Is gray hair more fragile?

[Trinka]

I was snipping split ends last night, and noticed that most of them seemed to be on gray hairs.

Has anyone noticed that their gray is more fragile?

[wendyg]

Not in my experience.

wg

[Jinx2234]

My gray hairs tend to be stronger and more wire like than my other hairs.

[Lemur_Catta]

I think it is more fragile because it doesn't contain melanine, so it is more sensitive to the damage caused for example by sun, but I don't think it is more fragile in a "mechanical" way. I don't know how to explain that properly...

[JamieLeigh]

I haven't seen any splits on my greys yet, but I've noticed that they are thicker and coarser and flatter than my regular brown ones....hopefully this will make non-heat curling easy when I get a full silver head!! :D

[meph]

I don't know for sure, as I don't have grey hairs yet, but I figure that grey hair is less fragile. Grey hair tends to be coarser which might make it stronger than fine or medium hair. I'm not sure if this theory is right, but I hope I've helped you anyway.

[Trinka]

My grays seem more fine than the other hair. Maybe the texture just flat-out CHANGES, so everyone would have a different experience?

I'm enjoying seeing the new color showing up, crazy as that is. :)

Trinka

[violetka]

I have only one single white hair and I have had it since forever. I always pull it off when I see it and it always grows back faster than the other hairs - it just catches up with them and never has split end. This white hair is a bastard and does not want to die or split or break :D it is invincible.

Maybe when I become totally white I will be able to grow very very long hair without any problems.

[ktani]

Mine are the same as the rest of my hair, just minus the colour.

There are many silver haired people on these boards with long gorgeous hair.

I do not believe the melanin makes one bit of difference to hair being strong and healthy.

[Trinka]

I LOVE the look of silver and white hair. I just started seeing them in my hair about 5 years ago.

Maybe I just notice the split ends on them more than others, because they stand out.

[Igor]

I think it is more fragile because it doesn't contain melanine, so it is more sensitive to the damage caused for example by sun, but I don't think it is more fragile in a "mechanical" way. I don't know how to explain that properly...

I tend to agree. Grey hair is grey because it’s missing something in its making. I think the level of fragility (Is that even a word? :lol: ) depends on your hair type otherwise

[Lady Mary]

My husband's white hairs are quite strong. He's pulled a few out to examine them and they are much thicker than his normal hair and very hard to break.

[spidermom]

I don't think mine are more fragile.

[ole gray mare]

Mine isn't more fragile per se, but it is lighter weight. I assume because of the lack of pigment. Therefore, it flies around a lot, tangles a lot and generally behaves like cobwebs. A couple of other things about my hair as I've been aging and graying: First, it has gotten thinner. Secondly, it grows more slowly therefore, it is more "fragile" because the longest parts of it are quite "elderly." :lol:

So it is easier to damage than it was when it had lots of pigment, but only because of a combination of all of those reasons, only one of which is related to the gray (the other two are functions of age). I hope that makes sense.

[AJoifulNoise]

Mine don't seem all that fragile. They are thicker and wavier than all the others.

[Fractalsofhair]

I suppose it could be, since graying hair is caused mainly by a build up of peroxide in the hair follicle(which just happens with age), so it's like bleaching your hair, but without the protein loss and cuticle problems. In regards to it lacking pigment. I have blonde hair(lacks pigment), and I can say it is more easily damaged, but I think that's more that it's fine as opposed to the color. I don't know any natural blondes with "coarse" hair though... But dying over graying hair is far more damaging than the grays themselves!

[Speckla]

My greys are stronger and thicker than my nongreys.

[Komodia]

it's crazy that many young people have gray hair!.. in my family not even my grandma who's like 80 has gray hair. Just some gray hairs on the side and that would be it. My mom is 56 and she has very little gray hairs (she dyes her hair though). I don't have any. Well, now that i'm hennaing my hair, i'll never know for sure x)

[Elenna]

My grays are the same texture as the other nongrays. It depends on the person's hair.

[Addy]

Mine seemed more fragile when I was chemically dying it. I didn't notice until I started the grow out process and saw with my own two eyes how all my gray was broken off. They are growing in nicely now and seem just as strong as my brown virgin hair. :)

[Flynn]

I LOVE the look of silver and white hair. I just started seeing them in my hair about 5 years ago.

Maybe I just notice the split ends on them more than others, because they stand out.

Me too! My mum always wants to pull my greys out, but I really like 'em! I've got a really good streak starting at my right temple. ^__^

Mine are as fine as the rest of my hair, but feel far less porous. I haven't noticed a split on any of them yet, but I don't really have enough of them to comment at this stage.

[elaineflowers]

If its true that the greys might actually be courser/stronger than regular fine hair it might be something to look forward to. I have quite a few greys on the top of my head, and have been going grey since I was 15....... so with time I might have thicker hair!!!!!!! we'll see..xxxxx

[MemSahib]

The literature I've read says greys are more fragile but mine seem tougher. At least when I S & D the frayed tips are mainly confined to the brown.