Shampoo for shiny grey hair

[LemonMyrtle]

Well! There's hardly any of my dyed hair left now. One or two more cuts should do it. The result isn't silver or white or anything half so elegant - maybe platinum. But I feel so much happier with this than with any of the other colours I've been in the past couple of years and I'm enjoying the simplicity of six-weekly haircuts, free of colouring and root touch-ups.

If anyone has a recommendation for a shampoo that enhances grey shades of hair, I'd be very interested, please.

[Cougar]

LM, I shall tell you exactly what to get.  My hairdresser had me get it to use every now and then to keep my highlights fresh.  It's made for white, gray, lightened & toned, highlighted and light blonde tinted hair.  I get mine at a local beauty supply shop.  And it works.

Visit --> http://www.clairolpro.com/products/haircare/shimmer_lights

[Kelly]

Yep, that's the same stuff I used when I had blond highlighted hair.

[makinalist]

Well, y'all know by now that I have silver hair, and I too use the Clairol Shimmer Lights shampoo and conditioner at least once a week.  When I visit a relative who has well water, I take only this one and use it every day.  I buy mine at Sally's Beauty Supply.

I have also used Matrix So Silver, Paul Mitchell Platinum, and Pantene Silver Expressions.  These are all lavender-toned to cut down on brassiness and yellowing.  I would still like to try one of the blue ones, just for fun.

[LemonMyrtle]

Thank you! It looks as if Shimmer Lights isn't widely available in Australia, sigh, but there are plenty of US sellers on eBay and truth be told it's probably less expensive than buying it here.

[makinalist]

Honestly, I'm not sure if there is a lot of difference in the results of any of these products, as long as you are using something to brighten your gray.  Some are more conditioning (Pantene and Clairol) and some are a bit drying (Paul Mitchell and Matrix), so that might make a difference to you.  You don't actually have to use two products together either.  I would say try anything you can find easily that isn't too expensive and work from there.

Some people shouldn't use the purple stuff too often since it can build up too much of the color.  Others will need a good conditioner if they have dry hair to start.  You'll need to experiment at first.  I think they all recommend leaving the product on your hair 1-3 minutes.

[LemonMyrtle]

Thanks, MaL

I've noted your recommendations too and the tip about needing to experiment a bit.

I was going to wait until all my dyed hair had been cut away but there's so much grey now that I think It's Time!

[makinalist]

It is fine to use these shampoos on hair that is not 100% gray.  They don't deposit color so much as brighten the gray that you have.  The experimenting is to find out how much your gray reacts and then decide how often to use the shampoo and/or conditioner.  As I mentioned, sometimes a situation like using well water will prompt me to use mine more often.  That water yellowed my gray more than anything else I have experienced.  Luckily, swimming pool water doesn't seem to affect me much.

Good luck and keep us updated as you try things!

[BettyBoop]

I sometimes wish I could just let my grey grow out. However, frizzy grey hair looks too much like steel wool -- not a very attractive look. So I am stuck with monthly hair coloring. Oh, the price of vanity.

[SusieQ]

So I am stuck with monthly hair coloring. Oh, the price of vanity.

[LemonMyrtle]

Thought I'd attach a pic to give you some idea of how the growing out process has taken shape. You can see a bit of dyed hair at the ends still and it will be kept shortish until that's all gone. From there, we'll see. It's been interesting so far and is definitely something to be undertaken only when the time feels right. I haven't been immune to the sideways glances aimed at me at my most hotchpotch stages!

[lilmama]

Thanks for all the recs and the pix. The strange thing about my gray growing out is that my dyed hair was spiral curled, like 3 b/c and the gray is straight. I don't mind so much but people think I was perming my hair as well as coloring. Still have about 1 1/2" of color to grow out and for me and the slow grow of my hair that will take just short of forever.

[Veuve]

LemonMyrtle, you are so gorgeous! And I love your glasses!

barbr, have you ever tried a clear glossing treatment? I've heard that does the same for texture without needing dye. I hope someday to be able to skip the demi-perm altogether and just use a gloss.

[Poppyfields]

Lemon, your dazzling smile lights up your whole lovely face.   From that pic, I'd never know you were in a grow out phase.  It looks like your hair is highlighted - trying to keep up with your personality!  

Hang in there, lilmama, only 1.5 inches left is great progress.

I have almost 2 inches of grow-out, and tried a demi color in dark blond to match up the ends with the growth.  Alas, even ash blond dye is warmer than the dark steely gray of my natural color.  Also, after I finished drying my newly dyed hair and looked in the mirror -- I saw my mother looking back at me.  

   Not gonna doit, not gonna doit.  

Think I'm going to try leaving in a light ash blond for the minimum time, leaving the gray's for highlights instead of leaving the dye in for 45 minutes to get full bleaching like I had been doing.

 

[castell]

http://www.nextag.com/gray-hair-shampoo/compare-html

Lemony, you are beautiful!  May I borrow your cheekbones?

The trouble with grey hair is that the cuticle splits so shiny stuff doesn't have a place to cover and shine, it just sinks in. 
Someone mentioned a glossing treatment.  But you want to avoid the whole touch-up thing, right?
There's a gorgeous model, Carmen, in her 70's, beautiful grey-white hair--and Judy Collins and Emmylou Harris---wonder what they use?