After the highlight technique of your choice processes fully, shampoo your client and mix up a root smudge. Pick a color close to the client's natural level, think of it like “adding back” her root color: if she's a 7, I'm picking a 7N (or 7NA of I want ashy, 7NG if I want warmth, etc).
The best colours for root smudges are usually either very close or just one level lighter than your natural colour. Cool colours are generally best if you are lightening, because lightening always reveals natural warmth and cool colours will tone and mute unwanted warmth.
Choose the right shade of hair color
Your root touch up hair color cannot be darker or lighter than the color of the lengths of your hair. It will make the hair color look shabby and inconsistent. If you're covering your greys during your root touch up, remember to choose a color that is one shade lighter.
Root smudging is a hair coloring technique in which the hair is lightened, but the roots are left slightly darker—typically, within a shade or two of your natural hair color.
Yes, you can do your all over permanent dye and rinse that out, and then apply the Demi with a root tap technique.
If you leave hair dye on for longer than recommended, it’ll cause your hair to become dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Lastly, make sure you use a salon quality shampoo and conditioner after coloring your hair. It’ll help the colour last longer, remain vibrant and feel salon fresh.
The most effective way to achieve a seamless transition between the grey of your roots and the dark brown of the rest of your hair is through a process called root smudging.
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.
A root smudge applies toner or gloss the same shade as your natural color or a shade slightly lighter than your natural color to your roots, “smudging” it down until it reaches your highlights.
You can expect your root smudge to last up to two to three months without a touch-up.
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.
Unlike a traditional root touch-up, which typically involves a flat application of your base color, root smudging utilizes a softer approach. This softer approach involves blending a slightly lighter shade than your natural color near your roots, creating a subtle gradient that diffuses the line of demarcation.
Root touch-up spray often works based on propellant gas. Essentially, you spray the 'colour' onto your hair, and it's almost impossible to avoid getting some on your scalp. This can dry out your scalp and cause unsightly stains.
choosing the right product and color
For root touch ups, you'll want to make sure you have a product that blends seamlessly with your existing hair color and provides up to 100% gray coverage and the best scalp protection.
Part your hair as usual, and 'smudge' the hair color onto your roots along your natural part so that it covers 1” of your root hairs. Continue to apply the hair color to your roots in layers, about every ¼” along the hairline, to thoroughly cover all root hairs. Create the root shadow.
In essence, color melt is a method that uses two or three shades to create a seamless transition from dark to light. It's all about the 'melt', my friends. This technique allows the colors to blend together without any harsh lines, resulting in a softer, more natural look.
After the highlight technique of your choice processes fully, shampoo your client and mix up a root smudge. Pick a color close to the client's natural level, think of it like “adding back” her root color: if she's a 7, I'm picking a 7N (or 7NA of I want ashy, 7NG if I want warmth, etc).
Root smudging is typically done in salons to buffer or blend the darkness of your natural root color with the lighter, highlighted hair. This involves using a shade similar to your natural root color or one to two shades lighter to just slightly bump up your dark roots to blend with the lighter highlights.
You can even apply hair toner to targeted areas, such as highlights or roots, to adjust the shade.
For better results, we recommend you using our Permanent Root Touch Up on dry clean hair. If you have stubborn grays, you can leave the product for 5-10 minutes extra (max. 20 minutes) for better gray coverage.
Once you've covered all regrowth, set your timer for 10 minutes. To cover stubborn gray roots, leave the color on for an extra five minutes. 5.
Will it damage my hair? Clairol Root Touch-Up Blending Gel is damage-free, ammonia-free, peroxides-free and harsh scents-free formula, and can be used on your salon color, as well as on any hair type and texture.
The Colors to Avoid with Gray Hair
Here are a few to steer clear of: Muddy Neutrals: Beige, taupe, and other muted tones can make your skin look washed out and ashy. Earthy Yellows and Oranges: These warm tones clash with the coolness of gray hair and can make your complexion look sallow.
Cool-leaning colors in light to dark shades like platinum, ash, beige, and medium blonde are especially well-suited for gray blending.
Expert colourists recommend a darker shade of dye for your roots and a lighter shade, that matches more or less your natural hair colour, for the rest of your hair.