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Back in Black: Ways to Cover Gray Hair
Here are some effective ways to cover gray hair which may even help to nourish your hair. Dying your hair is not the only way!
Gray hairs, like it or not, will show up.We may find these stray strands even at a young age and this makes it even more daunting. While the #grayhairmovement is making strides, not everybody is ready to get onto this wagon. The transition means change which may require a significant amount of mental preparation. Some people may be hesitant over this and could be looking for simple ways to cover gray hair.
Using hair color to dye the gray hair may be one of the most common approaches. However, this means committing to a rigorous dying routine and using synthetic colors very often. This is bound to affect your hair growth and health. Fortunately, there are various ways apart from coloring for covering gray hair. Here are some of the best options for you to cover the grays!
25 Ways to Cover Gray Hair
1. Root touch ups
Using dyes/colors to color your gray hair may require a lot of commitment and is bound to be time consuming. This also comes with the issues of regrowth. As your hair grows you start noticing a line separating your dyed hair and your natural locks. At such times, booking in for root touch ups may be a feasible option. You can use a root concealer or toner. There are even powders that can help to conceal the grays and delay your next hair appointment to cover the gray hair. If using a power, find one that is oil and water resistant so it stays on for a considerable amount of time. This gives you a quick non-messy way for covering gray hair.
2. Low maintenance hair color
Doing an overall hair color too frequently can cause quite a bit of damage to your hair. One way to delay this process while still covering the gray hair is using some low maintenance hair colors to only conceal the gray regrowth. Highlights have been commonly used to blend in the grays while giving you a chic look. A good blend of ashy highlights and lowlights can be one of the best ways to cover gray hair.
Our contributor William Slator, Product developer at HairGuard - a brand specializing in hair growth products, shares here a tip to cover gray hair and maintain a natural look. He says, “To maintain a natural look during the transition to gray hair, consider techniques like balayage or highlights that blend the gray with your natural color. Regular trims help remove the older colored hair, aiding the transition.”
3. Henna to dye your hair
While commercial hair colors help cover the grays, they also cause a lot of damage. Henna on the other hand is a natural plant based substance that has been used since ancient times. Applying henna will leave your hair with a gorgeous reddish-orange shade. It is also known for having antimicrobial properties that protect and nourish your scalp. This can be your go to natural option to fight those grays. (1) (2).
4. Black tea hair mask
While you may love sipping on tea as a refreshing drink, you may have missed out on the other uses and benefits of it. Black tea not only boosts energy but also is a vegetable dye that can be used to cover gray hair at home. Black tea consists of dark pigments called theaflavins and thearubigins (3). When you rinse your hair with black tea, it is known to leave a temporary hint of color. This may be a temporary option as the color fades away with the next wash. However, it's a safe and economical home remedy.
5. Sage water mask
Sage is a medicinal herb that has been used since the beginning of time in hair care routines. It has been popular for promoting shinier, healthier hair. But most importantly, sage contains pigments that can darken hair naturally. It contains tannins that may act like hair dye. (4)
6. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a common ingredient in most Indian homes and has a wide range of uses. It has been used to nourish the scalp. One of the reasons for graying of hair can be the level of melanin pigment which protects your hair from the harmful UV rays. (5) Coconut oil is known to have a natural SPF of 8 and acts as a sunscreen. (6) This may be key to fight oxidative stress. Hence people believe that it may be helpful in delaying graying of hair. It may as well act as a preventative measure and is much better than harmful dyes.
7. Curry leaves and coconut oil treatment
Curry leaves and coconut oil can be used to massage your scalp as a part of your hair care routine. Curry leaves are helpful in restoring the natural melanin pigment which darkens your hair. It is also known to boost hair growth and give you healthier hair. (7) Curry leaves may be also known to be effective in preventing premature graying of hair given they are rich in vitamin B complex, iodine, zinc, iron, etc.
8. Amla powder /mask
Amla or the Indian gooseberry is a rich source of vitamin C which is known to be an important factor for maintaining healthy hair. Amla and henna can also be used in combination to dye your hair at home to cover gray hair. (8) (9)
9. Ribbed gourd and oil
Ribbed gourd is another vegetable which is known to improve follicle health and restore pigment cells in the hair follicles. Using ribbed gourd soaked in coconut oil as a part of your hair care may help in managing the issue with graying of hair. (10)
10. Hair mascara
Well, you all may have heard of the mascara as a magical tool for your eyelashes. But here’s something for those gray hair issues too. You can use a hair mascara or a brush in hair color too to quickly cover the gray hair from your roots. Gently use it with a spray and comb it in to avoid staining your skin. This can be your quick fix to the regrowth of gray hair.
