I’ve been growing out my gray hair naturally for the last seven years but still miss that just dyed salon feel. So I tried a hair glaze on my gray hair and was blown away by the results. Check out all the deets plus my before and after pics to see if this is a good option for you too!

By: Lisa Fennessy

IN THIS POST:

• What is a hair glaze?
• Hair glaze on gray hair (before + after pics)
• I have gray hair and I personally recommend trying a hair glaze 

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Whether you want to believe it or not, gray hair is actually different from hair that is rich in pigment. Not only does gray hair have less color (duh), it’s also different in the following ways:  

• Gray hair is stiffer and more wiry.
• Gray hair has reduced lipids which can make it feel more dry. 
• Gray hair also has reduced growth factors which can make it feel like it’s taking forever to grow. 
• Gray hair is thinner. 

Sound familiar? It does to me. I’ve been letting my gray hair grow in naturally for the last seven years and it definitely feels different than it did when I was dying it. A few things I notice are: 

1. I don’t have to wash my hair as much. Sometimes (depending on my workout schedule), 1X a week is enough. 
2. It doesn’t look or feel as shiny as it used to. 
3. It tends to break easier. I know this because I can see it in my flyaways. 
4. It feels rougher. 

There are a lot of things I do differently to my hair now that it’s gray but no matter what I do, I can’t seem to get that post-hair-dye-shine vibe. When I colored my hair, I used to love stepping out of the salon and running my fingers through my hair. It felt so soft and it looked so shiny. But since I don’t dye my hair anymore, I guess that feeling is gone for me. Or is it?! 

[*Record scratches* as hair glaze enters the building.]

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What is a hair glaze?

Last time I was at my hairdressers, I asked her if a hair glaze (sometimes called a hair gloss) would be an option for me and she gave me a resounding “YES!”. So I immediately booked it to accompany my next cut and that day just rolled up last week. 

A hair glaze is a demi-permanent hair color SANS THE COLOR! So you get all the bennies of coloring your hair but without actually coloring your hair. This is because the hair glaze closes the cuticle of your hair shaft which = you leaving the salon with more shine, more smoothness and more overall va va voom. 

I asked my hairdresser if all types of hair can benefit from getting a hair glaze and she said yes, including kinky or coily hair. 

This whole process took about 30 minutes and included a hair wash, the glaze application, conditioner + scalp massage and then a blow dry and styling. 

The only downside is my hairdresser said this would only last for about 4-8 weeks depending on how much I wash my hair. I wish it lasted longer! 

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Hair glaze on gray hair (before + after pics) 

The pics do not do this treatment justice but here are my before and afters: 

It’s not glaring but I can kind of see that my hair looks sleeker and more shiny in the after pic. What I can’t see though is how smooth and healthy it feels. It’s like night and day!

Sidenote: I’m really loving the natural ombre look I have going on in the back! My hair is very light on top but right now it deepens into a darker shade of natural brown at the bottom which adds so much visual interest. I love this. 

The other cool thing about getting a hair glaze is you can add a hint of purple to this treatment which would really brighten up any gray hair brassiness or yellowing—in a more permanent way than a shampoo would. 

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I have gray hair and I personally recommend trying a hair glaze 

I would definitely glaze my hair again. I only get my haircut twice a year so I will add a glaze in both of those times. And then I may even pop over for just a glaze here and there in between cuts depending on how I feel. (Also, Hell Yeah Gluten Free is right next to my salon so maybe I’m going for the hair glaze, maybe I’m going for the double chocolate glazed donut—no one knows!). 

When I shared that I had gotten a hair glaze on social, I got a couple questions asking about the safety and toxicity of this treatment. (Love the question). Unfortunately, this is hair dye guys. And while no better option for hair dye has been innovated yet, the salon I go to uses OWAY which claims to use the harsher chemicals in the least percentages possible. I personally haven’t verified this.

The other question I got was if you could do this at home. I don’t like DIYing anything when it comes to my hair but YES if you want to do a treatment like this, you can definitely do it yourself. I would recommend getting a consult from your hairdresser the next time you are in to see what off the shelf product they would recommend specifically for you. 

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Have you gotten a glaze or a gloss? What questions do you have?