Gray strands can help frame your face and contrast dark hair colors. Aim for a bluish shade like Zosia Mamet to complement cool skin tones, or go for something gunmetal like Winnie Harlow and Kim Kardashian have done.
Clairol’s demi-permanent gray blending dye earned 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 11K reviews thanks to its nourishing formula that cares for hair while coloring it, covering up to 100% of gray strands while leaving your locks soft and healthy.
Demi-Permanent Dye
Demi-permanent dyes are semi-permanent options that do not contain ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. They last through several shampoos, using a low-volume developer to open your cuticle and deposit color onto it. Demi-permanents can also provide subtle tones of tone correction for corrective purposes, ideal for blending gray, refreshing your color, toning highlights, or correcting after blonding services.
Permanent dyes may wash out more quickly than temporary ones, but they’re gentler on your locks and less damaging than permanent ones. Plus, temporary ones tend to fade more naturally without prompting root regrowth.
To maximize the effects of demi-permanent dyeing treatments, avoid washing with products containing sulfates and chlorine that strip color more rapidly. Furthermore, The Good Stuff Color Protect Milk may help ensure vibrant results between coloring treatments.
Temporary Touch-Up Products
Temporary hair colors provide a quick and simple solution for covering gray roots. “These products come in sprays, powders, or pencils and wash out with each shampoo,” notes Laurabeth Cabbott from Artistry by LB Salon.
Care should be taken to do root touch-ups sparingly. “Overly thick applications could leave your roots looking darker or lighter than they should,” warns Jenna Spino of Spino Hair Salon in NYC.
Herbatint offers an ideal temporary root cover-up product explicitly designed to cater to blondes with its sponge-tip applicator and array of strengthening ingredients like shea butter. Rachel Dube of Byrdie contributor reviews raved: “The formula looks great and is very straightforward.”
Everpro offers this temporary root touch-up in multiple shades to match every hair color while being ammonia-free – making it a safe and effortless solution.
Salt-and-Pepper
Black hair dyes contain chemicals that may be dangerous if overused. Over time, prolonged exposure to these chemicals may lead to skin and respiratory irritation, impaired immunity systems, and even cancer.
To prevent this, try switching to a demi-permanent hair color made without harsh chemicals, lasting two to four weeks, and gradually fading with each shampoo.
To achieve the classic salt-and-pepper look, create a dark base with white face-framing highlights in white hues. This technique gives clients a subtle transition to gray hair without compromising length. Pair this look with a rounded bob for elegance and ease of maintenance; to neutralize yellow tones common among salt-and-pepper locks, use INVIGO Cool Blonde Color Refreshing Shampoo as recommended.
Embrace Your Grays
Age can cause your hair follicles to produce less melanin, the pigment responsible for giving your locks their color. As a result, grey hair emerges, which might seem like the end of the world at first, but accepting and celebrating these grays is a compelling way of showing off strength and character.
Try experimenting with various styles and letting gray develop naturally for an eye-catching, sophisticated, and mature look – especially if it has the salt-and-pepper effect! In addition, your natural gray shade may have more subtle tones than what might be seen with dyed hair color.
If you decide to color your hair, a demi-permanent formula within two shades of your current shadow is likely the most effective way of covering greys and keeping them away for as long as possible. Make sure that sulfate-free shampoo will extend its durability!
