What to ask for at salon to cover grey hair?

Author: Prof. Domingo Brown III  |  Last update: Sunday, September 7, 2025

We suggest opting for an all-over color service to fully mask every gray hair on your head with a uniform shade. However, highlighting may be better if your goal is seamlessly blending your grays.

What to ask for at a salon to cover grays?

Highlights. The good thing about gray hair is that if it's only a sporadic occurrence across your head, your stylist can usually use highlights to make them blend in more. A nice mixture of low lights and highlights will add dimension to your hair, while also masking the appearance of any gray hairs.

What do salons use to cover gray hair?

Use a Permanent Color

If your client hopes to cover up truly stubborn, color-resistant grays, a permanent color pigment is going to offer the most concentrated result. Try Illumina Color for a multi-dimensional finish and Koleston Perfect for pure and saturated coverage.

What is the best option for covering grey hair?

If you have more than 20% grey, most colorists recommend permanent color as your best option to fully cover grey hair. Most do-it-yourself box dyes that advertise grey hair coverage are also permanent color. The thing to remember about permanent hair color is that it's a life sentence.

Is it better to go lighter or darker to cover gray hair?

Darker will always cover gray better .

Hairdresser's Guide to COVERING GREY with BOX DYE!

What is the best professional hair color to cover gray?

Warm honey blonde is a favorite from Wella Professionals for those who want a hair color that looks natural and hides gray hair well. This shade has golden tones that can give your skin a nice glow. It's especially good for people with warmer skin tones.

How do brunettes go grey gracefully?

“There are many ways that you can transition your hair [to gray],” says Whitney, “including having your hair dyed to match your roots, adding lowlights or highlights to help with the line of demarcation [i.e., the line where your pigment meets the grays], cutting your hair short or simply letting your natural hair ...

How do hairdressers cover grey hair?

Salon Treatments for Grey Coverage
  1. Permanent Hair Colour: A salon-applied permanent dye penetrates the hair shaft, offering long-lasting coverage. ...
  2. Glosses and Toners: Semi-permanent options such as glosses and toners work to enhance natural hues while softening the stark contrast between grey and pigmented strands.

How do celebrities cover grey hair?

To address pigment loss in gray hair, Kaeding said, you can use a color depositing shampoo or conditioner for temporary results. Or, for a longer-lasting solution, you can opt for permanent hair color or highlights.

Is it better to highlight or color gray hair?

The best coloring technique for gray hair ultimately depends on your desired look and how much coverage you want. We suggest opting for an all-over color service to fully mask every gray hair on your head with a uniform shade. However, highlighting may be better if your goal is seamlessly blending your grays.

How do professionals cover grey hair?

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COVER GRAY HAIR? To boil it down, there are essentially two different types of color your colorist will use to cover gray hair—demi-permanent or permanent. Demi-permanent haircolor options, like Redken's Shades EQ Gloss, deliver non-permanent pigment that will gradually fade over time.

What is the best hair color for brunettes to hide gray?

Colours like butterscotch brown, light auburn and golden brown, or ash brown for those with a cool skin tone, are all versatile brunette shades that aren't too dark and are some of the best hair colours to hide grey.

How do salons transition to gray hair?

To avoid a harsh line of demarcation, you can head to the salon and have your colorist use the root smudging technique to blend your natural gray roots with the lengths of your hair. This will allow for a gradual transition between hues as your hair continues to grow.

What is the average age to go grey?

The average age of onset of hair graying appears to be mid- to late forties; however, this varies with race, with the average age for Caucasians being mid-thirties, that for Asians being late thirties, and that for Africans being mid-forties.

How do I ask my hairdresser for what I want?

How to Talk to Your Hairstylist and Get the Look You Want
  1. 01 of 07. Bring Visual References. ...
  2. 02 of 07. Use the Right Lingo. ...
  3. 03 of 07. Speak in Terms of Problems and Solutions. ...
  4. 04 of 07. Know What You Want Before Going. ...
  5. 05 of 07. Keep an Eye on Your Stylist. ...
  6. 06 of 07. Speak Up. ...
  7. 07 of 07. Do Your Research.

Can B12 reverse gray hair?

Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, and medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.

How can I hide my grey hair without dying it?

Root sprays and root powders

They're both great options for those moments when new gray growth just barely starts to appear or you need a quick fix between dye jobs. They work much like under-eye concealers—but for your hair, obviously. They are available in a range of shades and formulations.

What is the healthiest way to cover grey hair?

Using natural ways to cover grey hair can make it look good and help nourish it. You can try remedies like coffee and chamomile tea. These options provide different shades and support healthy hair. Give these gentle choices a try instead of chemical dyes.

How do you not look washed out with gray hair?

So use a luminizing, moisturizing foundation, and apply powder only where you absolutely need it, says New York City makeup artist Mally Roncal.
  1. Wear blush. It makes every complexion more vibrant, says Roncal. ...
  2. Line your lips. ...
  3. Pick a rich lipcolor. ...
  4. Brighten up your eyes. ...
  5. Forget basic black. ...
  6. Pay attention to your brows.

What are the best options to cover grey hair?

Consider using highlights to cover greys

Another soft and natural-looking option is to embrace and enhance the lightness of your greying strands. In fact, highlights are a great option to cover grey hair, and can blend in warm caramel or golden tones to enhance your hair's natural glow.

How do you cover grey roots between salon visits?

Try a Root Concealer Spray

Root concealer sprays provide a user-friendly option, the aerosols functioning similar to the dry shampoos we've all come to rely on.

How often should I dye my hair to cover gray?

How often should I dye my hair to cover grey hair? This depends on how quickly your hair grows, but often is between 4-8 weeks. If you're only just starting to grey, it may not be time to begin permanently colouring your hair.

What salon hair color is best for grays?

1. Blonde Highlights. There are three reasons we recommend blonde highlights when covering grays. First up, the difference between blonde and silver is subtle, so gray roots won't appear as visible – even if it's been six to eight weeks since your client's last appointment.

What happens if you put grey hair dye on brown hair?

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.

What is grey blending?

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.

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