Super Beauty Tips We Didn't Know About Gray Hair

The stunning gray-haired woman in the photo is none other than famous model Carmen del Orifice.

Carmen del Orifice is in her 70s and still rockin' the big hair! An ageless beauty, and with gray, silver hair.

We have learned plenty about gray hair, from a recent article in the February 2009 issue, www.goodhousekeeping.com.

Yes, we will admit to some gray hair. In fact, we have super stubborn gray hair. The unfair kind that sometimes doesn't pick up the hair color on all the strands, making life for us quite challenging in the hair department.

But we learned some super beauty tips, valuable ones for all our gray-haired gals.

We found this little nugget most interesting:

"Childhood photos will help predict your future shade of gray: Black hair turns steel-gray. Redheads and brunettes have more gold undertones mixed with their silver, and childhood blondes tend to go white."

When shampooing gray hair, remember, this type of hair is like a sponge. Very porous and soaks up everything you put in it. So use shampoos with white or clear formulas, says hair expert Barbara Lhotan. Or try a purple-tinted shampoo to tone down brassiness, like Pantene Pro-V Silver Expressions Shampoo ($6.49, drugstores).

As many of you know, gray hair can be stubborn because of its coarseness and wiry texture. Best to arm yourself with a good conditioner to keep your silver locks under control. Barbara Lhotan suggests a conditioner meant for curly or coarse hair. We suggest TRESemme European Conditioner Vitamin E Moisture Rich (32 fl.oz., $5.89, drugstores).

Meantime, if you've let your silver strands grow and grow and tossed out the hair color bottles, good for you. The upkeep is easier, we're sure.

Enjoy your gray hair, because so many women, both young and older, wear it so well.