The Best Hair Color for Gray Hair, According to the Pros (2024)

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Published Dec 6, 2023

Getty Images: Olha Romaniuk, Ada Summer

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Are highlights or lowlights better for gray hair?

“Highlights are among the simplest solutions to hidinggrayhair,as thegraycreates less of a contrast against lighter colors,” says Leake. “Adding highlights can gently blend in the grays, so that instead of fighting to cover them, you’re working with thegrayhair.” Tang suggests adding lowlights if you have a lot of grays. “You want to do darker than your naturalhaircolor to givehairdimension and depth,” he says. “Typically, they’re strategically placed to break up the all-overgrayor silver color. Lowlights can also be more natural-looking and lower maintenance.”

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What type of hair color covers gray hair the best?

It’s all about what works for your hair texture and type, according to Mandy B. “There really isn't one specifichaircolor line that is better than others based solely on formulation. The key is to find a stylist who can properly determine the correct formulation for yourhairtype and texture,” she says. “Some only need a 10-volume developer for greatgraycoverage and others might need a 20- or 30-volume developer for extremely stubborn or coarsegrayhair.” It you’re applying color at home, hair educator Shvonne Perkins says to make sure you’re using the right formula. “Many people don’t realize that not allhaircolor is meant to covergray, so ifgrayis a concern for you, you’ll want to make sure that the package specifically calls outgraycoverage. Many fashion and vivid shades are not designed forgray, for example,”she says. And regardless of whether you color your hair at a salon or at home, stylist Sophie Gutterman says to opt for permanent rather than semi-permanent color to fully cover grays.

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How often should I dye my hair to cover grays?

Stylists agree that this is a personal preference, determined by weighing a triangle of concerns: a) money/time you have b) how quickly your hair grows and c) how high a tolerance you have for seeing regrowth. Aas Perkins says. “Most women touch up their color every four to six weeks to keep up with growth, but for some who seegraypopping up really quickly, it can be as often as every two weeks,” she says. To minimize overprocessing and damaging your strands, trichologist Mandy B. recommends not coloring your hair more than once every three weeks. “If needed, I recommend using root cover sprays like L'oréal Magic Root Rescue to mask the appearance of grays between appointments,” she says.

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How do you care for colored gray hair?

A little extra TLC for gray hair goes a long way, since its strength and texture may be different from the rest of hair or the hair that you had prior to going gray. “Grayhairis often drier and more brittle. It’s extra important with any color-treatedhair, but especially for grays, to keep thehairhydrated and the ends strong,” says Leake, who recommends The Kerastase Elixir UltimeHairOil as a moisturizing serum and heat protectant, and KerastaseBlond Absolu 2% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serumas an instant hydrator. Tang formulated his #MyHero products for extra moisturizing and suggests the shampoo, conditioner and nourishing crème to guard against fading. In addition to color-safe shampoo and conditioner, Gutterman recommends using a hair mask regularly. (She likes the Zotos All About Curls treatment.) Additionally, using a hair gloss (such as Madison Reed Crema) can help refresh color and take out any unwanted yellow tones in gray hair.

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Is it better to go lighter or darker to cover gray hair?

“On naturalhairthat hasn’t been color treated, permanent color can typically lighten it one to two levels from your starting point. So if your naturalhairis dark brunette, your choices in permanent color are limited to medium to dark brunettes—a box of blonde permanenthaircolor won’t do the trick,”says Perkins. “Another thing to keep in mind is that warm golden shades often covergraysmore fully than cooler ash tones. This is because grayhairisn’t actually pigmented, so the warmth and depth helps fill in the missing pigment, which makes thehairappear more fully covered.” Tang says going lighter is the safer option, since lighter shades, such as highlights or an overall lighter color, can better camouflagegrayhair. “Lighter tones tend to blend better withgrayhair, making the regrowth less noticeable,” he says, “and they provide a softer, more natural look, especially as thegrayhairgrows out.”

What is the best low maintenance color for gray hair?