If You Must Dye Your Grays at Home, This Is How Pro Colorists Recommend Doing It
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Whether you've just discovered your first gray hair or this isn't your first rodeo, covering your grays at home is a fairly straightforward process. From temporary solutions to longer-lasting options, it's possible to touch up your roots and blend your grays on a budget in the comfort of your own home.
But if you're used to booking a salon appointment for all of your hair needs, learning how to color your grays does require time, patience, and, above all, research.
“Don't rush into it,” says David Stanko, a hair color specialist known as the Formula Boss. “A shade that worked for your friend or mother may not be suitable for you.”
From the best products to use if you're new to dyeing your own hair to the advice experts recommend all their clients follow, we're explaining everything you need to know about how to cover gray hair at home.
Use a root cover-up for your first time
Your inclination may be to immediately dye the first gray hair you see, but experts recommend trying root touch-up products first. Not only are these temporary products safer for your hair (and scalp, for that matter), but they allow you to find the right shade without making a more permanent commitment.
“You could start with a spray, mascara, or powder to camouflage your grays and see if you like the look,” suggests Stanko. Once you're happy with the results, then you can consider graduating to temporary hair dye, he explains.
Celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Yepez, who has worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Gigi Hadid to Hailey Bieber, recommends L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up as a temporary fix.
“The lightweight formula leaves no smudging or sticky residue when dry and lasts until your next shampoo,” Yepez explains. “All you have to do is shake the can, spray the color, comb, and let it dry for 1 minute.”
Carefully choose your dye
If you're ready to try coloring your gray hair at home, the pros suggest exercising caution, especially when it comes to choosing hair dye.
“Always stick to temporary color when covering grays yourself,” says Maria McCool, a hairstylist and the founder of Calista Tools. If, for instance, you use something permanent and dislike the results, it may be very difficult to change later.
Luckily, there are many options available when it comes to dyeing your hair at home:
Ammonia-Free Box Dye
Box dyes are a popular method when it comes to coloring your hair at home, particularly as reliable brands often provide a plethora of options in a multitude of hair shades.
“A box dye like L’Oréal Paris Excellence Créme Universal Nudes works great,” explains Yepez, noting the importance of choosing a gentle product that's ammonia-free and doesn't include substances like parabens and mineral oil.
“For men, the L’Oréal Paris Men Expert One-Twist Hair Color is an easy-to-use product that blends grays with the rest of your hair for seamless, natural-looking results,” Yepez says.
Color-Depositing Conditioners
If you're wary of box dyes, there are many safe and easy alternatives.
“oVertone’s color-depositing conditioners have nourishing, highly pigmented formulas perfect for covering grays,” says Edson Ibarras, oVertone's resident hair colorist and stylist. Whether you opt for a fun color or a sensible shade, your hair is sure to benefit from its nourishing ingredients like shea butter, avocado oil, and jojoba seed oil.
Direct dyes
“A direct dye, like Arctic Fox, works wonders with blending grays,” explains L.A.-based hair stylist Bianca Hillier, whose roster of clients includes Sofia Richie and Alexa Demie.
“These glosses coat the hair and won’t harm the molecular structure inside the hair strands, creating a seamless grow-out and no unwanted brass,” she says.
Don't forget the patch test
No matter which type of hair-coloring product you choose, you must do a patch test on your skin first. This is to help ensure that you're not allergic to the formula before you put it on your head.
As Hillier notes, coloring your hair at home can be risky, making this step of the process essential. Explaining why she doesn't recommend that people color their hair at home, she says, “There is always likely something that could go wrong. You could even blister your scalp.”
Stanko agrees, advising that you use patch and strand tests — instructions for a strand test are usually included in a product's instructional leaflet.
“This will make certain you're not sensitive to hair color, and you've selected the right shade,” he says.
Ensure you have the right tools
Before covering your grays at home, it's important to prepare your space and make sure you have all of the tools needed to make the process as smooth as possible.
According to Stanko and Ibarras, these include the following items:
An old T-shirt
Protective gloves
Mixing brush and bowl
Good light
A mirror
Towels
Shower cap
Stain shield: Ibarras recommends using a product like oVertone’s The Stain Shield: Color Barrier Stick, which “will help you have a stain-free hairline and soften the line you usually get from coloring at home,” he explains.
Stain remover: Just like the stain shield, having a good stain remover on hand will help to eliminate any unexpected dye-related issues. “oVertone’s The Stain Remover: Hair Color Stain Eraser is great for going over messy areas and having a cleaner outcome,” Ibarras notes.
Alligator clips: “I recommend sectioning your head into four quadrants for a more effortless touch-up,” Ibarras says.
Don't rush the process
If you're a little impatient or have a hectic home life, then covering your grays yourself may not be the best idea. Experts advise that it's crucial not to rush the process.
“It takes longer than you expect,” Stanko explains. “It's not a rush job, take your time. Adhere to the process.” He also notes that you should avoid drinking alcohol while dyeing your hair at home, as it's important to keep a clear head. “Don't drink and dye," he jokes. “Save the celebratory wine for later.”
Also, before you begin applying any color, make sure your hair is washed and completely dry.
“You want to start with a clean canvas,” Ibarras says. “Previous products on the hair, like dry shampoo, excessive oils, or hairsprays, may make it a little harder for the color to drive into the hair, so make sure your hair is as clean as possible.”
Be extra careful with bleach
If you have blonde hair and are attempting to cover your grays at home, you may be tempted to reach for the bleach. However, bleaching your hair is especially risky to do yourself.
“I would not recommend bleaching your hair at home if you’ve never tried it,” Ibarras says.
Those who have experience with at-home hair bleaching will want to opt for safe and easy-to-use products. “If you have more experience, I would encourage you to use oVertone's The Bleach 30 Volume Hair Lightening System to lighten your strands, add highlights, or balayage,” Ibarras explains. This product is 100% vegan and cruelty-free, as well as suitable for all hair types, and its plant-based formula is infused with nourishing botanical oils, he says.
However, Ibarras also notes that bleach-based products are best left in the hands of professionals, and if you're unsure, talk to your hair colorist about the look you'd like to achieve.
Leave ambitious color changes to the professionals
With a range of options at your fingertips, there are a plethora of products that can help you successfully cover your gray hair at home. But if you're not quite ready to handle the task yourself, or you're hoping to make a dramatic hair change (such as dyeing dark brown hair blonde), then it's best to enlist the help of a professional.
“There is so much chemistry that goes into the proper formulation of professional-grade hair dye that long-term gray covering should really be handled by a colorist,” McCool says.
When it comes to making drastic color changes, “Don't attempt it at home,” says Stanko. “Lots can go wrong, from 'hot roots,' when color is unnaturally bright at the scalp, to darker ends,” he explains. “Never a cute look.”
At-home hair dye products are also unlikely to be the same as those used by professional hair colorists, meaning that the outcome might not be as good. Because of this, Hillier suggests finding a professional hair colorist that you trust if you have the budget to do so.
Magic Root Cover Up Spray
Magic Root Cover Up Spray
amazon.com
$16.94
Universal Nudes Excellence Creme Permanent Hair Color
Universal Nudes Excellence Creme Permanent Hair Color
amazon.com
$10.47
Semi-Permanent Color-Depositing Conditioner
Semi-Permanent Color-Depositing Conditioner
amazon.com
$32.00
The Stain Remover
The Stain Remover
overtone.co
$14.00
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