“It's always safe to dye your roots, even as frequently as every 10-14 days—as long as the application is only at the roots, with no overlap on your existing color,” explains Sharon Dorram, celebrity colorist and owner of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon.
How frequently should you color your roots? Well, that depends. Usually, the time between touching up your roots is about four to six weeks.
Dyeing your roots every two weeks is generally not recommended, especially if you're using permanent hair dye. Frequent dyeing can lead to several issues: Hair Damage: The chemicals in hair dye can weaken and damage your hair, leading to dryness, brittleness, and breakage.
Use semi-permanent dye. There is no developer involved and just dye the strands that are grey. It's so non toxic that I can leave it in my hair without washing it out and it doesn't burn or damage. I use a baby toothbrush because I don't have a lot either and just target the area and my natural hair color is dark.
Dyeing Frequency Guidelines
For permanent hair dyes, touch-ups are typically needed every 4-6 weeks to cover roots and maintain color vibrancy.
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.
How soon can you dye your hair again? Wait at least two weeks after your last dye session before coloring your hair again.
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.
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.
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.
Generally speaking though, it's best to wait 4-6 weeks before having another color treatment – in most cases, this is enough anyway and reduces the risk of hair damage. There are some exceptions, but in general, it's better to err on the side of caution and wait for this long.
A temporary root concealer spray is the quickest way to help cover gray roots. Try the L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up, which is available in eight shades. The lightweight, quick-dry spray helps conceal gray roots in just three seconds without any smudging or sticky residue once it dries.
Gray Hair Returns in Less than Two Weeks
If your client can't seem to keep their gray hair or roots covered for long, it may be time to discontinue using hair dye. Going to the salon every two weeks for treatment is too often, and along with all the damage it can do to their hair, it can also be expensive over time.
It could be that your hair is resistant to tint, especially when the hair texture has changed as a result of going white. But also it could be that by going lighter, either all over, or by introducing (subtle) highlights you would not see the regrowth strip quite as quickly as if it were lighter.
Certain harsh chemicals in popular box dyes have given many stylists pause. Common concerns include: Ammonia - This mixing agent lifts cuticles to deposit colour but is quite drying over time. Peroxide - High volumes like 30+ developer cause more damage to delicate hair.
Comparing Permanent, Semi-Permanent, and Demi-Permanent Hair Dyes. Permanent hair color has the greatest potential for hair damage due to the chemistry involved and should be done most cautiously.
If your hair is brown, you may need to bleach it more than once before you apply the grey dye. It's important you get your hair as light as possible before you attempt to turn it grey – this will help ensure a more even tone and vibrant, all-over colour.
There are no treatments that are proven to treat (or reverse) gray hair. As researchers learn more about how the graying process happens, they may develop effective medications and treatments for gray hair.
Gray blending is a hair coloring technique that involves blending gray hairs with your base color to help soften the contrast between shades. Typically, the process involves either highlighting your hair or adding lowlights.
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.
Post-color washing is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of your hair. By cleansing and conditioning, salons help in closing the hair cuticles, locking in moisture, and preserving the smoothness of your locks.