BellaSugar

L'Oréal Has Developed a Pill to Prevent Gray Hair

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:18:00 PDT

Silver foxes like Helen Mirren may soon be an endangered species. According to London's The Sunday Times, L'Oréal will have a pill that prevents gray hair out within the next four years. "We intend people to take it in the same way as a dietary supplement," L'Oréal's Bruno Bernard told The Times. "It won't be expensive. Ideally, you would take it for your whole life, but realistically we would encourage people to start using it before their hair goes gray, because we don't think it can reverse the process once it has started."

Gray hair happens because as you age your cells don't produce as much of a "helper" enzyme called tyrosinase-related protein-2. L'Oréal has developed a proprietary fruit-derived enzyme that it thinks will be able to mimic the effects of your natural protein, but it won't be revealing exactly what the enzyme is until the International Investigative Dermatology in 2013, closer to the pill's release date. Tell us what you think: would you try a pill of this sort?

Have a Few Grays? Here's What to Do About Them

Jaime Richards — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:05:41 PDT

At some point in your life, a gray hair (or two or three) is bound to pop up. It's your call whether to just go with it and let the grays shine, or use hair color to help blend them away. But if you do choose the latter, exactly when is it time to head to the salon? "Go when it starts bothering you," says celebrity colorist Michael Canale, who counts stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Heidi Klum, and Kyra Sedgwick among his clientele. To see the rest of Canale's dos - and some don'ts - of covering up silver streaks, just keep reading.

What to Do With a Few Gray Hairs

Allure — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:34:15 PDT

We're excited to present this article from Allure!

I have had a small number of stark white strands in my hair since I was 14. Since I come from early-graying roots (jokes!), I wasn't surprised by their appearance, but have marveled at their lack of progress. They're not clustered together, and are only noticed by other people every once in a great while. They've never bothered me, perhaps in part because they're a rather pretty white. (If this is the way my full head is going to be in 20 or 30 years-great.) But I recently overheard someone lamenting a slightly different situation. She, too, has only a few white hairs (defined by her as about 10 or 15) but they're front and center framing her face. It's not a X-Men's Rogue or Bride of Frankenstein situation where there's one white patch, but they're all nearby each other, and she feels like they're aging her prematurely. She wondered, "Is this too much to yank out, or is it time to color?" We asked colorist Rita Hazan of Rita Hazan New York for answers. To see Rita's tips on dealing with gray hairs, just keep reading.

Is Gray Hair Sexy?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:00:51 PDT

If you ask me, Matt Damon has never looked better than he did Tuesday when he stopped by The Late Show. I think his graying hair has something to do with it. Paired with the geek chic glasses, the silver streaks really give him a distinguished appeal.

Women with a head for high fashion have been dying their hair prematurely gray recently, but usually men are considered the gender that can pull off the colorless hue. Do you think it's a turn on or turn off?

I'm Not Grey About My Gray

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:00:00 PDT

Check out this excerpt from OnSugar blog Face Your Addiction:

By the time I was in college I'd tried practically every hair color out there, from Fudge's Raspberry Beret to Manic Panic's Green Envy. I should have just worked at Sally's or something, but I'd take my lunch money to buy my staple developer and bleach. At the time, my hair was long and curly, so I had my Ronald McDonald red 'fro moments, but I guess me living in hippie, surfer-ville Santa Cruz, CA, I wasn't much of an oddity. I always wanted true, snow-white platinum, but that was only possible by means of weaves. My grandmother eventually got silvery salt and pepper gray hair, but not at an early age. All I knew was that it was beautiful, and if I could wear all these different colors, it was harmless fun.

All that said, I realized that in all the experimenting, I'd never (intentionally) gone gray. Earlier this year I saw pictures of Kelis, and then a few of my beautiful fellow blogger Nymphette, and figured why not? This seems to be a growing trend of gray on younger folks. Yes, I now live in the Bay Area (still more conservative than Santa Cruz), and yes, I work in corporate America, but what are they gonna say? "Your hair isn't a natural color?" Um, yeah, no. So I just did it!

To see how her experiment turned out, just keep reading. Got a styling story to share? Then why not start your own OnSugar blog?

Men's Biggest Beauty Fear Is . . .

BellaSugar — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:33 PDT

Surprisingly, not balding. According to a recent study by market research firm Mintel, more than half the men polled said their biggest fear about their appearance is going gray. Hair loss or thinning actually came in second. (In case you're wondering, unwanted ear and nose hair came in third.)

"Although gray hair is traditionally seen as a mark of distinction in men, the reality is many men are unhappy with their newfound gravitas," a spokesman from Mintel said. Seriously? Listen up fellas, many women think gray hair is insanely sexy on a man. Additionally, more women happen to be embracing the gray. Don't you think it's time men joined in, too?

The Gorgeous Case For Letting Your Hair Grow Gray

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:00:07 PDT

If you've ever thought that gray hair can't be beautiful or sexy, the latest Vogue and Dazed and Confused Magazine should change your mind. Both magazines have stunning photo shoots with '90s supermodel Kristen McMenamy. At age 45, Kristen looks better than ever, and her long, silvered tresses are undeniably striking. When your color starts to change, do you think you'd consider following this example? To see more from her latest magazine spreads, just check out the gallery below:

View 5 Photos ›

Photos courtesy Vogue and Dazed and Confused

Do You Color Your Hair the Same Shade as Your Natural Hue?

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:00:00 PDT

The other day in the ladies' room, I noticed a big old gray hair front and center. My friend next to me suggested that I start coloring my hair to get rid of this wiry strand and to disguise any errant grays within. But the thing is that I already do color my hair, pretty much the exact same shade as the hue I inherited through genetics.

The main reason I dye my hair so closely to my natural hue is to add a little extra texture and to bump up the warmth just a bit. What about you? If you color your hair, do you stick within the same range as what you were born with, or do you veer off into all sorts of directions?

Before You Reach For the Hair Color, Do This Instead

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:00:34 PDT

At one point or another we're all going to discover a gray strand or two (or three), but you don't have to speed dial your colorist or head to the nearest drugstore for a gray-covering formula. The alternative? A clear gloss.

Recently, while receiving a complimentary cut at Serge Normant at John Frieda salon

, I remarked to my stylist, Jacob that I'd been noticing a few downy gray hairs pop up around my temples. Instead of going straight for hair color, he told me, opt for an ammonia-free clear gloss instead. The clear gloss will coat the hair, giving any gray strands a highlighted effect, all while blending in any errant grays with the rest of your hair. The non-ammonia formula, in turn, will not alter the structure of your hair, keeping your locks looking shiny and healthy in the process. Try John Frieda Clear Shine Luminous Color Glaze ($17 for two) or Radiance Colorgloss Semi-Permanent Hair Color ($5.50) with the Clairol Radiance Color Infuser ($3) developer.

Love It or Hate It? Kelly Osbourne's New Lilac Hue

BellaSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:00:00 PST

Gray hair on young people has been a trend of late, but Kelly Osbourne's just taken it to the next level by going lavender-gray. Maybe she was just trying to stand out from the other silvery-haired beauties in New York high society or, maybe, as one Sugar staffer suggested, her color just went too purple while her stylist was graying it, and she liked the results so much that she kept it. Either way, it's a subtle and surprisingly pretty way to wear an unconventional hair color. But what do you think? Was this a good decision, or do you think she should go back to being a blonde ASAP?