Make Your Hair Color Last
There's nothing more disappointing than spotting gray roots sprouting after you've just spent time and money coloring your hair. Buy yourself a few extra weeks between touch-ups with these 7 simple fixes.
1. Clean and color at the same time
Bumble and Bumble's Hair Powder ($19) is a dry shampoo that comes in four shades: black, brown, blondish, and white (sorry, redheads). Hold the 1-ounce can about 10 inches from your head and simply spray onto your part. Voila, no more roots. Let it dry and then shake out the excess. Shampoo adheres best to oils so use it when your hair needs a wash or add a small dab of styling wax before you apply if your strands are clean.
Related: DIY Hair Color: It's Easier Than You Think
2. Spray it on
Rita Hazan's Root Concealer ($20) is a travel-size spray designed specifically for women on the go who can't commit to a specific four- to six-week color schedule. It's made with natural ingredients - no alcohol, ammonia, peroxide, parabens, or sulfates - and is even safe for pregnant women. Another plus: This product is water-resistant, which means it won't drip down your forehead when you sweat. "Aim to spray evenly, just once or twice on your part, but don't overdo it," says Adrian Wallace, a colorist at the Rita Hazan Salon in New York City. "For your hairline along your forehead, spray then blend in with a small mascara brush." It comes in five shades including red.
3. Change your part
As you've probably noticed, gray hair tends to grow in patches. "Switching where you part your hair is an easy fix that can often make roots less noticeable," says Wallace. Also, if you've got wavy or curly locks, put away the blow dryer between color appointments and go au natural for a softer, less defined part. That also hides roots. If you think that a zigzag part might help, it won't. "You need a lot of product to make that style stay in place," says Wallace. "If you're hair is too shiny or oily, the roots are even more obvious."
Related: 12 Tips for At-Home Hair Color
4. Do it yourself
While many at-home products wash out when you shampoo, consider a longer-lasting solution, like L'Oréal Paris Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Coloring Kit ($7), a low-ammonia formula that is applied with a fine-tooth, flexible comb. "Choose a color that's a shade or two lighter than your own," says Lauren Viola, a colorist at Valery Joseph Salon in New York City. "If it's too light you can layer it like you would nail polish or eye shadow until you reach the right shade - a much safer approach then applying a color that's too dark."
5. Pencil it in
Not a fan of the point and spray method? You might like Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day Fill-In Powder ($39) that you brush on roots, similar to applying eye shadow. It's intended for women with thinning hair. Still, Viola says her clients successfully use it to cover grays. "I like it better than sprays because it's easy to apply to stray hairs and it's soft, not stiff. You can also use your fingers without getting wet, dyed product all over them."
Related: 22 Terms You Need to Know for Healthy Hair
6. Go with a gloss
If you're a brunette or a redhead, gloss covers about 70 percent of your roots and softens the wiry texture of grays, says Viola. It also adds a boost of shine and only takes a few minutes. John Frieda's Liquid Shine Luminous Color Glaze ($10) is applied after you shampoo. Use it in the shower each time you wash your hair and no less than three times a week.
7. Invest in Velcro rollers
For less than 10 bucks, a set of Velcro rollers can give your hair height and volume so roots stay hidden. Once locks are dry, lift sections up and back on the roller, not forward. Just roll strands at the crown and add three rollers on top from the front to back, to where your head rounds down. Leave rollers in for roughly 10 minutes while you're putting on makeup. Viola recommends using medium-size rollers or larger, as anything smaller will create a curl.
- By Holly St. Lifer
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