Most people schedule root touch-ups every 4 to 6 weeks. Here are some signs it's time for your next appointment: You notice a stark line between your natural roots and dyed hair. Your roots are about half an inch long and contrast with the rest of your hair.
How frequently should you color your roots? Well, that depends. Usually, the time between touching up your roots is about four to six weeks. However, that's primarily the case for permanent hair color.
The answer to this age-old question requires considering many factors. But the short answer is about every 4 to 8 weeks to touch up the roots from an overall hair coloring job.
Permanence: While most root touch-up products are aerosols that wash out during your next shampoo, some are designed to last for weeks. If you have a lot of grays or want heavier coverage that lasts, go with a semi-permanent root touch-up versus a wash-out option.
How long will it stay in my hair? Clairol Root Touch-Up Blending Gel provide natural-looking and water-resistant coverage, that last for up to 10 washes.
“I generally tell my clients to wait 48 hours before they wash their hair,” VanDyke says. During the first 48 hours after a color service, the pigments of the salon color are still settling—meaning if you shampoo your hair too soon after an appointment, it can cause your hue to fade quicker.
Best root cover-up spray overall
L'Oreal's Magic Root Cover Up is the gold standard of temporary silver hair concealers and for good reason: It's available in nine shades, as opposed to the three that many brands offer and, once applied, it quickly and effectively conceals gray roots until your next shampoo.
Why does this happen? The lighter, warmer result at the roots which characterises hot roots can be seen; If you use a colour which is lighter than any older, darker pre-existing color on your mid-lengths or ends. This can lead to a lighter color result at your roots than the rest of the hair.
Normally, heading to the salon with oily strands wouldn't make too much of a difference for a simple root touch-up. However, Collette warns that unwashed hair can alter the results of a full-head dye job, especially if you have lighter hair.
The speed of greying is in our genetics, they tell us. It's just a case of contrast, says Josh Wood. "The lighter you are, the more the grey blends in," Josh explains. "But when you've got a darker head of hair with a streak of grey in it, it looks very black and white, like piano keys," says Josh.
Is it better to go lighter or darker to cover grey hair? As for your permanent colour kit choice, for the best grey coverage, Josh recommends choosing a shade close to your natural root colour (that's the colour between the greys.) "Make sure to never stray more than two shades away from this,” says Josh.
To minimize hair damage, wait at least 8-10 weeks between dye jobs. If you're using permanent hair dye on damaged hair, try to avoid repeating full-head colorings as much as possible. Rather do touch-ups or fills every few months to maintain your color.
In general, it's accepted that hair grows about half an inch per month. Also, you've probably heard your stylist say to have your touchups done every six to eight weeks. That means if your hair grows at the average speed, in six to eight weeks your hair will be about one inch longer.
Root cover-up products are full of chemicals because otherwise, they wouldn't stay in place. They are very harsh on your hair and scalp, and because you can never completely wash them out, hair colour adheres much less effectively after using such products.
Hot roots – orange or yellow tones right around your scalp that are lighter than the rest of your hair – are the worst of the worst. Beyond not looking great, they can be difficult to fix. Unfortunately, hot roots are a common result for most people when lightening their hair for the first time.
Pick a lighter hair colour
A lighter colour will then look better. Your hair follicles produce less pigment as you're turning older. If there's no more pigment being produced in the hair follicles, your hair turns pigmentless.
Our selection of root touch-up products is available in a variety of shades in permanent and temporary formulas. Our products provide long-lasting color and are easy to use at home, with clear instructions for a seamless application.
Lemon juice is a popular natural lightener. It can help hide gray hair, especially in blonde hair. The citric acid in lemon juice works with sunlight to lighten hair color slowly. It may not remove gray hair completely, but it can help mix them well with the rest of your hair.
On average, a root touch-up lasts: Permanent root touch-up: 4 to 6 weeks. Demi-permanent root touch-up: 3 to 4 weeks. Temporary root touch-up (sprays, powders, or mascaras): Until the next wash.
For that reason, figuring out how often you can dye your hair is a fine balance. As a rule of thumb, refrain from another treatment for 6 weeks if you can, and a minimum of 4 weeks. Semi-permanent hair color products are the exception to the rule and can be used more often than permanent tints if you want.
Cool shades like ash blonde and mushroom brown are among the best hair colors to hide grays, since the cool tones won't clash with your silvery streaks.
Most people do retouch roots every 4 to 6 weeks, and it's a good rule of thumb to make sure you don't go more than 8 weeks between sessions. This is because you want to make sure that your roots don't get any longer than an inch, and according to All Things Hair, hair grows about half an inch every month.