How to choose products to cover gray hair

Appearance of white hair

When the hair begins to show the first gray hairs, for many people – and especially for women – a new phase of life opens up. Some accept the appearance of gray hair without too many problems, since aging is a natural phase of human life that sooner or later everyone finds themselves having to go through. Generally, men worry less about graying , although in recent years more and more men are resorting to dyeing to hide gray hair. However, many people do not want to resign themselves to graying, and this is especially true for women and young people. White hair, in fact, is not always linked to an advanced age: in fact, it is not uncommon to observe even twenty-year-olds starting to show the first silver threads in their hair. In these cases, acting to combat the phenomenon is first and foremost a question linked to one's self-esteem and self-esteem, and as a valid help there are specific products to cover gray hair. To cover gray hair it is possible to turn to professionals, such as hairdressers, but also to resort to DIY solutions to practice at home. In the latter case, savings are certainly guaranteed, but care must be taken to choose the "right" products and apply them in the correct way. Let's see which are the best products to choose.

Permanent and semi-permanent color products

To hide gray hair, the ideal solution is to use a permanent dye that gives color uniformity to the hair. On the market and in hairdressing salons it is possible to find a wide range of products suitable for this purpose; some of them are easily available in supermarkets, while others (more expensive, but also more effective) are reserved for professional use. The choice of the ideal color is a question to be addressed with extreme caution, since the wrong color can compromise the hair irreparably (or almost) in the case of permanent and semi-permanent colours. Many products for the permanent coloring of gray hair are ammonia-based and would be best used only by expert hands due to their greater aggressiveness. Furthermore, their effect lasts several months but over time, irreparably, tends to fade. Permanent coloring, if done incorrectly or with poor quality products, can lead to negative consequences especially in summer. Ultraviolet rays, together with salt or chlorine, can in fact significantly accelerate the deterioration of the color and make the hair stringy and have unexpected shades (generally tending towards reddish-blond). Unlike the permanent one, semi-permanent coloring for gray hair lasts 2/3 weeks and represents a good compromise between the final result and the frequency of using the dye. Furthermore, semi-permanent colors are suitable for those with fine, weak or breakage-prone hair, since they are less "aggressive" than permanent ones.

Temporary coloring products

If you want to dare a color different from the natural one of your hair, you can also choose a temporary solution: coloring or highlighting shampoos , which after a few washes are eliminated without leaving residues. The advantage of highlighting shampoo is linked to the possibility of changing your look often, but it is best to choose products without ammonia and capable of giving the hair a natural tone-on-tone effect. Temporary colors are indicated for people with weak or damaged white hair, since they are by far the least "aggressive" and can be redone every 6/8 weeks. Specific highlighting products generally do not contain ammonia, and are more respectful not only of the hair, but also of the scalp. For this reason, temporary colors are particularly appreciated by people who suffer from skin sensitivity, dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, or who simply have skin that tends to be red. A good product for temporarily coloring gray hair is also represented by henna , a natural substance that has been used for millennia for its remarkable ability to impart color. The very nature of henna, however, means that the hair is colored quite superficially, so the effects may not be entirely satisfactory for people who have a lot of gray hair. The duration of a henna coloring can last from a few days to 2/3 weeks, but generally no longer.

Advice to follow

In the case of permanent colouring, the result obtained – if the color has been done correctly – comes very close to or corresponds exactly to the color of natural hair. In any case, even the best dye for gray hair turns out to be an effective solution only for a limited period of time, since the physiological growth of the hair must be considered. Every month the hair grows by a few millimetres, therefore as the weeks go by it is inevitable that the permanent coloring leaves a glimpse of white at the base of the hair, or the original color of the hair if a different colored dye has been chosen. From an aesthetic point of view, the regrowth effect is something that we try to avoid at all costs, but to do this we need to take into account a periodic visit to the hairdresser or a new color from one month to the next. If you don't intend to commit to a permanent or semi-permanent dye, you can resort to the alternative solution of highlights . Creating lighter colored locks, generally blond, within your hair can be useful for covering or otherwise making white hair less conspicuous. Generally, however, it is recommended to resort to dyes only when gray hair begins to be an obvious problem. In fact, when you start dyeing your hair you enter a path from which it is then difficult to escape, unless you opt for drastic hair cuts. It is therefore better to avoid intervening prematurely on the hair, perhaps accepting a few gray hairs but gaining in terms of practicality.