There comes a moment in every woman's life when she finds her first gray hair. It's a rite of passage, I suppose. I am yet to have that moment (probably because I regularly highlight my hair), but when I do, I know exactly what I'm going to do: Cover it up.
It isn't that I have a thing against gray hair; it's more that I have a thing against my natural color. "Going gray" for me wouldn't just mean having a few distinguished white hairs in my head; it would mean taking my dirty blond highlighty hair to a mousey brown with some gray strands. And that doesn't really jive with me.
But enough about me. This post is about solutions. Namely, solutions for women who just found their first few gray hairs but aren't quite ready to go there.
Here are 5 easy ways to cover up gray hair.
1. Lighten up. There are other alternatives to simply dyeing your whole head a color other than gray: You can highlight. Adding a few highlights to the top and frame of your face will allow grays to blend in perfectly. I have a friend whose mother doesn't dye her gray hairs but instead chooses to think of them as highlights, and it looks stunning. Think Diane Keaton, but with more gray pieces.
2. DIY. There's really no need to book an appointment at the salon if you just want a simple dye job. If you're new to home hair dye jobs, there is plenty of info (and videos) online about how to dye your hair, and the mousse-based dyes are marketed as "fool-proof" to apply. One to try? L'Oreal Sublime Mousse Permanent Hair Color.
3. Color strands individually. If you don't feel like changing the color of your hair (even a little), some colorists will color strands individually. It'll be both cheaper and faster than if you go in for an all-over single-process.
4. Pencil grays in. Remember when women used to use mascara to "color" their gray hairs? Well, now there are "pencil" products out there, specifically formulated for this exact thing. Try using the TouchBack marker to cover gray roots. It's basically a Sharpie for your hair.
5. Spray those grays. Another option for first-time gray coverers, or those in between appointments, is a color spray. Yep, it's basically like the neon orange hair sprays people use for Halloween, but in your natural color. Rita Hazan Root Concealer is one of the more well-known spray colors.
Do you color your grays or wear 'em proud?
Image via vagawi/Flickr
