Better Coloring for Gray Hair

Choosing hair coloring for gray hair
Photo: Ravil Sayfullin/Shutterstock
Q: Which is better for coloring the hair? Going to a salon or using a home coloring kit? My hair is dark brown, and is long, but cut with layers. I have natural curl and the texture is a little coarse. I’ve begun to get a few grays, especially along the part and at the bottom. The gray is more visible when my hair is pulled back into a ponytail.
 
In the past I’ve had the hair highlighted, but it seemed to leave the hair unhealthy, and when I’ve tried to color it, the kit I used didn’t really cover up the few gray hairs that I have. What would be best for my hair type?
 
A: When you are simply attempting to cover gray hair, you need to use a hair color that will work on “your” gray hair. Often, when the hair goes gray, it also becomes resistant, which means that moisture is less able to penetrate into the hair. When it comes to color, this means that the hair color doesn’t penetrate as readily and doesn’t cover gray as well.
 
To combat this, use a permanent hair color with 10-volume developer and pre-soften the hair before applying the color by applying the developer only to the hair for 10-15 minutes before applying the mixture of hair color and developer. As an alternative, you can often find a product called “Gray Magic” at your local beauty supply and can help color mixture to penetrate gray hair more easily.
 
If you don’t feel comfortable performing your own pre-softening, you should never hesitate to go to a salon for color services. The expertise and experience you pay extra for can go a long way to giving you greater peace of mind.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
How to color your hair
 
Cover gray hair with hair color
 
Things that can go wrong when coloring hair
 
Hair coloring problems in a salon setting