Go Gray Gracefully

Congratulations! You've decided to be yourself and stick to your roots - your gray roots, that is. You're saying goodbye to the long hours spent in a salon chair covering those silver strands, and hello to a beautiful, affordable, and best of all, natural hairdo. It's going to feel good going gray, and here's how to do it gracefully.

In the Salon:

1. The first step in going gray is to tell your hairdresser. Given her knowledge of your hair, its color, texture, and length, she can help you plan a gradual process for weaning off the hair dye. As Lydia Cassia, owner and stylist at Salon Elle Hair Artistry (http://www.salonellehair.com/index.htm) in Westchester, NY explains, "There are many options for women during the transition period to gray. If you have dark colored hair, you might consider going lighter with highlights and lowlights that will make the gray hair blend in better." "Or, you might consider a demi (semi-permanent) color or a tinted glaze," says Cassia. But, odds are you don't want to just abandon any coloring whatsoever because grays grow in differently on different women. Some women see large streaks of gray or white, while others only have it near their hairline, and still others see it grow in all over. "It's important to ask you hair professional to guide you and your hair needs in the right direction," says Cassia.

2. Speaking with your hairdresser will also be beneficial when it comes to deciding on your hair cut and style. Now that you're going gray, do you really want long locks? You may want to opt for a shorter 'do, which Cassia says normally works best with gray hair, but choose a style that's still modern and stylish. Decide what you feel comfortable with - you have every right to look like a silver fox, and you don't have to resort to a "Granny" style.

3. Because gray hair is much more coarse and brittle than normal hair, anything that will soften and add shine to your locks is recommended. "Shine is the key to having young hair, whether you're gray or not," says Cassia. "If your hair is frizzy, a keratin treatment at a salon is great." A keratin treatment softens and shines hair the chemical-free way, thanks to its protein-rich formula. Ask your stylist if they offer the treatment, make sure they use a formaldehyde-free version, and expect to pay about $200-$400 for the one to three hour treatment that will last three months or more.

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