Tips for Handling Dark Re-Growth
If your hair is chemically treated – whether it’s a relaxer or a perm – growth refers your ‘natural’ hair peeking out. The same applies for braided hair. Your younger locks pop up on your scalp, loosening the plaits and giving your hairdo a scruffy, unkempt look. But re-growth in coloured hair is even more drastic. If your hair is dyed a lighter shade, your intrinsic colour ends up giving you a heavy 5’0clock shadow. Except it’s not quite as sexy as the rugged look of clean-shaven guys. #DoubleStandard. Instead, you just look … bad.
Your rate of re-growth depends on your own body chemistry, but it can be influenced by hormones, hair products, or even the weather. It usually starts to show a week or two after you last colouring session. And because hair dye is quite harsh on your follicles, you don’t want have it done every fortnight. That pace would over-dry your hair, leaving it dull, brittle, and frizzy. It will literally start to break off, so you should only top-up your dye-job once a month – longer if you can bear it. 6 to 8 weeks is ideal.
Wear it with Purpose
This means – obviously – that the math isn’t adding up. If your roots start to show after two weeks … and you have to wait another four to six … what can you do with your darkened scalp in the meantime? It’s easier for dark dye on dark hair, because the roots won’t be as distinct. But for a blonde playing brunette or vice-versa, re-growth yells loud and clear. You could try using a masking brush or pen, like Colour Wow. You can literally colour in your roots. It’s a labour-intensive process, but it can hold for a week or two. Just make sure any shampoo or conditioner you use is from the same brand, to avoid washing the colour off.
On metro guys and hipsters, the deliberately unkempt look is familiar. On girls, there’s a leaning towards ‘intentionally darker roots’. When you get your initial dye job, you could ask your hairdresser to layer your colours. The base could be a shade lighter, and this could gradually extend up to the root, with every inch or so being a shade up or down, according to your finished vision. That way, your hair colour flows on a gradient, and when your darker locks re-grow, it looks like a conscious extension (pun intended) of your hairstyle.
Future-Proof Your Locks
You can also glaze your roots with a shadow product. The layering and glazing gives your hair an illusion of volume, so in that sense, your re-growth is actually a good thing. The gradient effect makes your re-growth cool and causal rather than lazy and dirty. Just make sure your roots don’t have any dandruff – that’s murder on your ‘effortless’ look. Dry shampoo can help keep your roots clean on the days you’re wary about over-washing. Just make sure it’s the right brand for your colour and texture – you don’t want streaks.
Some of us don’t get round to recolouring for months at a time. It may be a hectic schedule, a strained budget, or plain absent-mindedness. This is why it helps to develop a rapport with your colourist and not jump around from one to another. They can either remind you when an appointment is due, or tailor your colouring session, knowing they won’t see you again for a while. During your colouring session, don’t apply your new tones right at the root. Instead, using alternate methods like foilyage, balayage, highlighting, or low-lighting.
Step To The Side
The idea is even after your colouring session – like immediately after – your hair colour will look ‘lived in’. So it’s never quite fresh … and as a result, it’s never ‘overdue for colouring’. It will just be your usual, standard, low maintenance hairdo. You could also opt for a ‘root fade’ where the foil is positioned closer to the ends of your hair than the root. It forms a more natural blend. Hairdressers also advise that if your hair colour starts to feel washed out, opt for hair toning or deep conditioning rather than rushing to re-colour.
Another surprising trick is the layered cut. It brings out the layered colouring effect as the various lengths hit the light at mixed angles. It also prevents split ends. Parting your hair helps too, as counterintuitive as it sounds. It depends on where and how though. Side parts are flattering for re-growth, while centre-parts are not. You can also curl your hair into deep wavy styles. The coiling locks will effectively disguise your regrowth in its stylish dips and valleys. But remember, if dark roots bother you that much, gradually transition to a darker overall colour that shows them less.
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