Grey hair is becoming more and more common as sufferers get younger thanks to the ever increasing pollution and stress. But there’s good news when it comes to hair dye! Whereas older brands wouldn’t dye over grey hair, there is now a huge range of dyes suitable for giving you a full head of shiny colour. It can be a confusing business, though, so here are my top seven tips for colouring grey hair!
You don’t necessarily have to dye your hair your natural colour, but it’s important that whatever you pick gives your hair a natural look. An easy way to test this is to look for dye packets featuring people with a similar skin tone, or visiting a hair dresser and holding samples against your skin.
Photo Credit: SemicharmedLife (listening to Fanfarlo)
Make sure you’ve picked up a permanent dye as nothing else will be strong enough. Also it will last the longest. And make sure it is suitable for grey hair. Also make sure you read how many boxes are needed for your hair length, and buy the right amount! And most importantly, don't forget the patch test. It's the best way to prevent hairloss, damage and irritation.
Photo Credit: House Of Sims
Use a very strong softening conditioner to make grey hair easier to colour. Grey hair is often brittle and won’t absorb hair dye, meaning you will be left with the same strands. By using an intensive conditioner for 5 – 10 minutes before dyeing, you’ll soften the follicle and allow more dye to be absorbed.
Photo Credit: Bibi
Apply the dye to grey areas first, and leave for approximately half the time unless otherwise advised in the instructions. If there are instructions for already dyed hair, follow those. Also, don't apply the colour too close to the roots. That's the most important rule to remember when you'recolouring your hair at home.
Photo Credit: Sarah Schloo
Sectioning works great when you need to curl, cut or straighten your hair. The same rule applies here. Parting your hair into sections ensures you get even coverage. You don't want to spend all that time colouring your hair and still end up with grey areas. Parting your hair into sections makes it easier to make sure that you’ve coloured it from all possible angles.
Photo Credit: sadandbeautiful (Sarah)
Once you’ve applied the colour, put your hair in a shower cap to prevent dripping and to help your hair absorb the colour better. While most hair dyes don’t require this anymore, grey hair can be stubborn and the shower cap will ensure better colouring.
Photo Credit: WillyCoolPics
Once you’ve coloured your hair, be sure to look after it with shampoos and conditioners meant for coloured hair . This will make it much easier to re-dye next time, and will give your hair a shiny, healthy look.
Photo Credit: Opal in the rough
As with anything, colouring your hair requires practise. With time, you’ll find covering up greys and giving yourself a shiny, sexy colour as easy as brushing your teeth! Just make sure you repeat the process every 6 weeks, or you risk letting someone notice your secret! Have you got a tip for colouring grey hair? Please let me know!
Top Photo Credit: . r o c k e t . s u r g e r y .