When their hair starts to gray, many men find themselves joining the ranks of hair dyers. Getting gray hair is a natural part of the aging process, and some men even like the look. But many others want to hold on to their youthful color, especially those who begin to gray early, like in their last twenties or early thirties. Fortunately, there are many simple and low cost ways out there for men to dye their hair.
Selecting the Right Color
There are many hair dye brands for men looking to dye their hair. Some of the more popular ones are Just for Men, Schwarzkopf, and Garnier Nutrisse. Redken’s Color Camo is also great for the salt and pepper look that many mature men desire.
You will want to select a color that is fairly close to your original color- try to stay within two shades. If you go too light, your hair will look washed out, and if you go too dark it will look like burnt motor oil. Try to use a color with an ash tone to have something that will fall into line with your age. You don’t want to end up looking too young.
Performing a Color Test
Once you select a color you think will work for, you will want to perform a stand test. This is a very important step to making sure your hair ends up looking natural. If you don’t perform a strand test you are just shooting in the dark and could end up with something that looks terrible.
First, separate out a few strands of hair on one side of your head. Selecting hair from the sides is ideal in case you ever needed to snip away the hair from a color that didn’t work for you. You may want to use a clip to separate the strands, and you may also want to cover the hair around it so it stays clean.
Next, you will want to apply a small amount of the hair coloring the ends of the strands. Keep the dye in for as long as the package states, and then wash it out and drying the hair. Once complete, try viewing the hair in different settings and lighting to make sure that it is a color that you want.
Dying your Gray Away
Now that you have the right color you are ready to dye your whole head of hair. Start coloring by first hitting the spots where you hair is the grayest. You will probably to leave the dye in for at least 30 to 35 minutes, even if that is longer than what the package suggests.
Men typically need to dye their hair about every six weeks, although if your hair grows fast you may need to do it more often. If you need to fill in some spots in the meantime or do some touch up, you may want to try washout highlights. You can spray or brush these into your hair, but keep in mind that these will wash out.
Whether you want to completely hide your gray hair or go for the classic salt and pepper look, there are many options out there for men looking to dye their hair. Fortunately, there are many hair dye brands for men that are easy to use and look great. If you are a guy looking to get rid of his gray, there is no reason you won’t find a product that will work for you.
