- If you dyed your hair two weeks ago and your gray roots are already showing, you can apply a semi-permanent hair color until the next time you renew your color.
- The semi-permanent dye will cover your gray roots and won’t damage the rest of your hair. Why? It doesn’t contain ammonia and isn’t applied with developer.
- Partly because of natural hair growth, your gray roots will show up two weeks after you dye your hair. Also, gray hair has a harder time retaining dye pigments. More on that later.
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Best way to cover up gray roots between colorings
Gray hair can be a real drama in a woman’s life. Well, many men don’t like to look gray either. Here there’s not much difference between genders.
So, you dye your hair and two weeks later your gray roots are showing?
You’re not the only one.
And I understand your problem.
Because realistically, applying dye every two weeks isn’t economical. And not just because of the money.
Your hair also suffers and gets damaged if you dye it every fortnight.
Because let’s not forget that permanent hair color is applied with a developer and contains ammonia, two chemicals that suck a lot of moisture from the hair.
Speaking of which, I remember one of my clients, Alejandra, for whom gray hair was one of the worst hair dramas she could face.
Alejandra started coming to the salon when her first gray hair appeared. Alejandra is someone who takes great care of her appearance, so for her, even one gray hair was a symbol of untidiness and old age.
Imagine what several gray hairs meant!
So we started applying a permanent hair dye just to cover her gray roots. And we chose one of the longest-lasting dyes for gray hair.
Of course, as time went on, her gray roots were becoming more and more noticeable. So she started coming to the salon to cover them up every two weeks.
Even though we only did a touch-up on her roots every two weeks, it still took its toll on her hair. And she started to notice it was getting thinner and drier.
So I suggested she use a spray to hide the gray. At first, she thought it was a great idea.
But of course, the effects of the sprays used for root retouching disappear as soon as you wash your hair. Alejandra needed another solution.
What did I suggest?
I suggested she use semi-permanent hair color.
And I’m giving you the same suggestion if you dye your hair and after fifteen days your roots show.
Do you want to know why I suggest this?
Keep on reading.
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If your gray roots show 2 weeks after dyeing your hair, use semi-permanent hair dye to hide them
And I definitely think it’s the best option you’ve got.
So for you to understand why I think it’s the best option, it’s important to understand what gray hair is.
Gray hair is hair without any melanin, which is what gives hair its color. Permanent hair dye is applied with developer and contains ammonia.
When you dye your hair, the developer opens the cuticles of your hair fiber so that the color can stick, thanks to the ammonia. But for this to happen, your hair must contain melanin. And gray hair doesn’t have color anymore, because it doesn’t contain melanin.
So, since the dye doesn’t penetrate to the core of gray hair, after a few washes, the color fades leaving gray roots visible.
Also, don’t lose sight of another very important factor: hair keeps growing. And that growth is hair that hasn’t been dyed.
That’s also how you get gray roots that show up a fortnight after you dye your hair. But it’s not all bad news.
Want to know why?
- Because this means that your hair grows quite fast.
- And you will be able to use semi-permanent hair color.
Because semi-permanent hair color doesn’t contain ammonia and isn’t applied with developer . And that’s ideal for dyeing your gray roots if they show up 2 weeks after you dye your hair.
Because this type of dye forms a film of color that adheres to the outer layer of the hair, like makeup.
Therefore, you can keep your hair free of gray roots for longer if you apply semi-permanent hair dye to your gray hair between renewals of permanent hair dye.
In other words, if you apply a permanent dye and after two weeks you see your roots show up, you can apply semi-permanent dye until the next renewal to cover them.
Also, the semi-permanent hair color won’t dehydrate your hair. You can choose the color you like because brands like CLAIROL or ADORE have a wide range of traditional colors.
And if you’re a little more daring, brands like MANIC PANIC or ARCTIC FOX have some cool fantasy colors.
How to apply semi-permanent hair dye on gray roots
- Style your clean, dry hair by separating it into four sections, from your forehead to your neck and from ear to ear.
- Grab each of these sections with hair clips.
- Release one section and start applying the dye from the roots to the ends . You can do this with your hands like how you apply a mask or with a dye brush.
- Repeat the application on each of the other sections of your hair.
- Leave it on for 30 to 40 minutes, according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Rinse your hair with almost cold water and DO NOT USE SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER.
- Let your hair dry naturally.
You’ll notice that your gray roots will completely disappear. Now, there are just a few things to keep in mind to make the semi-permanent dye last longer on your gray roots.
- Wait at least 72 hours to wash your hair. This way the color will last longer.
- Check all your hair care products, especially shampoo and conditioner. Make sure they don’t contain sulfates because sulfates are chemicals that wear out hair color.
Conclusion
If you dye your hair and after 2 weeks your gray roots show, you can use semi-permanent hair dye to cover them until the next time you dye your hair.
The semi-permanent hair dye will cover your gray hair but won’t dry it out.
