Hair Coloring Question - Covering Gray

Updated on July 14, 2010
M.W. asks from Nampa, ID
11 answers

Hello Beauty Experts!

I have a fair complexion, hazel eyes, and brown hair. My hair is long (past my shoulders), thick and medium brown. As I age, I am graying at my temples and some more gray throughout, and my hair is darkening.

When I have it professionally colored or highlighted, it costs $80 ish, so I am coloring my own hair color from Sally Beauty Supply. I have tried two or three brands of the permanent gray coverage stuff and after a few weeks, the gray at my temples grows back or shows up. So then I bought this color stick that you can wet and paint on your grays every day between touch ups, and it is not working. I think it looks stupid.

My question is, do I need to be coloring my hair roots every two to three weeks, is there a better color touch up product, or should I go blonder the more gray I get so that the roots aren't so dramatic when they grow in? My hair dries out easily and I live in a dry clmate.

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

I'm in my early 30s and almost completely gray in my front. I've tried them all, but I LOVE Nice n Easy...and there's a root touch up to match in between colorings...and the conditioner that comes in the set is AWESOME! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

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B.B.

answers from Charleston on

I'll be 30 tomorrow, and I'm secretly 95% WHITE! I'm a very dark Italian, but I use the stuff in the box-I believe nice n easy has a root touch up applicator and it comes with a smaller amount of dye-ideal for roots. Going blonde will make it less dramatic, but blonde seemsw to fade out more quickly and bleaching every 4 wks or so can be harsh on the hair. I say touch up the gray with a shade darker than your natural color(since dyed gray usually ends up lighter), or you may want to do highlights, but again, this is 80-100ish unless you do it yourself. But yes, the dye in the box works well. I use whatever is cheapest, because i need to do it so frequently, and only my family and husband and God know what my true haircolor really is-hope this helps

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B.Z.

answers from Minneapolis on

I buy my hair color from Sally Beauty Supply also. I was just at a new one by our house last week and asked the worker and she showed me these little packages of stuff that you put into the regular hair dye for additional gray coverage. I used it and it did seem to work better, so far anyway. My color usually is a little lighter where the gray is but it isn't this time so I am going to buy more of the little packs. They cost like .99 cents a piece so not a big deal. Give it a try. Even if you get an additional week it is worth it.

C.R.

answers from Dallas on

This is one of the reasons I choose to use semi permanent instead of permanent color. It fades and looks more natural than having the "skunk tail" on top. I did it about every three weeks. Now I highlight my hair. Works for me since I have gray only in the front for now. My hair is very long, past my booty. I plan on letting it all go gray and don't want to have to wait and let the permanent hair color grow out. I have a friend that has medium length hair and is about all gray. She uses Excellence and it looks awesome! Very shiny and natural. It's a permanent color that I really suggest if that's what you want to use.
Best Regards,
C.

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

Touch ups (roots) are recommended every 3 wks for gray.

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G.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have a humble, radical suggestion - have you considered just letting it go gray? My hair started getting seriously gray while I was pregnant and nursing, so I chose not to color it. (Being broke and having no time to do anything for myself were also factors.) My formerly brunette shoulder-length hair is now heavily streaked with silver, and it actually looks better than it did as a flat dark brown.

My mom did something called "low-lighting" for years - she went to a beauty professional who put back in some of her original shade and blended it into her graying hair, thus allowing her to "go gray" much more slowly than nature. This type of color job does not need to be retouched nearly so often as a full color job because the gray roots aren't so obvious - there is some gray left, so the roots tend to blend. If I remember right, she had this done every 8 - 12 weeks.

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L.L.

answers from Orlando on

I am 31 and also have sooo much gray hair... Anyway I get my hair done professionally about once every 8-9 weeks. But like others my grays grow in way fast. So, every 3-4 weeks I use the root touch up that someone else mentioned below. I think the brand is Nice n Easy. It covers ok, but it gets me through for a few weeks...

C.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi there! You are not alone on this one! I too have to color my hair to cover my grays! I use Loreal - Escellent (something like that, you'd think i remember since i've been using it for a long time! :/)
Anyways, according to the consumer affairs, this is one of the #1 Brands to color hair and grays. I don't know if you've tried it though. It is very expensive to have it done professionaly. Even going to my daughters boyfriends sister who's a stylist at her home, charges me too much so now i do it myself. My hair is brunette also and I would use, 'Lightest Golden Brown' which is one my favorite dye. I don't do my roots until i color it again but now im noticing more grays so i am going to try this new product (can't remember the exact name), Ive seen it on commerial, it's just specifically for roots. You can look for it, you'll know when you see it.

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V.E.

answers from Lansing on

I color also and do it myself. I use the cheapest hair color from the local department store which costs $2.99 a box, i think its nice and easy. I'm totally white, have been since age 25, and the color last 3 weeks before my hair starts showing white from growth. Also, since I frequently wash my hair the color fades big time after the three weeks. I should color every three weeks but I'm just too busy and can't fit it in. I've used the root touch-up between colorings but it doesn't last long either. So, i go around looking like a skunk until i find time to color again.
V.

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I go to Walgreen's and buy whatever is on sale for the cheapest. I'm 43 and pretty much salt and pepper if I wasn't to color my hair. My hair is long, past my shoulders and naturally curly so about every 4-5 months or so I use 2 boxes and do my whole head. If I really want to stay on top of it, I would have to do just my roots every 3-4 weeks also as my hair grows pretty fast and I go between black and dark brown, so it really shows when it starts to grow out! It sort of depends on my mood if I keep up with it or let it grow out a little. And frankly, I don't think anyone (besides US!) really notices or cares! Good luck to you!

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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

hello
I find that as the gray begins to come in... it comes in FAST , esp around the temples.. for which I have learned to live with...
I currently have VERY short hair because it allows me to cover the gray a bit better than if I had longer hair. With that said and being as it sounds like you don't want to cut your hair really short??
I use Naturtint.. at times, WholeFoods has it on sale for about 13 bucks.. originally priced at about 16.. it's more than natural than most and actually covers gray nicely... albeit , the darker hair you have, whether you use natural dye or hardcore products, the gray still shows..
I would also recommend blonde highlights blended into your hair to help comouflage the gray but even so, that eventually shows too and highlights get expensive...
again. can you go super short? there are many many really cute styles and I truly do find it's so much easier to manage than longer hair and too, is much cooler in hot weather. plus , you said you hair is dry, with short hair, it takes less shampoo and what's nice is when you don't have time to wash it right then and there, you can wet it with your hands, run them through it, tossle it a bit and you are looking good............ :)
best of luck

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