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How to cover up grey roots

emergency hacks for grey hair

What's the best way to cover up grey roots? For those of us that have them, it’s often a question of grin and bear it until we can find the time (and the cash) to get them done professionally. However, thanks to lockdown it's unlikely that any of us will be able to visit our hairdressers any time soon - and in the meantime those grey stripes just get wider and wider...

If you decide not to embrace the grey, fortunately, there's a growing number of products available that you can use to disguise those pesky roots at home. Members of the team here at Gransnet who occasionally* moan about theirs decided to put some of them to the test. Here's what they had to say...

*very regularly

Bumble and Bumble hair powder, £28

This seems like the perfect fix for those who are short on time. Just spray it on (like dry shampoo), shake out and go. The product is available in brown, blonde or white, (for very light blonde hair).

Brown: After shaking the can (which was quite large - would have preferred a handbag size), I sprayed it as instructed towards the roots. The colour came out quite quickly, which made it difficult to aim at the grey roots. I had about 1cm of growth, so I ended up colouring the roots and my scalp. The colour match was okay - I have fairly dark brown hair and got appearance of natural coverage, but it was just slightly warmer than my natural colour.

Blonde: I had about an inch of regrowth at my roots with three different blonde highlight colours in the rest of my hair, and it blended quite well. The only problem was trying to direct the spray at my roots without colouring my scalp - but having a friend to help would have made this easier.

Conclusion: The spray was a little hard to control, and we didn't really like the fact that it goes on wet as it might mark clothes. In terms of the colour matching, it could have been better value for money but, regardless of that tiny niggle this product is still fine for emergencies.

Color Wow, root cover up, £28.50

This is essentially a make-up compact of colour for your hair. It’s won many awards and we had already heard good things about the brand. They offer seven different shades and a double ended small brush with one larger and one smaller for precision application.

Brown: Open the compact, dip the brush in and paint on the dry powder to the roots. This couldn't be easier and the colour match was exceptional. I don't even know whether a professional dye job would have looked as immaculate!

Blonde: Brilliant coverage and a great colour match. It's an idiot proof product - this is the perfect grey roots hack! Tell your friends.

Conclusion: Is this the miracle we've been waiting for? Certainly seems to be.

Cover your gray, hair mashkara, from £3.94

There are various hair mascaras on the market and after reading about how great they are on a Gransnet thread (where else?), we decided to give this one a try.

Brown: Cover Your Gray (I used dark brown) is small and easy to put in your pocket for emergency caught-in-the-rain touch ups. It's also very reasonably priced at under £4 on Amazon. The colour match was great and it disguised the grey, although it is quite sticky (as you would expect from a mascara). I ended up dabbing and then wiping it in rather than just applying it with the brush. But it's great for an emergency fix.

Blonde: Loved the idea of hair colour in a mascara, but the consistency and orangey colour was a bit off-putting. Light blonde hair blends with grey roots anyway, so if you add orangey or yellow tones it can be more noticeable than not. It wasn't quite right for my shade but would probably suit someone with a warmer blonde tone.

Conclusion: Mixed reviews here but if you're after a bargain, it's better than nothing.