11. Potato Peel rinse
If you have lighter or blonde hair, a potato peel rinse may work very well to cover gray hair naturally for you. All you need to do is boil the potatoes till you get a starchy solution. Wash your hair and in the end rinse it with the potato peel rinse. The scratchy solution adds pigment and masks the gray hair.
12. Coffee Rinse
Just like tea, coffee can also be nourishing and leave a natural color on your hair. Brew a pot of coffee and let it cool. Use it as a rinse when washing your hair and massage it into your scalp. This may not be a permanent solution to your gray hair problems, however, when used regularly, it can stain your hair with a brown color which will cover the grays. (11)
13. Yogurt and black pepper hair mask
You may be surprised to find this condiment being super useful in maintaining the color and nutrition of your hair. While promoting hair growth it also helps maintain the color of your hair. Blend some black pepper and yogurt in a bowl and use it as a hair mask. When used regularly it may help darken your hair while the yogurt makes your hair softer.
14. Chamomile Tea rinse
Chamomile tea may be your drink of choice on a cold winter morning but did you know it also has hair darkening properties? You can make a rinse using chamomile tea and use it regularly to help darken your hair.
15. Apple cider vinegar rinse
An apple cider vinegar rinse is rich in nutrients that can considerably boost hair health. Dilute the apple cider vinegar with two cups of water to prepare your rinse. This helps to seal your cuticles, thereby maintaining the melanin in your hair. This may be one of the ways to cover gray hair using a home remedy.
16. Fenugreek seeds
Fenugreek seeds are a common spice in Indian cuisine but did you know they are also exceptional for your hair? Mix some fenugreek seeds with coconut oil and apply it on your scalp for beautiful and healthy hair. They contain amino acids and lecithin which helps maintain the color of your natural hair. It's known as a preventative measure for premature graying of hair. (13)
17. Oiling your hair regularly
Various oils can be used to make sure you cover and manage your gray hair well. Prevention is always better than cure and these oils do just that. You can use olive oil, black seed oil or jojoba oil to regularly nourish your hair with the nutrients it requires. Regular oiling of hair may help to maintain the health of your follicles which in turn preserve the natural color of your hair. Black seed oil is also known to darken your hair. (14)
18. Try vegetable hair dyes
You can try using vegetables to dye the gray hair. You may find vegetable dyes in the market or even make your own using beetroots or carrots. These may be temporary but are definitely a better alternative.
19. Rosemary oil and sage
All you need is a few drops of rosemary oil and some sage to make this wonderful hair rinse. Add these two to two cups of water and use it as a part of your hair care routine. Both these ingredients support follicle health and may help in covering gray hair. They effectively are known to darken hair which may give you the natural results you are seeking. (15)
20. Onion juice
While this may sound bizarre due to the strong odor of the vegetable, it seems to be a really good ingredient for your hair. Onions are rich in an enzyme called Catalase which may help reverse graying of hair. Applying onion juice regularly has found positive results in darkening hair from the roots.(16)
21. Kombucha for the hair
Using kombucha as a hair mask may be another one of the ways to cover gray hair and also work on having healthy hair. Research has shown that it can be effective for people with gray hair (17). It resorts the health of follicles and maintains melanin which in turn helps to maintain a rich color for your hair.
22. Blackstrap Molasses
Black strap molasses are rich in nutrients that are great for your hair. They restore the pigments in your hair and may be beneficial to covering your gray hair. Using it regularly or even consuming it with certain foods has been helpful for people.
23. Walnut shell dye
Walnut shells can be used to make a natural dye for your hair. This can be one of the easiest ways to cover gray hair at home. Crush the walnut shells and boil them to prepare a pigmented solution. Cool the liquid and apply it like any other dye on your hair. Rinse it out once done.
24. Touch up sticks and pencils
When you are looking for a quick temporary fix for the regrowth which may be gray, one way could be using touch up sticks or pencils which may be close to your natural color. They are compact and create a wax free look for your special events.
25. Hair accessories
If you are someone who wants to eventually embrace the grays and want to avoid synthetic dyes, hair accessories can be a game changer. Right from bandanas to hair extensions, a lot of the hair accessories can be effective to cover gray hair. Some hair extensions can be easily attached right from the roots and also give a bounce to your hair.
