4 Best Hair Color Camouflage Ideas for Greying Hair

Growing out one’s natural grey hair isn’t an easy choice for everyone. Although a growing number of people have chosen to embrace their greying strands and are rocking it, the idea of sporting a suave silver fox look may be far from your mind. Some men and women feel conscious about how grey hair makes them look old, prompting them to go for grey defense treatments. 

How Does Hair Turn Grey?

Your body produces less melanin—the pigment cells responsible for your hair color—as you grow older. With fewer of these cells, the color of strands becomes lighter and eventually becomes white. Lower melanin production can start as early as in your 20s, depending on your genetics, health conditions, and lifestyle (smoking can grey strands prematurely). On average, more than half of people’s hair will turn white by the time they reach 50.

Qualities of Grey Hair

Hair strands typically become dry as you age as sebum production slows down. Together with the loss of hair color pigments, strands can also grow coarse and thinner than how they used to be. Thus, some hair care adjustments are necessary to keep aging hair healthy, such as shifting to products with gentle ingredients and avoiding over-cleansing.

Choosing Your Level of Grey Hair Coverage

When deciding on the type of grey defense, consider going to a hair salon and consulting a colorist. These specialists can ask or check the following:

• The kind of commitment you’re willing to give

For instance, going for permanent color means regular trips to your colorist every three to four weeks. Meanwhile, semi-permanent color treatments like highlights and grey blending will need fewer visits.

• How much grey hair you have

Everyone’s grey hair pattern is unique, although such strands are generally found in the forehead and temples. A colorist would be able to recommend a certain technique that will match your grey hair distribution. You’ll definitely need an experienced colorist to treat your grey hair if over 50% of your strands are grey.

• Your natural hair color

In choosing the best dye for your strands, the color should be a good match with your hair roots.

• Your hair condition 

Coloring treatment may take some time, depending on how coarse, fragile, and color-resistant your hair is. Coarse strands have a hard time absorbing hair dye, so permanent color might work better for full grey coverage.

4 Grey Hair Defense Options

There are different ways to conceal grey hair and look youthful, such as:  

• Full grey coverage

Opting for a permanent, all-over color service is the way to go if you’d like to fully mask your grey strands with a uniform shade. Permanent color is recommended for coarse hair, while demi-permanent color (which can last for more washings—up to 30 times—compared to semi-permanent dye) will suit fine to medium thick grey hair.

• Root touch-ups

This treatment involves dyeing the hair roots and is recommended for massive grey coverage. The roots refer to the part of the strands that don’t bear any color because new hair has grown out. Roots develop faster than the rest of your hair, so touch-ups are advisable every three to four weeks. Note that full grey coverage will require touch-ups sooner than highlights or blending that don’t go all the way to the roots.

• Grey blending

Grey blending can be described as the coloring method for those who don’t want so-called block coverage. Instead of permanent color for a whole head of hair, your colorist blends light and shade throughout your hair. Dye is applied on some sections of grey hair, which are then seamlessly blended with uncolored hair to break up blocks of grey strands—resulting in a multi-dimensional look.

• Salt-and-pepper method

The salt-and-pepper technique can be done in several ways: by creating silver highlights on your head based on the color of your greying roots or adding depth to your greying head by applying dark lowlights. If you only have scatterings of natural greys, your colorist may pre-lighten strands for the “salt” part and color other sections brown-black or dark grey for the “pepper” part.

Preserving Coverage Between Salon Visits

To make your grey hair coverage last longer, try these tips:

• Use color-safe and color-protecting products. Avoid hair cleansers with the word “clarifying” so that the solution won’t wash off the dye. Let your highlights set for about two to four days before shampooing your hair.
• Minimize blow-drying and heat styling. If you have to do either of the two, apply a heat protectant, as high temperatures can dull hair color. Put on a scarf or hat when you’re in the sun.
• Use touch-up or root concealer sprays and sticks when your greying roots show up early. 
• Change the part of your hair differently (for instance, from center to side part).
• Wear a headband, clip, hair extensions, or other accessories to cover up some growth. 
• Add volume to your hair by backcombing or using Velcro rollers.
• Wear a cap if you’re going to swim.

Let Dapper & Divine’s Color Specialists Handle Your Grey Hair 

Our pro colorists can help you determine your best grey defense option. From finding the best color that matches your natural hair to choosing the appropriate grey coverage, our ladies‘ and gentlemen‘s hair studios can camouflage your grey hair and update your look!