Problems when Coloring Gray Hair
My scalp burns with hair dyes that contain ammonia, so I use the non-ammonia hair colors. I leave the color on for an hour even though it says 25 minutes, because it never takes. The color lasts 3 days. Even before I wash my hair I can see the white hair at the front and sides appearing. The skin has colored, but the hair hasn’t! It is most frustrating.
Now I’m thinking I should just go dark blonde so the white doesn’t look so bad. I definitely don’t want to go all gray, but it’s always at the back of my mind. After I color my hair, I look a good 10 years younger. So I don’t want to go all gray yet. Please can you tell me my options?
This means that the artificial color pigments of the coloring just attaches itself to the outer layer of the hair shaft. It doesn’t penetrate the hair, thus it washes out very quickly. Therefore, we call it “semi-permanent” hair color. It is supposed to wash out after a few washes, that it its purpose.
Semi-permanent hair color can last for almost a month on hair that still has its own natural pigment (hair that hasn’t turned gray yet). But naturally gray hair has lost most of its natural pigment and also tends to be much more dry and coarse in structure. These three factors make it very difficult for the hair to be stained by artificial hair coloring.
Gray hair is notoriously difficult to cover with hair color, especially store bought hair color. I don’t usually bash hair color that comes out of a box, but in the case of trying to cover gray hair, I’ll be completely honest and tell you that box color just don’t work very well. It will initially cover the gray, but after a few washes the gray will show again.
The scalp tends to become more sensitive to chemicals due to an array of different reasons, ranging from aging, chronic exposure, skin conditions, developing allergies, etc. This is why you never had a problem with the hair color in your twenties, while it irritates your scalp too much now.
1. Try not washing your hair for at least five days before coloring it. This helps the scalp build up a layer of natural oils to protect the skin from the chemicals when you apply the color. But you will need to use a permanent hair color. Semi-permanent colors just won’t work on gray hair.
2. Go to a hairdresser to have your hair colored. I know it’s more expensive and less comfortable, but having your hair colored by a professional is your best bet. If the cost doesn’t bother you, you can have your hair colored in the same brunette shade that you currently have, while the gray actually gets covered and lasts up to 4-6 weeks.
If you want to change your look while also saving money, I would suggest asking the stylist to change your base color to a light brown or dark blonde color. Then add a lot of thin honey and ash highlights to the top part of your head. This should blend in nicely with your gray hair, as well as potentially giving you a more youthful, softer appearance.
You can opt to simply have your regrowth covered with the light brown/dark blonde base color every 4-6 weeks, and have the highlights refreshed every second or third visit to the salon.
A professional stylist really is your best weapon against those nasty grays.
©Hairfinder.com
See also:
How to color hair
Going gray
The different types of hair color