How to Get the Yellow Cast Out of Gray Hair

Shampoos and conditioners tinted blue or purple neutralize your hair.

Hair turns gray as you age because the hair loses its pigment. When the pigment is lost, the hair slowly fades to gray, then white. Without pigment, you hair can easily pick up other pigments to which it's exposed. Chlorine, sunlight, cigarette smoke and even the faint dye in your shampoo can give your hair a yellow cast. There is a quick fix to this problem that will save you from having to dye your gray hair to cover the yellowing.

Things You'll Need

• Blue shampoo
• Blue conditioner

Instructions

1. Apply a small amount of blue-tinted shampoo to your hair. Use as much of this special shampoo as you would any normal shampoo. The blue tint in the shampoo neutralizes the yellow color in your hair.

2. Massage the shampoo into your hair for a few minutes. Rinse the shampoo out under warm water.

3. Apply blue-tinted conditioner to your hair. Run the conditioner through your hair, and leave it in for at least three minutes. Because gray hair can be more brittle and dry, conditioning your hair helps bring softness and shine.

4. Rinse the conditioner out of your hair under warm water until you've removed all of the conditioner from your hair.

5. Style your hair as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Find blue-tinted shampoos and conditioners at beauty supply stores or hair salons.

References

• "Ladies' Home Journal": How to Love Your Gray Hair
• Going Gray, Looking Great: Blue Shampoos What Do They Do?
• Oprah: Keep Gray Hair Looking Great