Expert Advice on How to Color Grey Hair

If you’re lucky enough to live a long life, grey hair is bound to be part of the picture. Some people go grey and look fabulous, and others dye it and…also look fabulous. If you’re not ready to go grey, top colorists explain that the options for camouflaging it are many.

But because all color services damage your hair to some degree, it’s important to nourish and protect it to prevent dryness and breakage. Add to that the fact that grey hair is also typically both coarser and drier than your hair was before it turned grey, and the two textures can contrast, making hair look frizzy and dull. So whatever coloring option you choose, be sure to consider texture as you’re caring for and styling your hair. As needed, layer treatments, masks, leave-ins, and stylers, and dry your hair with a microfiber towel (twist and squeeze rather than agitating).

Whether at home or in the salon, you can go big and cover every last grey hair, or meet the grey somewhere in the middle. “You can do a single process with permanent or semipermanent color that completely transforms all the grey, or blend greys with lowlights, highlights, or balayage,” says Abby Haliti, a top colorist and the founder of AH Color Studio in NYC. Results can be anything from a mix of grey and color to full grey coverage. So before you do anything, Haliti says, speak with a professional to sort out what’s going to work best for you. Whether or not you’ve colored your hair in the past, a consultation will help you manage your expectations around which process does what, how much time each takes, and how much maintenance will be involved.

Option 1: Balayage is lowest maintenance.

If you have 10 percent grey or less, Angela Haight, a top colorist at Marie Robinson Salon, recommends essentially spot-treating the grey. “We go through the hair with a fine-tooth comb and paint individual greys with semipermanent color,” she says. “The downside is that there isn’t a 100 percent guarantee that you will cover every grey hair.” The upside: Maintenance is usually needed only about two or three times a year.

Option 2: Highlights are also lower maintenance.

If you’re about 10 to 20 percent grey, highlights, which bleach hair, blend beautifully with grey hair. “The subtle variation between the blonde highlight and the grey hair acts as a kind of camouflage,” explains Haight. Roots are a little less obvious, too, so you can go longer between appointments. Again, the lower maintenance comes with the caveat that not all greys are fully covered.

Option 3: If you don’t want any grey, do a single process.

Once your hair is about 30 percent grey, Haight recommends single-process allover color. This can be permanent or semipermanent—the latter works well if you eventually want to switch over to grey completely, because semipermanent color fades out without roots.

If you choose permanent, remember that it bleaches hair as part of the coloring process. So if you color the same hair multiple times, it becomes progressively more damaged. The solution: Color only the roots as they appear. This can be done in the salon or at home; Clairol Root Touch-Up, it should be noted, is something of a 10-minute miracle that blends remarkably well with a huge variety of hair shades. Coloring only the roots reduces your exposure to hair-coloring chemicals—some of which are known to harm human health.

For root growth and stray greys in between coloring sessions, the brush-on powder from Color Wow is famous for helping conceal and blend.

To care for grey hair that’s been colored, look for clean, gentle, color-safe shampoos and conditioners that are made with moisturizing ingredients.

Coloring can irritate your scalp. Scalp health affects hair health, so use a scalp serum to help soothe and nourish.

Environmental factors play a powerful role: Avoid hot tools, sun exposure, and chlorine—all of which can turn hair brassy and cause colored hair to fade. If you do use hot tools, nurture your hair with salon-level ones, and use nourishing heat-protectant formulas and lower heat settings.

Different cities have different minerals in their water, making the water hard or soft—either can affect the color and texture of your hair. A showerhead filter like the brilliant Jolie one can help minimize the effects of hard or soft water on your hair.