Yellow Streaks in Gray Hair

Gray and yellow hair — Photo: Pemastockpic/Shutterstock

Q: I am 66, gray, and started to get gray in my twenties. Over the years my hair has been very beautiful but now it is has yellow streaks in it. I do not smoke. My hairdresser thinks it is from the sun in the summer as I spend lots of time outside. But I do not recall that it turned yellow before this past year, although I used to keep my hair quite short. Now I am letting it grow a little longer. As I used to cut my hair more frequently, perhaps it was often enough to avoid the yellow?

I have stopped using products (like spray, shine stuff, etc.) as I feared that was causing the yellowing. I wash my hair with {brand name deleted} shampoo (which does take the edge off the yellow) and use a conditioner (hydrating balm).

I now use nothing else, just shampoo and conditioner. Could medications or vitamins cause the yellow? Lots of people comment, but I do not want to color my hair. I am happy with the looks of my hair being longer and hate to think I will have to cut it off again. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Before you decide to cut the hair, you may want to consider speaking to your physician about the medications you are taking to see if discoloration of the hair is a possible side effect. There are numerous things that can affect your hair, from some medications, and some vitamins (those high in beta-carotene for instance) can cause some discoloration.

As another option, you could consider seeing your stylist about bleaching the yellow from the hair, or do it yourself at home by mixing your favorite conditioner with equal parts of 30-volume peroxide and applying it to the hair, leaving it on for 20 minutes under a plastic cap.

Afterward, shampoo the hair carefully and condition it again. You should see a lessening of the yellow. Follow up with continued use of the brightening shampoo and conditioner. You can repeat the peroxide/conditioner process as needed, but I would wait at least a week between.

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See also:

The effect of medications on our hair

The way hair responds to sun exposure

What can I use to get yellow out of my gray hair?

How can I avoid that my salt and pepper hair turns yellow because of flat iron heat?