New hair that starts growing after you have colored your hair will not have the same color as the rest of the hair. By touching up the roots of the new hair with color you can make the hair color you have applied earlier, last longer. Just like applying hair color, hair root touch up can be accomplished either at home or by a hair care expert. Normal hair color (temporary) lasts for about one month or for 45 days. If you do some root touch up, however, hair color can be made to last longer.
Hair color root touch-up at salon
Hair color touch up is easily accomplished by hair stylists in salons. It is much more expensive than doing it yourself at home. If you have special highlighting done, then it is better to get the root touch up done at the salon as the task requires expertise.
Hair color root touch-up at home
- Select only superior quality products for coloring hair at home as the cheaper ones may contain harsh chemicals that will damage your hair and scalp.
- When you purchase the hair color carton, buy two packs instead of one. This will ensure that when you do the root hair color touch-ups, the color is identical. Usually all products have instruction pamphlets inside that tell you how to color the hair and how to touch up the roots. Follow the latter set of instructions step by step to touch up the roots of your colored hair.
- Today, there are products available that are created exclusively for root touch-ups. The hair color root touch-up packets contain the hair color in a smaller quantity along with a special comb that will enable you to apply the color to the roots properly.
- Root hair color touch-up products are less expensive than the usual hair color. The colors available in these products may not exactly match the hair color that has been applied, but the colors available in the root touch-up range are usually good enough for any type of shade.
Tips for effective hair color touch-up
- Wear an old shirt so that any hair color ‘accident’ does not harm your nice attire
- Wear plastic gloves before you start the procedure; it is usually included in the hair color kit
- Dab a little Vaseline along the hair line, so that the hair dye does not dribble on to your forehead, once you start applying it
- Allow the color you have applied on the roots to be on for about half an hour. Some hair stylists recommend 15 minutes
- After half an hour, pass a comb through your hair so that the color reaches the tips of the hair. Allow the color to stay on (on the whole length of the hair) for a further ten minutes. By combing you ensure that there is a uniformity of color in the whole length of hair
- Wash your hair using cold water and a mild shampoo, after the ten minutes