I noticed my first grey at the age of 17. Hidden under my parting, it wasn’t stark white; rather, the pigment faded towards the bottom, like a half-and-half strand. I was more curious about it than anything, but over the years, especially between 28 and 30, more and more have cropped up, and these aren’t so easy to hide.
They’re bright white against my dark brown hair, and a completely different texture; wiry and coarse, with a tendency to stand up on end. While I love when people embrace their greys—and I do plan to go completely silver at some point, at 30, I don’t feel ready to adopt the look just yet.
Last year, I took the plunge and dyed my hair for the very first time, and I haven’t looked back. However, during my journey, I have noticed that no two dyes are the same—especially when it comes to grey strands. Ahead, the lowdown on how to effectively cover your greys,.
Why is it hard to cover greys?
“Grey hair is generally coarse, with a wiry texture that has lost all natural pigment,” Anita Rice from London-based sustainable salon group, Buller and Rice, tells me. “Therefore, it can be resistant to all hair colours. It needs to be approached differently than any other hair type.”
Are there different types of grey hair?
There are many different types of grey hair, Anita explains, and this will influence how you (or your hairstylist) choose to cover them. “The texture of grey hair can vary like any other hair type,” she says. “You could have very coarse, strong, grey hair, which is usually very stubborn and requires a much stronger colour that potentially needs to be left on for longer. Or, on the other hand, you may have finer, whiter hair, which can be much easier to get coverage on. Your stylist will determine what product is best for you, depending on the percentage of gret and the texture.”
What is the best way to approach covering greys at the salon?
Anita is a fan of more translucent grey coverage; this takes the edge off the grey and acts more like a “filler” than opaque coverage. It leaves a natural dimension to ensure that the regrowth doesn’t come through too “harshly”.
What in-salon dyes are best?
The hairstylist always recommends Davines for in-salon dye jobs. “It has a specific range that offers 100 per cent grey/white cover, which can also be mixed with shades offering different reflex. It can also be mixed in a way to offer more translucent coverage, which, as mentioned, can be helpful to add dimension and avoid harsh regrowth.
How to practice proper maintenance at home?
If you’re covering every two to three weeks, the hairstylist says that it’s best to only touch up around your hairline and parting. Every third time, you can do a full head application of dye, but it’s imperative not to overlap where you have previously covered, as this can cause colour buildup. As such, Anita recommends waiting and heading to the salon for touchups, especially if you want to cover your entire head.
“It’s best left to a professional, because it’s very easy to get colour buildup when overlapping. This can become very tricky and expensive to remove,” she states. “If you overlap where you have already covered, this will only go darker and darker each time. But if you’re 100 per cent white and don’t like letting it show, I would suggest using a tint brush to apply only to the parting between applications. This will help avoid overlapping and means that you’re not excessively colouring the hair. Powder sprays can be helpful, although if you have your hair coloured professionally, you must ensure it is removed before arriving at your appointment, as it will interfere with how well the colour can cover.”
Ahead are team Marie Claire UK’s favourite at-home touch-up products.
