Tips for Coloring Gray Hair

Don’t Let Gray Hair Get in the Way of New Hair Color!

Q: I am 42 years old and a native Atlantan. Through the years, I have gone to hairdressers in Buckhead and had fun with many different hairstyles. My hair is naturally red, but I have never been fond of the color – I’ve been known to change it regularly. Now that I am older, some of my hair has become gray and frizzy.

Recently, my stylist colored my hair a medium brown, which I like a lot.  After a week, though, my natural red coloring started showing through and it looks very dry. I’d like to keep this color for a while, but I’m not sure I can. What would you suggest we try? Linda – Marietta

A: I can completely understand your frustration, but red hair can be really chic and look very attractive (you might want to consider that as an option sometime!). To begin with, any brown color will have some red in it, even the light and medium shades. You should expect some reddish hue to show through.

However, the color treatment may not be the problem – your gray hair may be the culprit. Gray hair, especially really white gray hair, contains very little pigment and is porous. To prevent your hair from losing as much color as possible, I would recommend that your stylist do a filler treatment first – make sure it is left on for at least 45 minutes. This extra step will ensure that the new growth of gray is sufficiently colored and that you have a good solid color base for the brown.

Gray hair also can be frizzy, making styling more of a challenge. You might want to try an anti-frizz serum after you shampoo. If you blow it dry, try not to use high heat or over dry – it will only cause more frizziness. You could also just add the serum, towel dry your hair and then let it go natural.

David Barron is one of Atlanta’s leading hairstylists. To ask David for hair, color and beauty tips, please email your questions to askdavid@barronslondonsalon.com.

Call 404-812-0032 to schedule you consultation today.