This post is sponsored by Pantene. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My silver hair journey.
I’m continually fascinated by trends but never more so than the fascination with silver hair. Young, old and in-between all have something to say about it. Who knew that silver hair would be a color that you could go into the salon and ask for? I know that what started out to be the bane of my existence has now become something I love and is uniquely mine.
Silver Hair
It was between the years of 1974-1975 when I noticed I was seeing these silver hairs popping up around the sides of my head… My father had started turning grey at the age of seventeen. His silver strands had started in his sideburns. By the time I was old enough to pay attention to these little details, he had a head of thick salt and pepper hair. So, genetically I was predisposed to grey earlier, but I wasn’t prepared to start that young.
I began to count these silver hairs at the age of fourteen as more and more of these persistent hairs showed up. I plucked them out to no avail and finally realized that I was fighting a losing battle. When I graduated high school, I decided to go to Cosmetology school, because my thoughts were, “I’ll be coloring my hair the rest of my life – I might as well know how the process was done and help others like myself to cover their unwanted greys too.” I even remember thinking “who will want to marry someone like me that already has grey hair?” The stereotypical image associated with silver hair was getting old and aging, and I wanted no part of that. I was just beginning to live. I went on to attend cosmetology school and got married a year later. All the while I was thinking, “thank God for hair color” that I have access to it and can take care of those pesky roots anytime.
Fast forward to 2014 when the trend in grey and silver color was beginning to come to life. Aging and getting older wasn’t what was associated with this color. It was the younger crowd that was all interested in these shades. I was now bleaching and toning my hair which was the easiest way to extend not having to go to the salon every 3 weeks. I started using a purple shampoo at the time to help with reducing the brassiness in my hair color. I also started having some hair loss and decided to see if it had anything to do with the bleaching processes. I started growing my hair out to its natural color. Boy, was I surprised to see my natural color!
It was the color I had been sitting for several hour in the salon for.
I have to say that the process of growing my hair out was really easy for me. It probably was due to my concerns being more with my hair loss than what the color was. I later found out that my problem was hormonal and had nothing to do with the bleach and toning. But I was free to spend my time other ways now that I didn’t have to go the salon. And I’ve never looked back! I share with everyone that it’s been empowering to embrace my natural color.
Silver and grey do have its own set of rules though and it needs to be handled with TLC. The pesky greys that were stubborn and unruly really are more fragile than most of you may think. For starters, your shampoo is important. I mention that I use a purple shampoo to help with brassiness in my hair. The brassiness can come from a number of places. One is the type of water you have. If you have over-chlorinated water or water that contains high levels of iron in it, it can cause your hair to yellow or look brassy. Also, medication can contribute to yellowing with your silver or grey hair. Your silver/grey hair can also change color if you don’t protect it from hot tools or over use them. The last culprit that can cause discoloration is the sun. This is why protecting your hair is so important! And using a purple shampoo can be helpful.
I’ve been using the Pantene Pro-V Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo for the last several weeks on my hair. I normally shampoo every 4-5 days. (My hair tends to be drier in the months with less humidity, so I try and wash it less.) I was normally using a purple shampoo twice a month, because the pigmentation was quite high, and I didn’t feel it was necessary to use them that often. I wanted to brighten up my silver hair and reduce brassiness and didn’t want it to have so much of a lavender hue. The Pantene Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo can be used every time I shampoo with no fear of having huge amount of purple color deposited on my hair over a period of time.
The purple shampoo makes natural greys beautifully silver and brightens whites by eliminating brassy tones and excess yellow brought on by the environment. When applying the shampoo, make sure you hit the brassiest areas and allow the product to sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. The product is lightly scented and color-safe for those of you with dyed grey hair!
This shampoo doesn’t have any parabens which can dry your hair out and cause curly hair to frizz. It also doesn’t have silicone which is used in so many shampoos to make your hair feel soft, but it actually coats the hair and over time can lead to build up.. The Pantene Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo has neither of these additives, so this won’t ever be a problem.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m thankful for the hair color I have! Silver hair rocks! I’m grateful for brands like Pantene that make taking care of my hair just a little bit easier. Make sure you pick up the Pantene Pro-V Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo on Amazon!
XO
Photographer/Sam Moore
