For many, it’s an ongoing saga. One of the most visible signs that you’re getting on in years is the appearance of your hair. In many previous posts, we explored the decision to stop coloring your hair and go gray, along with the pros and cons that accompany that choice. Unfortunately, into 2022, the debate about choosing to go gray remains front and center (if not back and sides!), as several of the women in the new HBO series And Just Like That have allowed their gray to be visible, as might be expected from characters who have entered middle age. The fact that there’s still debate and even ageist backlash against women who show their true colors is distressing: after all, it’s challenging enough to make the decision to stop coloring your hair. No one needs additional scrutiny from others of your choice.

Apparently, however, that’s not the only challenging aspect of going gray. As Alyson Walsh (from the blog That’s Not My Age) recently documented, going gray also can leave you at the mercy of “badly behaved” hair, that refuses to play nicely with a brush or conform to your chosen hairstyle. Walsh recounts the various textures and colors of her now graying hair as she tries to wrangle it into some sort of manageable form. She shares the advice she receives, the products she’s started to use and her readers offer their own experiences in the comments section of her post. In a separate article in The Telegraph, Walsh also offers advice as to how to style your clothing to coordinate with the incoming gray. She recommends certain color combos and gently suggests you push some boundaries, but her overall advice? There’s no need for theatricality just because you’re now gray if that’s not something you are comfortable with. Finally, it seems that gray hair may also warrant a reconsideration of your makeup choices, as the change in hair color and texture apparently requires a bit more boldness on your face to make your features pop!

Beyond its color, your aging mane also may raise other challenges. As you age, your hair diameter thins and your growth cycle slows, so it’s likely you may need fewer cuts but more styling and products to keep things in place. Moreover, your hair is likely to have less natural oil and moisture, leaving it more dehydrated and brittle, which means extra care is necessary when washing, and styling. There are lots of products now on the market especially for older men and women with thinning hair, including Proctor and Gamble’s Keep It Anchored, which promises to help you keep the hair you have. Medical News Today also recently published a long list of recommended shampoo products for women who have thinning hair post-menopause. So grab your brush and click here. And for even more suggestions, check out Prevention’s recent list of the 25 Best Shampoos Dermatologists Swear by for Thinning Hair.

Finally, whether colored or gray, perhaps the most important part of your aging hair care routine is taking good care of your scalp. A recent post in Well & Good argues that for healthy hair as you age, the scalp should actually be your primary focus. Invest in a good scalp serum to address hair loss, along with your dry and flaky scalp; Give yourself a weekly scalp massage to increase blood flow to your hair follicles; and treat yourself to an occasional in-office scalp treatment (sort of like a facial for your scalp). With good scalp care, you’re likely to keep your tresses healthier and happier as you enter your later years. And who knows what benefits that will bestow. As Iris Apfel once said, “If your hair is done properly you can get away with anything.”