Hair tips to make transition to gray | Cosmetics & Makeup

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Hair tips to make transition to gray

Deciding to go gray, or natural as many women refer to their hair, isn't an easy decision. Here are some suggestions to help you and your hair look great.

• The transition. Stylist Jennifer Austin at Schardein & Co. suggests two ways to transition from colored hair to gray. If the hair is long or a medium length, it can be cut short so the gray doesn't take so long to grow in. The easiest transition, she said, is to go with heavy highlights in blond, silver or gray. New growth will blend with the highlights.

• Go stylish. To keep from looking matronly, younger women with gray hair say a stylish cut is important. They also advise staying current with fashion and makeup.

• Hair care. Gray hair tends to be coarser, so use a good conditioner such as Kerastase Oleo Relax, she said. A purple or violet-based shampoo used at least once a week will remove environmental toxins from the hair, that can cause it to look yellow. Alex Mendez-Kelly, owner of The MakeUp Bar, said a protectant spray will keep gray hair from turning dirty and brassy when you're in the sun. She suggests Phyto thermal protection to deflect heat damage and add shine and luster.

• Best face forward. As women age, they lose pigmentation not just in hair but in skin, making sun damage and freckles more prominent, Mendez-Kelly said. Women may need to rethink their makeup and the quality of their products. Consider foundations with more luminosity, more moisture and just a hint of shimmer.

"If skin is dull, it takes away from the whole package,” she said. "If you've always worn pale, beigy pink, you may have to step it up to mauve or darker pink-brown, or maybe soft burgundy, because you want to compensate for that loss of color,” she said.

The idea is not to add more foundation, lipstick or blush, just adjust the color. A bright lipstick will better define lips, and a lipstick will offer more pigmentation and last longer than gloss. A swipe of color on the cheeks looks healthy.

"If you use mascara, don't ever go without it. That will really fade you out,” Mendez-Kelly said. "People who go gray, go gray in lashes and brows, too. I think you need to add color to brows and lashes. ... We communicate with our eyes so much. If you're washed out, I think it can affect the way you feel. It's really important to put that color back in.”

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