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(notice I included myself, as in asking "you other") used one of those hair blueing shampoos. I am reluctant because of sensitivity to chemicals. My mom's hairdresser insists "its not dye", but whatever it is you have to use it constantly because the anti-yellowing effect fades when you don't use it. So once started, its kind of a continual thing. Basically, what this stuff does (under various names for shampoos sold to salons, like Clairol "White Lightening" or whatever) is turn the ugly yellow-gray hairs into slightly less ugly silver-gray hairs.

I know, the "even better" cure is bottles of hair dye, but the chemical load on that would be way too much for me.

Response removed.

ghostjmf wrote:(notice I included myself, as in asking "you other") used one of those hair blueing shampoos. I am reluctant because of sensitivity to chemicals. My mom's hairdresser insists "its not dye", but whatever it is you have to use it constantly because the anti-yellowing effect fades when you don't use it. So once started, its kind of a continual thing. Basically, what this stuff does (under various names for shampoos sold to salons, like Clairol "White Lightening" or whatever) is turn the ugly yellow-gray hairs into slightly less ugly silver-gray hairs.

I know, the "even better" cure is bottles of hair dye, but the chemical load on that would be way too much for me.

I don't use it myself, but I worked for quite a while in the professional hair supply business and used to sell the stuff to folks.

It's not dye. But it does have some violet pigments to it, in addition to regular shampoo ingredients, and it does have fragrance, so it really would depend on how sensitive you are. I've never used it but I had clients that bought it in bulk, so I'm guessing it must have worked somewhat. I feel your pain somewhat, I've got chemical allergies out the wazoo and don't use hair dye either.

Sometimes yellowing hair is caused by shampoo/conditioner/styling product buildup, pollution, etc. You may want to try a clarifying shampoo to see if that helps a bit.

I have never yet had head hair fall out because of a product used. And would like to keep it that way!

ladysoleil says:

Sometimes yellowing hair is caused by shampoo/conditioner/styling product buildup, pollution, etc. You may want to try a clarifying shampoo to see if that helps a bit.


Thanks for the thought, but as I used to be dark-brunette with some strands that got nicely reddish in the summer, my yellowing hairs are definitely gray hairs to begin with, not blonde hairs that are yellowing. Also, my sister, 5 years older with maybe 2 white hairs on her whole almost-black head, says my father's mother, who died when I was very young, had the same yellowish-grey color. My dad didn't, his was more of a steel grey. And my mom's is completely silver-white (probably with a little help from that shampoo, but she doesn't use it regularly).

I've read the "change your shampoo" advice for other reasons, however. The problem is that there are a limited # of shampoos on the market (Frizz-Ease is the best out now) which will occasionally, weather etc permitting, give me ringlets instead of "mass of fuzz". So changing shampoo brands for degreasing purposes just doesn't work well.

If you want to look like Marge Simpson, go ahead.

ghostjmf wrote:I have never yet had head hair fall out because of a product used. And would like to keep it that way!

I've read the "change your shampoo" advice for other reasons, however. The problem is that there are a limited # of shampoos on the market (Frizz-Ease is the best out now) which will occasionally, weather etc permitting, give me ringlets instead of "mass of fuzz". So changing shampoo brands for degreasing purposes just doesn't work well.

Right, because if you overstrip the hair, it gets dry and you get the giant ball-o-fuzz effect. And if you then have to pile products back on to moisturize it to make it behave, well, you've canceled out the clarifying shampoo.

I also have dark brunette/chestnut hair that's getting invaded by chunks of gray, so I'm curious as to what solution you hit on. I suspect I'm also going to need it sooner or later. Luckily so far the gray that's coming in on mine is actually white- I go reddish-blonde first and then it seems to dead end at white. I can live with that, I think, as long as it stays that way.