Covering grey hair - which dye?!

TeenaMarina

Yes, I've got a bunch of grey hairs in there!!! Starting to get quite a few, so contemplating colouring. It has been YEARS since I've coloured my hair, so I'm wondering what the preferred brands are?

I always used semi-permanent in the past (before I had grey hair issues - didn't want that super-visible line at my roots). My question is will semi-permanent still cover up my greys for a bit? I'll be going a bit darker, or eddish, or something. No lightening involved.

What do you use? Thanks!!!! x

bjohs

A professional colorist! LOL, I don't take unnecessary risks with my hair.

ahappyapple

I use Revlon brand (permanant) and have never had a problem. I alternate b/t burgundy and black. I don't go lighter.

TiffyBear415_xx

You need something permanent with at least 20 volume if you really want to cover that gray. I use clairol professional from Sally's.

Cadenpet

My hair has been every color and then some so little experience with different methods.

If you just want to simply cover gray and be nice and pretty and natural go with something like L'Oreal Preference, my mother uses this and covers her gray well. Or I recently tried the John Freida color, its a foam which was interesting, and even my hairdresser liked the color. The John Freida are all very natural colors and seem to not be for those who want to do something crazy like bleach blond. It also covered my gray well. And the conditioner that came in the box doesn't smell bad. Usually those smell like ugh.

If you want a kinda funky color or pretty big hue change I always used the Feria hair color. And always used Manic Panic's kit to bleach it.

A professional colorist is expensive but worth it if you are uncomfortable doing it, or if you want something you can't achieve at home. Like very intricate high and low lights or some sort of color blocking or fading. Or if you want to go black and your natural hair color is much lighter. Box black is very harsh.

celiamj

i used to dye my hair with this brand: lóreal creme casting, though i didnt use it to cover white hairs. its temporary, goes away with 28 washes i think, its tone-on-tone, and it worked pretty well for me (i have dry hair but it wasnt very agressive). i think its covers all the hair, as long as you apply it right! it says on the package that is good to cover the first white hairs... my hair is dyed on my profile picture, btw, i used the colour Amber good luck!

2bFitNTrim

"If you just want to simply cover gray and be nice and pretty and natural go with something like L'Oreal Preference"

^^This is what I use. Sometimes just for fun, I'll do a red copper penny color in the winter, but most of the time I just want to look natural & cover the grey. For anyone reading this who may be considering coloring for the first time ever, be aware that the color on the box may not be the color you get. What you get depends on your current hair color. I use medium ash blonde, which on me, comes out looking light to medium brown.

boomboom011

i have gray hair like crazy! I have been using Garnier Nutrisse. It doesnt smell bad and my hair feels great. its also true to color. BUT it doesnt last long at all. It slides off my hair fairly quickly.

However, being that i used to be a cosmetologist, i highly recommend going to a pro. Their products are usually better and last longer. Yes it costs more but well worth it. Plus its a chance for some ME time.

Go for the Pro!

boomboom011

and the "line" you are talking about is called new growth. Its maintenance at that point.

LorinaLynn

If you do get it professionally colored, the at home root touch up kits work nicely for in between visits to stretch it out a few weeks.

That's one of my only complaints about being healthy now. My hair grows too darn fast! And those pesky grey hairs grow faster than all the others. I color my own hair, and it's practically a full time job with all the regrowth. :laugh:

TeenaMarina

If you do get it professionally colored, the at home root touch up kits work nicely for in between visits to stretch it out a few weeks.

That's one of my only complaints about being healthy now. My hair grows too darn fast! And those pesky grey hairs grow faster than all the others. I color my own hair, and it's practically a full time job with all the regrowth. :laugh:

What do you use?

DancingFox

Miss Clairol's Gray Busters from Sally's Beauty Supply.
It IS permanent, but if you really want to cover up that gray, a semi-permanent isn't going to do the job.

LorinaLynn

If you do get it professionally colored, the at home root touch up kits work nicely for in between visits to stretch it out a few weeks.

That's one of my only complaints about being healthy now. My hair grows too darn fast! And those pesky grey hairs grow faster than all the others. I color my own hair, and it's practically a full time job with all the regrowth. :laugh:

What do you use?

Everything. :laugh: I have no brand loyalty. I'll use $3 a box Colorsilk if I'm desperate enough, otherwise, whatever's on sale that I have a coupon for. I try to alternate between permanent and the ones that last "through 28 shampoos" to give my hair a bit of a break. I've also found that adding a bunch of highlights makes the greys less noticeable.

Atlantique

If you do get it professionally colored, the at home root touch up kits work nicely for in between visits to stretch it out a few weeks.

That's one of my only complaints about being healthy now. My hair grows too darn fast! And those pesky grey hairs grow faster than all the others. I color my own hair, and it's practically a full time job with all the regrowth. :laugh:

What do you use?

Everything. :laugh: I have no brand loyalty. I'll use $3 a box Colorsilk if I'm desperate enough, otherwise, whatever's on sale that I have a coupon for. I try to alternate between permanent and the ones that last "through 28 shampoos" to give my hair a bit of a break. I've also found that adding a bunch of highlights makes the greys less noticeable.

I'm not at the stage of having to cover greys yet, but I can find a grey one anywhere I part my hair these days. My hair is a naturally a dark ash blonde/light ash brown, so I've been on the highlight train for decades now. At this point, my grey is only noticeable to me. In fact people often comment that they are surprised I'm not grey yet (if they only knew!) so it's true that if your hair is not very dark to start out with, highlights do a fine job of maksing greys for quite a long time. I have two different levels of highlights in my hair.

I did the highlights myself for quite a long time. I can't recall what kit it was. But now that I've had my hair professionally highlighted for about 15 years, I can attest to the fact that they get better color with a lot less damage than any of the home kits I tried.

MuchMovement

I love it when women go naturally gray, so don't recommend hair dying, but if it makes you feel good, more power to you.

An interesting tidbit on "natural" hair dying.... during medieval times, women would soak their hair in Alum (a pickling spice) and then pots of dye composed of insects, barks, roots, soils, and so forth.... The very first type of beauty modification was known as "Glamour" which was considered a magical word for "shape shifting", a part of witch craft.

ruffledviolet

I would suggest Excellence for gray coverage. I know Preference is strong, but I am not sure if it beats Excellence in covering grays. The conditioner that comes with Preference is amazinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg though.

kopykitty

I love hair color! I use Revelon ($3.38) and alternate in the golden blonds/ash blonds or lightest blond as my color of choice. I am currently using #72 StrawberryBlond which looks great going on but washes out something fierce. Love this color but to be back blond in two weeks isn't nice. I also tried patches of red (better left to the hairdresser that I can't afford) but love trying. Somehow my hair stays in pretty good shape. I also have used jet black but that is another story.............play with the color! Just remember that each color used limits your ability to 'run and hide':laugh: Hair is just an accessory.............!