How To Cover Gray Hair
While each person may have their own journey with embracing the grays, it may be a good idea to explore different options apart from coloring your hair from the get go. Synthetic dyes, give the glamorous finish that we may be seeking however can create long term damage to the scalp and hair. Exploring various natural dyes like henna, amla and vegetable dyes can do more than just cover the gray hair for you. Choosing dyes that may be closer or lighter than your original hair color may also help to mask the gray hair until you are ready to dawn the salt and pepper look. In the meantime, experimenting with different hair cuts and hair partitions can also give you a chance to cover the gray and adapt to changes.
Our contributor William Slator, shares here an easy way to camouflage gray roots. He says, “Changing the hair parting can help conceal gray roots. It redistributes the hair, making the grays less noticeable. Additionally, styling techniques like waves or curls can create volume, further minimizing the appearance of roots.”
What are the causes of Gray Hair
Before we seek the solutions for gray hair, it may also help for you to understand the reasons for graying hair. These may largely help in taking preventative measures and ensuring you have healthy long lasting and lustrous hair.
Your hair follicles essentially determine whether your hair color is retained. This means it may be essential to focus on having a healthy diet and maintaining a good hair care routine. Nutritional imbalance and deficiency of vitamin B, iodine,iron and proteins may be contributors to having gray hair at a younger age. Hence, having a balanced diet becomes key to having healthy hair. (18)
Genetics and natural aging are well known common causes for graying of hair. Looking at your family tree and understanding what may help your hair health can take you a long way. (19)
Apart from this your lifestyle can also significantly impact graying of hair. A study found that smoking may have a significant relationship with graying of hair before 30 (20). Having excessive mental stress is also one of the cited causes of premature graying of hair. Mental stress can lead to lowered levels of vitamin B which may lead to premature graying (21).
Conclusion
Graying of your hair is a natural process and we each have to face it eventually. A lot of factors may influence when your hair turns gray and preventative measures are always better. Despite these efforts if you do have gray hair, fret not! There are various ways to cover gray hair while maintaining the health of your follicles and hair. Nourishing your hair with oils, masks and natural ingredients can not only help cover gray hair but also maintain the health of your hair. These remedies may also require you to be consistent and have patience to see effective results. And if dying your hair is the way to go for you, there’s multiple options in terms of colors and hairstyles that may compliment your look.
Contributor: William Slator, Product developer - HairGuard
Citations:
- Antimicrobial Efficacy of Henna Extracts - PMC (nih.gov)
- Study of colouring effect of herbal hair formulations on graying hair - PMC (nih.gov)
- Analysis of Theaflavins and Thearubigins from Black Tea Extract by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (acs.org)
- Ethnopharmacological survey of home remedies used for treatment of hair and scalp and their methods of preparation in the West Bank-Palestine - PMC (nih.gov)
- Human hair pigmentation – biological aspects - Tobin - 2008 - International Journal of Cosmetic Science - Wiley Online Library
- In vitro sun protection factor determination of herbal oils used in cosmetics - PMC (nih.gov)
- https://www.rjpbcs.com/pdf/2015_6(6)/%5B118%5D.pdf
- Preclinical and Clinical Studies Demonstrate That the Proprietary Herbal Extract DA-5512 Effectively Stimulates Hair Growth and Promotes Hair Health - PMC (nih.gov)
- Study of colouring effect of herbal hair formulations on graying hair - PubMed (nih.gov)
- Therapeutic Potential of Luffa acutangula: A Review on Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicological Aspects - PMC (nih.gov)
- (PDF) Synthesis and Evaluation of Herbal Based Hair Dye (researchgate.net)
- Natural ingredients for colouring and styling - Dweck - 2002 - International Journal of Cosmetic Science - Wiley Online Library
- Ultrafast synthesis of carbon quantum dots from fenugreek seeds using microwave plasma enhanced decomposition: application of C-QDs to grow fluorescent protein crystals - PMC (nih.gov)
- Association of Epidemiological and Biochemical Factors with Premature Graying of Hair: A Case–Control Study - PMC (nih.gov)
- Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial - PubMed (nih.gov)
- The Effects of Ultrastructure with Onion (Allium cepa) Skin Extracts on Human Hair Dyeing (researchgate.net)
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jchem/2015/591869/
- Why Some Women Look Young for Their Age | PLOS ONE
- Smokers’ hair: Does smoking cause premature hair graying? - PMC (nih.gov)
- A stress response pathway regulates DNA damage through β2-adrenoreceptors and β-arrestin-1 | Nature
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