HOW TO SLOW DOWN GRAY HAIR AND HOW TO DYE OR COLOUR YOUR HAIR NATURALLY - 100% CHEMICAL FREE

After the age of 40, I must say that I noticed lots of bodily changes had happened to me, and one of them is I am slowly growing a grey hair. Seeing those changes made me realized that aging is really inevitable. Although, we can't avoid it, I did some research how to slows down and hide the gray hair using natural products. 

First, let's talk about the things that  we can do in order to delay the process of growing gray hair. When your hair goes gray is mostly determined by the genes that you inherit from your parents. But if you want to know how to slow down gray hair, these lifestyle changes may help.

1. Take your Vitamins. Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals have been linked to premature graying. For example, researchers have discovered that iron deficiencies were common in people with prematurely graying hair. You can get all the vitamins and minerals you need for healthy hair growth from the food you eat. However, many people find that adding a supplement is an easy way to make sure all your nutritional bases are covered when it comes to hair growth.
2. Fight Free Radicals. Oxidative stress from free radicals is also thought to cause prematurely gray hair. Free radicals come from many sources, including air pollution and UV rays. One way to combat oxidative stress is by limiting your exposure to free radicals, like wearing a hat or a hair sunscreen on sunny days. Another way is to incorporate more antioxidants into your diet. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing oxidative stress, which can help to slow down gray hair. Plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables are chock full of antioxidants, so make sure to eat your veggies if you want to slow down gray hair growth!
3. Stop Smoking. Smoking cigarettes has also been linked to premature hair graying. Thus, quitting smoking may be another way to slow down gray hair.
4. Reduce Stress. Among scientists, there is some debate over whether or not stress causes gray hairs. Even if reducing stress doesn’t help to slow down gray hair, practicing good stress management techniques can have other benefits for your health. A few tips to manage stress: (1.) Exercise regularly (2.) Develop a meditation practice (3.) Spend time in nature (4.) Engage in creative activities like journaling or playing music
5. Consult your Doctor. Premature graying can also be a symptom of certain diseases. If you’re concerned about graying hair, it might be wise to make an appointment with your doctor.*

Now that you got some idea how to slow down your gray hair, knowing how to hide it is the next thing in your mind especially when attending special occasions. Although, lots of commercial hair colourants are readily available in the market, it is still best to use the natural hair colourants, as you could avoid chemicals that can cause harmful side effects to your health in the long run. Like for me, I was ok using commercial hair colourants before, but when I reached my 40's I noticed that I became sensitive to it and developed some allergies. After 2 days of application, I experience an itchiness on my scalp and noticed some redness on the area extending to my forehead. And I decided to stop using it, instead I opted out for the natural way of colouring it. And that is how I discover this technique that I am about to share to you. 

COLOURING YOUR HAIR USING NATURAL INGREDIENTS

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With this method, we will only need 3 ingredients. Although this sounds very simple, knowing the technique on how to do it is also crucial in order to make it successful. So here are the ingredients:

• Organic Henna Powder
• Organic Indigo Powder
• Warm water

Note: The measurements will depend on how long and thick your hair is. The longer and thicker your hair, the more ingredients you needed. Below are the proportion between henna and indigo inorder to achieve a desired colour.

• More red/brown shade - use large percentage of henna such as 2 parts henna to 1 part indigo.
• Warm mid brown  shade - use 1 part henna to 1 part indigo
• Dark brown shade -  use larger portion of indigo such as 1 part henna to 2 or 3 parts of indigo
• Henna look with less coppery red - use 4 parts henna to 1 part indigo
• Black shade - dye your hair first with henna so it goes auburn/red then dye your hair with the indigo and the auburn/red turns to brown. To achieve the desired shade,  you need to leave the indigo on  for a specific amount of time. The longer the indigo is left on, the darker and less red it would be.  If you leave it on fot the maximum time it can go  black.  

The instruction is very simple. Along the way please give a particular attention to our tips to enhance its effectiveness. 

1. In a non-metallic bowl or container, pour the organic henna powder ( please read the note above about the measurements. )
   
   
2. Add the warm water slowly, at the same time stirring the mixture all the time until you will create a yogart like consistency. 
   
   
3. Cover it with cling film or any other possible that you can use. Soak it for half an hour, preferably somewhere warm. Tips: When henna is mixed with non-acidic, neutral PH liquid such as water, it releases the dye quicker. It should not be left soaking for more than 2 or 3 hours, or it can go past the dye release stage. 
   
   
4. Then after 30 mins, get the mixture and add the indigo powder ( please read above about the proportion of henna and indigo )
   
   
   
   
5. Again add the warm water until the yogart consistency is achieved.
6. Quickly put on your protective gear, such as gloves, plastic protection for your clothes and apply vaseline or oil on the surrounding skin where you are going to apply the hair colourant. 
   
   
7. Apply the mixture straight away to the affected hair using a small hair brush  from the root to the end of the hair and cover it with cling film. Leave it on the hair for at least 2 hours. The longer you leave it on your hair the stronger the colour will be.
   
   
8. Then rinse the henna mixture out of your hair until the water runs clear. Avoid using shampoo for 24 - 48 hours post application, you can use the conditioner instead, then rinse well. And dry it with towel. 

Note: The colour may seem bright, brassy and coppery at first, but don't worry this will deepen over the next 3 - 4 days. This is because it takes a few days for the oxidant process to take place. ( Like a cut apple which darkens over time due to oxidation. )

So that's how simple it is. You hair is now coloured. There are few tips that I would like to share that could be helpful when doing this method.

• Bare in mind that everyone's hair is different and will take the colour slightly differently. 
• Testing a strand is strongly recommended to first see how the colour will be before applying it all over your hair. We recommend waiting 24 hours after the strand test to see how the colour develops, because the colour oxidises and darkens over time. 
• We recommend you apply the henna mixture to a clean hair without any conditioner or styling product on it. 
• Using a barrier cream on your hairline and neck will help to avoid staining your skin.  
• Wear gloves and protect your clothes and floor in case of drips. 
• Avoid getting the paste to your eyes - if this does happen flush thoroughly with water. 
• Discard any leftover paste.
• After use, tightly seal up the packet and store in a cool, dry and dark place.
• Chemically lighted hair with peroxide will affect the colour result. It can make your hair more porous and thus absorb the colour in an unpredictable way. So it is especially important to strand test the bleached hair before putting all over you hair. 
• Avoid build-up of colour on the ends from repeated applications. Just apply henna mixture to the roots and not all over you hair. Or apply the paste first and leave it on for some time before applying the paste to the ends of your hair - so effectively the henna paste will be on the roots longer. 
• Allergy patch testing. It is unusual for anyone to be allergic with this kind of hair colour, as it is pure and chemical free, but it is possible, because some people can be allergic to natural ingredients too. To do an allergy patch test, apply a small amount of the paste to the inside of your elbow and cover with the sticking plaster. Keep checking to see if there is any skin irritation. Leave for up to 48 hours. If there is ever a rash or skin irritation during or after use of the product, discontinue use. **

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Reference:

* Colleen Welsch. (23 July 2020). How to Slow Down Gray Hair. Viviscal Advanced Hair Health. https://blog.viviscal.com/how-to-slow-down-gray-hair/

 **It's Pure Ltd (2018). Henna Hair Colouring Instructions. It's Pure Organics. https://www.itspure.co.uk/its-pure-organics/henna-body-art-quality.html