My gray hair just looks dull. Any reason?
A. Without melanin, the hair isn’t self-protected from the sun’s rays. And so it tends to “weather,” becoming rougher and drier. The overlapping cells of the cuticle (think roof tiles) normally protect the strand against water loss. But, when they weather, they don’t lie flat like an armored shield, moisture is lost, and strands can be easily damaged by sun, heat, chemicals, or rough handling. They also don’t reflect light as well. When cuticle scales are raised, light filters into the hair, rather than reflects off of it. This can account for a dull, lackluster appearance.
