the long run, you're actually doing more harm than good. "Plucking can traumatize the hair follicle, and you can damage the follicle to the point where it will no longer grow any hair," says Gillen. Forget about having gray hair—you won't have any hair there at all. "If you're a serial plucker, repeated 'plucking trauma' can even cause infection, scar formation, and bald patches," adds Gillen. Ultimately, this will create the appearance of hair loss and thinner hair.

If you consider yourself an expert plucker, you might be thinking that you can pluck the hair carefully without causing damage. But tread with caution—the reason people think more grays are summoned when they pluck is because it looks and feels more noticeable on your scalp. When the follicle produces less melanin, it tends to produce less sebum as well, so gray hair has a different texture from the rest of your pigmented strands. In the best case scenario, the gray hair that grows back in its place will be wiry—think coarser, thicker, and more noticeable than the hair you had before, says Gillen.

Gillen agrees that the best thing to do if you notice a gray hair is to ignore it—it happens to the best of us eventually—or dye it back to its original color. If there is a gray strand you absolutely must get rid of, very carefully cut it off instead of plucking it. And of course, you can always embrace it—there's a silver lining in going gray. There is wisdom in age, after all, so consider those distinguished strands a crown of wisdom.

Should you shampoo before you come have your hair colored? Almost daily, someone will ask if they should wash their hair before tinting or highlighting.

The idea of not washing before a color service goes back to the old days, when color products were very harsh compared to the gentle colors we have today. A bit of natural oil on the scalp kept the tingling and staining to a minimum. This was especially important with bleaching services, which could be quite irritating to the scalp.

Fast forward to now, and many clients have been led to believe that the dirtier the hair, the better the color.

​Here are some guidelines to prep your hair for a perfect color service.
​

1. Wash your hair 12 to 24 hours before your color. This will assure the hair is clean, but allow the oil in your scalp to create a protective barrier against irritation and staining.
2. Wash the hair, but don’t aggressively scratch the scalp. broken skin or scratches will definitely burn or tingle with color or bleach.
3. If you work out hard before a color service, wash your hair. Excessively oily hair lifts poorly, processes slowly, and doesn’t color well.
4. Make sure any cover up products you use to disguise your roots between services are out before you get to the salon, or arrange to come earlier to have it pre-shampooed. Otherwise you may not get coverage where you want it most.
5. Ditto for dry shampoo. It can create a barrier that color doesn’t penetrate well.
6. Shampoo especially well if you use oil in your hair such as coconut oil or olive oil. Heavy oil products make the color ineffective, and make highlights bleed all over the place.
7. Styling products are generally OK, unless you use loads of them. Hairspray can be brushed out before the service, and most non oily products are fine.
8. Come with dry hair, or arrive early to have it dried under a dryer, While color takes fine on damp hair, damp hair pulls a lot when your sectioning and you will be much more comfortable starting with a dry head of hair.

​

Mistake #1: Ultra-Length

​Many of us have had very long hair at some point— and experienced the trials and tribulations that come with brushing and detangling it daily.

As we age, our hair naturally thins out, Abdullah explains, so having long, one-length fine hair won't emphasize your timeless beauty like a shorter, more layered cut can. 

"As you get older and your hair gets thinner, long hair isn't what it once was, says Abdullah. "It can age you because your once full locks are now less so, and it shows." 

Instead, Abdullah recommends a "lob" style, or a "long bob" to keep as much length as possible if you want it— while importantly not weighing your face down.

"Lobs— bobs that fall in the neck area or above the shoulders— soften angles that come out in your face with age," says Abdullah. "Make sure your stylist adds a little layering to keep your lob from falling flat."

For textured hair, Abdullah says to avoid  "a short haircut that's the same length all around." She notes that "three-inch afros are a thing of the past" and aren't as youthful-looking as other styles could be.

"Grow your hair at least five inches and fade it around the sides and back or put it in a puff at the top of your head," Abdullah says, noting both looks use your curls to hide a thinning crown.

"If you have thinning in the front, but your features are up for it, try a buzz cut," she says. "Buzz cuts are the thing for all hair textures and you can use them to play around with temporary colors and try a new look every month."

#2: Outdated, Rounded Haircuts

​Some haircuts that once ruled the 1980s, like mullets and shags, have come back to the forefront to some degree, but there are others (think rounded, flipped ends) that are more outdated in comparison. 

"Okay, so the mullet came back for a while," says Abdullah, "That doesn't mean you should rush out and get one to feel young again." She adds that doing this could "have the opposite effect," making you look and feel like a "throwback." 

Another "outdated" look to avoid, Abdullah says, are bangs that are cut straight across with round volume. "This is another outdated trend that will put too much emphasis wherever the bangs lay," adds Abdullah. "In addition, the rounded poof look just belongs somewhere in the 80s." 

Instead, Abdullah suggests going for fringe styles cut in short, angular snips. "Give them more volume and thickness by pulling more hair in from the center of your head, if it's possible," she adds. 

One quick tip before heading the salon, Abdullah says, is to "try one of the many hair makeover apps available on mobile devices." These can help you get the perfect on-trend cut, style and color that suits you, Abdullah says. "Just show the stylist the picture of your new look when you're ready."

