How to Cover Grey Hair and White Hair : 11 Hair Coloring Tips by Celebrity Hair Colorist Roger Medina

Celebrity hairstylist and colourist for Garnier, Roger Medina, reveals all his tricks to cover white hair at home like a pro.

1- Make the right diagnosis

First of all, don’t play apprentice-colourist. Formulas have evolved over the last few years, be realistic in terms of your goals: transforming overnight into an ashy blonde if you're a brunette with matte skin will take a little time. This is especially true if you have experimented a lot of hair coloring the last few months. To properly choose your color level (or tone height as the pros say), it is important to note that people often tend to see themselves darker than they are.

2- Arm yourself (enough!) with the right type of hair colour

If more than half of your mane is grey, you will need to turn to permanent colouring formulas. A tip to avoid catastrophes in the heat of action: always buy two boxes of colour. It would be a shame not to have enough to ensure a perfect application.

3- Find a gentle formula for your hair, but tough enough for grey hair coverage

White hair is hair whose melanocytes produce less melanin. As if that were not enough, be aware that an aging hair also presents a rougher, drier texture and more prone to frizz. Conclusion: In addition to looking for a formula that guarantees 100% white hair coverage, choose those that are also enriched with oils such as Nutrisse Colour Cream that contains grape seed oil. Today, it is possible to both color and nourish and care for your hair.

4- Do the test for scalp allergies

This is fun-da-men-tal! At least 24 to 48 hours before applying your hair colour, you should check if you are not allergic to the colour or if the colour gives the desired results.

5- Only cover stubborn grey hair

Getting rid of stubborn grey hair is the dream. But to achieve this goal, it’s not necessary to colour the forehead, temples or above the ears. The best way to avoid staining your skin while colouring is to protect it by applying a little conditioner provided inside the box to the areas at risk.

6- Prioritise coloring white hair

Target the sections with the whitest hair and colour them first. The advantage, it gives these areas a little more setting time.

7- Apply on cleansed hair

It means: take your time. Apply your hair color to dry, relatively clean hair. It is a myth to recommend applying hair colour on dirty hair. Above all, make sure that there is no hair spray residue on your hair or make-up at the root of the hair to ensure a perfect application.

8- Respect or prolong the setting time for successful grey hair coverage

If you want to colour ALL your white hair, respect the recommended setting times in the instructions. That said, to ensure optimal grey coverage, you can cheat and prolong by a few minutes.

9- Become a master of emulsion

The more often you apply a rich emulsion, the more beautiful your colour will be. When the setting time is over (completely over), get in the shower and wet your mane slightly. Then massage your scalp as if you wanted to make foam and make sure to spread your colour over all lengths. Emulsion gives a more uniform application and a truly brighter hair color.

10- Find a UV filtered and nourishing hair care

Water, sun, chlorine, aggressive shampoos are the worst enemies of your hair colour. Protect and prolong your shine with shampoos and conditioners equipped with UV filters, specifically designed for coloured hair. Oh! Remember that the conditioner contained in the box is a rich and nourishing treatment that you should use until the last drop. They are often rich in nourishing and emollient ingredients such as avocado, olive or shea butter oils like the Nutrisse Colour Cream conditioner.

11- Recolouring hair ONLY when necessary

If your hair colour is close to your natural base, it’s not necessary to apply the hair color on all the locks. Is your hair colour of good quality? You should only retouch your roots every four weeks. This is especially true when using a bleach. Apply the hair colour only on the tips, or risk breaking your hair. The trick to know when you need to apply hair colour over all your lengths is simple. Put your tips close to your roots, if they are the same colour, wait. If your tips appear lighter than two tones, it's time to go back.

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