Temporarily Color Roots

Woman with long, auburn-red hair
Photo: Amma Cat/Shutterstock
Q: I color my hair a dark auburn-red color that is quite attractive when the color is fresh and for a couple of weeks thereafter. When my brown and gray roots start becoming noticeable, however, it doesn't look quite as hot. Moreover, because red hair color tends to fade more noticeably than other hair colors, I almost always have to freshen up my overall color (by spreading the dye around to the ends for the last 10 minutes) when I touch up my roots.
 
I wish I could color every 3–4 weeks, but I'm afraid to color my hair more often than every 5–6 weeks. Is coloring hair more frequently than that damaging? How often can you safely color your hair?
 
What can you do about roots in the meantime? Can you rotate a permanent with a non-permanent dye? Are there any good products you can use to temporarily color roots? I apply a tinted toner called "Stay Red" to visible roots after washing my hair, but it's hard to apply. I wish they had a mascara-type applicator.
 
A: Four to six weeks is typically the standard interval for hair color retouch appointments. If you are only applying permanent color to your new growth (the roots), you can safely stick to this schedule without worrying about damaging the rest of your hair.
 
However, you should avoid pulling that permanent root dye through to your ends every time you touch up. Doing this repeatedly can cause structural damage and color buildup, making your ends look progressively darker and duller over time.
 
Instead, a great solution is to use a demi-permanent gloss or toner to refresh your vibrant red ends. If the company that makes your permanent hair color offers a matching demi-permanent formula, you can apply the permanent dye strictly to your roots, and use the gentle, deposit-only demi-permanent formula on your ends during the last 10–15 minutes of processing. Demi-permanent color lacks the harsh ammonia of permanent dye and typically lasts about 20 to 28 shampoos, making it the perfect way to revive fading reds safely.
 
Stick to cover your gray hair roots
 
As for your wish for a mascara-type applicator: you are in luck! The beauty market now features a massive variety of temporary root touch-up products designed exactly for this purpose. You can easily find root precision mascara wands, targeted root sprays, and mineral brush-on powders at almost any drugstore or beauty supply shop.
 
These products come in highly nuanced shades, including excellent auburn and red tones. Because they are completely temporary and wash out with your next shampoo, there is zero risk of an unpleasant result or permanent damage. They are the perfect, mess-free solution to seamlessly hide your gray and brown roots and comfortably stretch your coloring appointments to the 6-week mark.
 
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See also:
 
Hair color application
 
How to touch up gray roots
 
How to make hair color last longer
 
The different types of hair color