Vibrant Nation

I like the L'Oreal Preference product line to achieve gray coverage.

Farmesi - I think I spelled that correctly. It's an Italian cream-based product you can only get in a salon. It's fabulous!

I can't wait to find out the answer to this. I don't have a full head of gray but the roots are gray so it is hard to cover that and make it blend into the rest of my hair without dying the whole head of hair each time.

If there is a Sally's Beauty near you the best , and cost effective way to cover gray is with Wella Color Charm conditioning permanent gel haircolor($4.99, but if you have a Sally's card it is $2.99)...pick a color that is closest to your natural color.  You will also need Wella Color Charm creme developer 20 volume...it comes in a 32 oz. bottle for about $6 (and a 32 oz bottle usually lasts me more than a year) and also you will need Ardell Gray Magic color additive (also $6 for small bottle that lasts me over a year)

You start by putting the haircolor gel in a bowl (not metal) and you mix it 1:2 ratio with the developer ( 2 oz. color gel to 4oz of developer) then add 20 drops of the Gray Magic ( 10 drops per oz of color gel).  Mix this thoroughly.  You will also need a dye brush to brush the dye in your hair .  If you have real long hair you might need two haircolor gel pkg. 

You will need someone to help you put the dye in the back of your hair...it can be done by yourself but is easier and more accurate if someone else does it.  Just start (either in front or back) by making small section parts...I part the hair with the handle of a dye brush (not the one I am using for the haircoloring) and brush dye on front and back of that part ...then make another small part right next to that and brush dye on front and back of that piece ...ect.  until you have covered your whole head...then take a wide tooth comb and comb the dye down to the ends of your hair (make sure hair is thoroughly saturated) ...wait the recommended time...then rinse out until it rinses clear...dont wash hair for at least 24 hours...and dont wash your hair the day you dye it...put dye on dry hair.  Instructions are written on the inside of the hairdye box. 

I hope that helps...this method gives a salon quality color.

I started to cover the grey twenty years ago.  For many years I went to a professional stylist/colorist.  IN between visits I experimented. For the past ten years I have been on my own and tried every hair color product on the market.  yes, I actually tried to work my way through every brand even some I found in health stores. Also tried mixing my own chemicals in the same way as my stylist did.

In the end I became a staunch believer in Garnier Nutrisse. It gives even coverage, lots of shine, does not damage hair and most importantly does NOT fade.  Some dyes from Loreal which look great fade away.  Others temd to change color to brassy notes with each hair wash.

Garnier promises 100 percent grey coverage and delivers.  Read the directions and follow exactly. They recommend you leave on longer.  The directions explain how to dye the first time and how to handle root coverage.  Follow those directions to the letter, Do part your hair in small sections and use the bottle to drip down the part and your gloved finger to lightly spread the dye cream onto the hair on each side of part to cover the roots.  This is key to having an all over even job.  in the front.. be sure to go around the hairline with the creme and use finger to cover the roots (this tip is Not in the directions.) If you do it this way you won't miss any spot in the front which is critical.

I wish you good luck..and add that I have no connection with this product line.  It is simply the Best! (a small vial of avocado oil goes into the dye mix and I think it's one reason why your hair shines and feels soft--you can save some of the included conditioner too, to add in a few weeks.) I also use their shampoo/conditioner.

My daughter's hair grows slower than mine so she dyes every 7-8 week and I do mine every six.  Don't let these pros scare you into salon color. I honestly look better with longer lasting Garnier color than I did with my stylist's formulas. Now that I have practice in application I feel confident I look terrific.

