I had no idea that accepting my naturally curly gray hair would mean making some adjustments to my (non)routine in 2017. Not the health of my hair, but the grow-out was my main concern. It goes without saying that I was first dissatisfied with my performance. My silver hair was drab, frizzy, and wiry.

But after doing some research, I changed the way I was taking care of my hair, and it showed in the form of lustrous, defined, and healthy silver curls. If you’re unhappy with your natural hair, pay attention to the health of your hair and use these suggestions to successfully get silver curls.

Find Your Inspiration

Find your inspiration first. To visualize your long-term objective, make a vision board, Pinterest saves, and Instagram bookmarks. Look for blogs by gray haired people who write about their experiences and groups where ladies encourage one another to go natural both before and after.

The women who inspired me to become gray don’t realize how much of an impact they had on my choice to stop using the color. I went to Pinterest and started looking for inspiration because I wasn’t using Instagram at the time. This is a screen grab of my Pinterest profile:

Pay Attention to Products

Assessing your hair products is the first step towards having healthy silver curls. Products marketed for “curly hair” may not be good for your hair type, especially if you have silver hair. Steer clear of anything containing silicones, parabens, and sulfates. How are you aware? To find out if your products pass the test, visit one of the curly product applications like Curlscan, isitcg, or Think Dirty. If not, discontinue using them right away and replace them with items that are cleaner.

Since every person is unique, it’s critical to determine what works best for your hair. However, I use the following tools and products on my gray haired curls: LUS All-in-One Styler, Righteous Roots Rx Thickener, Original Moxie Hair Bling, DevaCurl Hair Diffuser, DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture Conditioning Mask, Wet Detangling Hairbrush, and Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Wash.

Intensely Moisturize

I took a few steps to prevent breakage and dryness in my silver hair, which has a tendency to be very brittle. Don’t use shampoo too often. I change my shampoo every seven to ten days on average. I “co-wash,” or wash my scalp with conditioner in between shampoos, using a head massager to work out any dead skin on my scalp.

Every wash or co-wash, I also deep condition and switch between a protein and a hydrating mask. I leave the deep conditioner on for thirty to sixty minutes, whenever time permits. Using an oil to “finish” styling and to refresh on days when you don’t wash your hair is the last line of defense against dryness.

Combat Crazy Grays

Early on in my growing-out phase, one of the most depressing discoveries was the emergence of wild wiry hairs that sprang straight out of my head and didn’t get along with the others. According to some research, this might be because the follicles are shrinking as a result of the reduced production of sebum, or oil, around the hair shaft. This started a daily ritual of massaging the scalp.

Start with an oil, such my beloved Righteous Roots Oil, jojoba, or argan. To increase blood flow and sebum production, massage your scalp for ten to fifteen minutes per day with finger pads. After a few months of regular massage, I saw a considerable decrease in those “crazy” hairs combined with great hair growth. I still massage my scalp four to five times a week, usually during my commute home from work because it’s a really calming experience.

Avoid the Yellow

Frequently, people inquire if I use purple products to counteract yellowing. I’ve discovered that using “clean” products consistently has eliminated my need for the purple goods. With this routine, my hair doesn’t become yellow. I rinse my gray curly hair with apple cider vinegar once a month to prevent product buildup, and the result is lustrous, healthy-looking hair.

Find a Supportive Stylist

My dyed hair was so black that I had to get a hairdresser to add lowlights to soften the contrast between my gray hair and my dye job. Although adding lowlights made me feel less uncomfortable and embarrassed, I thought the stylist did not fully grasp what I wanted to achieve. In general, the salon seemed more concerned with concealing those silvers than with showcasing them.

I’m glad I discovered a hairstylist who is genuinely encouraging. I was aware of her status as a reputable and long-standing curly hair hairdresser. I was unaware of her dedication to helping ladies who desired to accept their gray hair. She was supportive of my choice right away, so I didn’t have to justify it to her. When she took out “Silver Hair,” Lorraine Massey’s most recent novel, I felt I was at home. 

Try Protective Headwraps

My favorite technique to preserve my hair during the day is using stylish headwraps. In order to keep my hair out of my face and preserve my curls, I frequently wear head coverings when doing household chores. In order to shield my silvers from UV rays, I also wear a head covering when tending to the garden or lounging by the pool. Lastly, to prevent frizz and preserve curls, I cover my head at night. For this reason, my kids gave me a collection of thirty various types of headwraps from Kalily and Toes Home.

Be Patient

I encourage patience because it took me some time to observe results. Although they may take some upkeep, naturally occurring silver curls are well worth the effort. To see results, you must truly commit. Take your time to discover the color and pattern of your natural hair. This implies, in my opinion, that in order to reach this conclusion, you need to get past the “roots” and ideally to your temples.

“I would grow my hair out if I knew it would look like yours,” is a statement I hear from a lot of ladies. However, you are unable to draw this conclusion from the appearance of your roots in between colorings. Furthermore, “commit” does not preclude you from changing your mind if, after some maturation, you don’t like how you feel or what you see. Rather, you must pledge to give it enough time—like, at least six months—to make that decision.