How to Dye Salt & Pepper Hair
To get rid of the "salt"--those gray strands that make you look older than you are--there are two options: go to a salon, or do it yourself at home. Obviously, a stylist can apply color and the gray will vanish--but so will a chunk of your money. Doing it yourself is a relatively simple task that can be accomplished in about an hour. You have two choices when it comes to choosing the color product. You can buy a box of hair color, such as Clairol Nice 'n Easy or Revlon ColorSilk, from the drug or grocery store, or you can opt for a more natural henna hair dye product, best found online or at an organic grocer. Both are applied in a similar way. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Box of hair dye
- Plastic gloves, usually provided in box of hair dye
- Towel or other protective wear
- Ventilation
Instructions
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Wash the gray away
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Make sure you've chosen the correct color, especially if you're using henna.
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Most hair dyes recommend testing a strand of hair before completely coloring the hair to make sure the color is correct and that there is no allergy problem. This is particularly true with henna, which can have an unexpected color reaction if applied to previously colored hair.
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Put on protective gloves. The coloring product will dye whatever it touches. Be mindful of your surroundings and take care to ensure the dye goes on your head and nowhere else.
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Mix the hair color as indicated on the instructions. Section the hair and apply, paying particular attention to gray areas. If using henna, wrap your head with plastic wrap. Discard any unused portion of dye. It cannot be saved for another application.
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Wait the appropriate amount of time, which is usually about 20 minutes for commercial hair dye, longer for henna. Rinse and dry. Getting rid of gray generally requires leaving the dye on 10 extra minutes, per the box instructions. Gray hair can be resilient to hair dye. Be prepared to re-do every four to six weeks, or more if using henna.
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Tips & Warnings
If the hair dye doesn't quite get rid of all the gray, just keep in mind what Dr. Leo M. Cooney, professor and chief of geriatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, told "The New York Times" in March 2009: "People with premature graying of the hair don't die any sooner than anybody else."
Try to remove dye on skin or other objects (clothing, tile around the sink, etc.) as quickly as possible. It will come off with water at first. Stubborn dye might require rubbing alcohol.