Netta - This is from Bella Fontana Spa in Sherman, Texas.  We have a salon at the spa and use Alfaparf, an Italian colour that is great at covering grey.  The biggest factors in covering grey are the cuticle and the amount of pigment remaining in the hair.  Some pigment needs to remain for the deposited color to bond with to effectively color the hair.  The cuticle needs to be opened for the color to penetrate.  That leads to why we use Alfaparf, it has a smaller molecule so that less developer (chemical) that essentially opens the cuticle and bonds the color will have a greater impact at a lower volume causing less damage (facilitating closing the cuticle after treatment).  Many people opt to alternate all over color (single application) and highlights using foil or some other method or alternatively use multiple colors with the highlight technique to effectively blend colors so that a root line does not develop.  Do not hesitate to ask for a free consultation appointment in advance of your color session.

Hi Netta,

I'm 48, and I'm not ready to go grey yet either! Although my mother, a natural born brunette, went blonde in her 30's and stayed that way until she was fifty. At 50, she refused to color it any longer and she cut it all extremely short and she looked so chic! The silvery grey was luminescent! Give me strength, that in 2 years time I could do the same, but I can't see myself doing so! For now, I have it professionally colored (I'm a brunette) every 3=4 months, but in between, when the roots start to grow in I use Loreal products to cover the grey and it lasts about 5 weeks before the grey starts to creep in again. But by that time, my next pro appt is approaching, thankfully! The color and coverage is great. My hair is just below my shoulders and the product is more than enough for what I need in those in-between times. Good luck! - Lana

You should really visit a reputable salon. Being a retired hairdresser, we saw so many hair colors that were less than acceptable that people had done themselves with over-the-counter products. It will get you into a mess if you do it yourself and it may look anything but natural. You deserve it! Spend a little money on yourself and look your best. If you are nervous about all over hair color and you have a lot of grey already, you may want to go with a reverse highlighting where darker color is woven into your grey hair to make it look "not so grey". Your professional will be able to recommend what would be best for you once you visit. Why not call a salon for a consultation? Then you can get a feel for what they are wanting to do before the actual appointment is made. Good luck, but don't try this on your own. You will be happier with the results if you go professional! We certainly did a lot of color correction in my day!

THIS RESPONSE IS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LET THEIR HAIR GROW OUT NATURALLY GRAY,SILVER/WHITE, ETC...  Well, I decided to stop using hair color to cover my grey/silver hair when I was 45 years old.  I got my stylist to cut my hair real short and let it grow.  To my delighted surprise, I was 85% silver grey with some black at the nap of my neck.  I let it grow to the length I wanted and now it looks beautiful with my Native American tanned skin!  But I started having problems with the silver/white/grey hair turning yellowish especially at the bottoms of my hair.  My stylist recommended "Shimmer Lights" shampoo (for blonde & silver) by Clairol Professional.  It did the trick; now I use it at least two times a week, and a different shampoo during the other days.  I let the "Shimmer Lights" shampoo stay in my hair for three to five minutes and then rinse it out and apply my conditioner.  Wow, it really makes my silver/white/grey hair look beautiful! 

Preference by L'Oreal.

...haha...No matter what you do tho the gray keeps coming back!  Always a battle!  I'm almost thinking of just letting it go, but then...na!!!  Reading through all the responses I see alot of GREAT ideas!  Thanks!

Anyone using Clairol's Natural Instincts?  I'd like to know how it compares to other products similar to it (temporary rinses).  I'm just 50 and I've been lucky that my hair isn't really needing all-over coverage, but the rinse lasts at best, 3 weeks before I can see those greys again.  I noticed some of you suggested the Nutrisse (is that it?) and wondered if any of you have also used Natural Instincts.  Looking forward to hearing some advice.

Sally's Beauty Supply carries these little black capsules you add to whatever color you choose, it covers the grey very well and makes your color not fade out as fast an they are super cheap!

I use Revlon, it's cheap and lasts forever, with those capsules and I'm about 70% grey.

 Hi Netta...I use Color Silk....very good...cover grey!!!!! enjoy!!!

I go to an Aveda Spa for my hair. It seems less harse than other hair colors and looks very natural. It does take up keep, but it's worth it.