#3: Super Short Bangs 

Bangs are timeless, versatile and work with any hair color and texture. There's a reason why they'll forever be the go-to, stylish cut for many people. Bang trends also vary— from curtain to parted to micro fringe.

If you wish to create an anti-aging effect with your hair style, Abdullah says to avoid micro, baby or mini bangs. "Wherever your bangs fall, that is the feature they will emphasize the most," says Abdullah.

"You don't want short bangs that fall right in the middle of your forehead where you might have a few lines," Abdullah continues. Instead, she recommends bringing your bangs down to your eyebrows "to emphasize your eyes." instead.

She also adds that curtain bangs, or longer fringe parted down the middle of your head, can be "romantic" and youthful as well. 

#4: Layerless Bobs

​If you want to create movement and volume with your haircut, a one-length style will not have that effect. Layers that frame your face have the power to highlight your facial features while also adding the look of more hair if it's thinning and aging. 

"Layers can do so much to hide thinning hair," Abdullah says. She notes that women who want to look younger should avoid one specific type of one-length hairstyle— a short cut that's "the same length all over and barrel-curled close to the scalp." 

To prevent this cut, Abdullah advises to bring your stylist pictures of pixie cuts "where some of the hair is cut shorter than other parts and swirled to cover thinning." She adds that this looks "fantastic at any age." 

So, if you're heading to the salon any time soon and want to go out with the old hairstyle and in with the new, you now have trendy pointers to try and a list of ones to avoid.

The main factors to look out for when wanting your hair to look more youthful is adding layers to create movement and volume, having eyebrow length fringe if you do want bangs, avoiding too-long styles and being receptive to change!

Aging hair is still beautiful at every stage, and you know yourself and what style makes you feel the best more than anyone else. 

1. Your hair versus that goal pic.
“Okay so you got your hair inspo from Insta and Pinterest which is FAB, but making sure you have realistic expectations when it comes to those images are important. Your starting canvas, previous hair history, and having an honest conversation about how much upkeep you are willing to invest in your hair determines whether it’s realistic or not (stylists, it’s our job to help educate why it may not be achievable in one session or ever).”

2. If you want long hair, you have to cut it.
“Say it with me beauties, TRIMS! if you feel like your ends are split, dead or thin, you need a haircut. This in turn helps your hair grow longer because it is not splitting or breaking off! Trust us, please!”

3. Color doesn’t lift color.
“Using a lighter brown color on your dark brown hair will not make it lighter. The only way we can lighten your previously colored hair is with lightener (highlights, blonding, balayage). A single process color (one all-over color) versus blonding is a price difference!”

4. You get what you pay for.
“Time, education, experience. Finding the stylist that is up to date on trends, styles and new techniques comes with a price! If they are investing thousands of dollars in their education to better serve you, it’s worth putting in the extra money to go to a salon that furthers their education!”

5. If you love your experience, say something.
“So now that the anxiety is gone, and you are loving your new hair, it’s the perfect time to leave some feedback! Us hairdressers love to hear that you are enjoying your new hair and promise we will adore you even more! Tell your friends, leave a review, spread the word. We appreciate you!”

Hair care routine is something that one ought to diligently follow. It is normal to feel lazy from time to time, but it is also essential that one understands a pattern which suits their hair, and follows it.

While most people wash their hair at least once a week, not many know of the proper way of shampooing. Dr Noopur Jain, founder and consultant dermatologist at Skinzest, tells indianexpress.com that hair is delicate and it requires proper care and attention for maintenance. “Shampooing is one of the most important steps in a hair care routine, hence knowing some facts and knowing how to do it right is crucial,” she says.

The doctor lists five shampooing tips and tricks for effective hair care; 

1. Shampoo is only for cleansing the scalp, not for hair strands
A shampoo is exclusively for the scalp, it is supposed to be massaged into the scalp alone for 30 seconds or more depending upon the intensity of the product. Remember that for even distribution and better lathering, your hair needs to be wet.
​
2. Shampoo should be used in little quantity; it should be diluted with water
If you do not do this, it can cause excessive dryness. Applying too much shampoo can damage your hair. No matter how long your hair is, a coin-size scoop is mostly perfect for everyone.

3. Shampoo frequency varies from person-to-person
Most of us apply shampoo once or twice a week. But depending on your hair texture and scalp nature, you must change your frequency. Some might require shampooing every day and in that case, using mild shampoos is a must. While some scalp might not require regular shampooing, hence slowing the frequency is important for texture and growth. Consulting a dermatologist if you’re facing any issues while shampooing can help you derive better results.

4. There’s no best shampoo
What suits someone else may not work for you. Everyone’s hair is different. You need to find a shampoo that suits your hair according to its nature. A dermatologist (or your hairstylist) can guide you regarding your scalp condition and hair texture. Some may have dry scalp and some oily, hence picking the correct shampoo will work wonders.
​
5. Tying wet hair with a towel causes breakage
Once you’re done washing your hair, the drying part should also be considered. Carelessly tying up your hair with a tight towel can cause damage and breakage. One of the best ways to dry your hair is using a cotton towel or a cotton t-shirt; its soft texture won’t cause any damage.