Coloring over root touchup?

May 6, 2018 1:04 PM

I have my hair colored at a salon about every 5 weeks now that it is getting pretty gray. Last week I tried Clairol's root touch up to get me through a weekend event because I had a lot of roots showing. It worked pretty well, actually.

Now I have my appointment for color on Tuesday. My question is whether it can be colored properly while the root color is still there? Will it mess with the salon dye, or just all get colored as normal? Don't want to spend the ridiculous amount my coloring costs for nothing. Thanks to anyone who understand hair color and dyeing!

posted by mmf to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

It'll be fine. I do this all the time when I'm eking out my salon visits (it's so expensive to get a salon colour). Just mention it to the colourist before they start. I'm certain it won't be an issue. All drugstore hair colours are the same chemicals as they use in the salons, just in pre-measured quantities.
posted by essexjan at 1:13 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Since I only go to have my hair professionally colored every 3 months, I have to touch up the gray roots of my dark, straight hair with permanent color at home every two weeks or start using some kind of product as you describe to cover, not dye, the gray. I think that's what you mean - a powder or cream to actually cover up the gray that washes out with your next shampoo.

I've done this when I'm behind in dying the gray roots and don't recall any issues though I should pay closer attention because the salon dye does seem to be better at covering my roots sometimes than others. But it might be notable that my colorist has said that using a cleansing/clarifying shampoo the day before coming in for a color is a good idea to strip off any product build-up.
posted by RoadScholar at 4:10 PM on May 6, 2018

I have dark graying hair and I have salon coloring done every 8 weeks. In between, every 2-3 weeks, I use the Clairol root touch up to dye the roots. Works great - it has caused no problems at all with salon color.
posted by Mallenroh at 4:16 PM on May 6, 2018

Best answer: I've been doing it for a couple of years now, using the same product. The only problem comes if you are trying to then color it a lighter color at the salon. ie I use a dark brown root touch up but want the colorist to make my hair auburn next visit, they then have to bleach or whatever. But if it's a good color match for what you usually get done it shouldn't cause any problems, just let them now when you go in what you did so they can adjust how they lay down the color accordingly. You won't be their first customer that's used the product. I alternate a permanent home color with Clariol root touch up every 2-3 weeks (I have pretty much pure grey hair & it grows fast). Once every 3 months I get the balayage on the ends refreshed. My colorist has never had a problem.

What won't work is using a darker color for the root touch up than you want your colorist to color as they will have to bleach or strip the color. Colors can only go darker not lighter without having to add an extra step to the coloring & risking damaging your hair more, but if it's a good match there should be no problem.
posted by wwax at 4:19 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]