I've colored my hair since I was in my early 20s. I used to do it for many years but recently I let the hairdressser do it because she mixes the colors and it's really cheap.  If you live int he Ft. Lauderdale area of FL I'd be happy to share her telephone number with you.

i have been coloring my hair for the last 20 years.  Basically any hair color will cover gray.  I use COLOR SILK from Revlon because i am all gray and have to do it every 3 weeks or so.  I did the salon thing for a while, but could not afford it anymore and it was every 3 weeks just the same.  Hair color products are amazing now a days.  The Garnier product is very good as well.  However, i am intrigued by the " 'no ammonia' formula".  I may give that a try.  I use very good conditioners and change every 3 months or so because the hair becomes used to them and they do not all work the same.  I tried the Keratine treatment and my hair is soft, shiny, and very manageable.  I did it myself as well as beauty salons are charging up to $250. because this procedure is time consuming.  I bought the K treament on ebay.  My boss paid $250.00 to get her hair done.  I also have short hair.  With hot flashes i cannot keep hair dry on the back of my neck.  It makes u look younger as well. 

Wow!  This is a tough one!  Sounds like your hair is as resistant to over-the-counter hair coloring products as mine! :( 

The only over-the-counter product I had any luck with was Loreal.  However, eventually, when that didn't do the entire job, I realized that the only way to ensure complete coverage (I tried them all) would be to go to a professional for this service.  This doesn't mean having to select a terribly expensive professional, but one of the chain hair salons do just as good a job with coloring as your top of the line salons.

I keep trying to come to grips with going grey, but so far, haven't succeeded at talking myself into it!  (If my genes produced white instead of dirty-looking grey hair, I would opt for going grey in a nanno-second!)

~JC Eberhart

i am thinking of going gray when i retire.  At work looking older is not a good thing.  Lately I have been called old by some younger coworkers and although I am 58, is not what they say but the way it is being said.  What happened to being respectful to your elders?  It got lost somewhere i guess. 

The best way to cover gray is to add highlights to your hair.  You will not have to worry about the damage to your hair that hair dyes do.  You will also only have to touch up your highlights every 3 months.  It's a much better solution than trying to cover your gray every month or so.

Netta, I have 100% grey hair and I used Garnier(green bottle)for yrs and yrs and years!!!!!! Works great and the conditioner arterwards smells divine!!!!!

No, however I have some thoughts to share about "gray," so as you do color your hair you can still celebrate the fact that you have white hair that can easily accept color.

I received my first white hairs when I was 14, three of 'em, and I learned of them when one of my classmates pulled them out in horror. It didn't bother me & I was annoyed that she did it without my permission, but at least I knew I had them.

In my twenties I was having a hair trim from an amazing hair stylist who told me that "gray" is a marketing ploy that is used rather successfully by the hair color industry to sell their noxious wares. He told me to see the changing hair as "silver strands" instead...

As a woman from a culture that values Elders and the experience it takes to become an Elder, I have come to celebrate my white hair as symbols of hard-earned experieince & wisdom; each one is precious to me and I know that I earned every one!

Obviously we all need to choose what makes us feel good:) and I think hair color is interesting & can be beautiful (just wish it wasn't so toxic...) But I often wonder if my friends are using it in reaction to society's messages to girls and women about where our value lies, you know?

Anyway, your post just jumped out at me this morning & I hope you receive this message in the good spirit it is intended:)

Be well

Hi, i've tried several and always wind up with some gray still remaining (and i didn't have that much gray too begin with) so i recommend a nice hat, wide headband or baseball cap..... just a little 12 noon humor.

DON'T IF IT SPARKLES THEN LET IT SHINE

The problem is not only covering the gray but, keeping the color for a significant time.Any ideas let me know

                                                              Brenda

Netta, My hair stylist recommended to soak a piece of cotton with alcohol, grab a thin strand of hair with the cotton and run it across the strand, THEN apply the hair dye. Apparently the alcohol makes the hair/roots "open" (dilate) and absorbs better the color and lasts longer...let me know if it works, I haven't had a chance to use it---but soon I will have to color my hair! Good luck!