If you’re part of the 99% of women who color their hair, you’ve probably experienced the heartbreaking discovery that your roots are growing in, and your hair looks like an oil slick. If you have time to pop into the salon, a root touch-up can help keep your color looking fresh and bright between appointments, but you may wonder whether this process damages your hair over time.
When coloring your hair at home, the chances are high that you will have some color left over on your scalp after putting the dye in your hair. You probably don’t want to be getting roots re-colored every time you touch up your hair (or, even worse, get re-colored completely), so it’s important to know whether root touch-ups damage hair or not.
What Are Root Touch-ups?
Let’s get the most important thing out of the way first: what are root touch-ups?
In essence, they put a stop to the persistent problem of your hair returning to its original hue at the roots, which would otherwise destroy the new hair transformation you had just completed.
How? By subtly incorporating your base color into your overall style.
For example, a root touch-up product could come in the shape of a root concealer, spray, paste, or powder. Other possible formulations include these: They act as color extenders for your hair and are applied straight to the roots of your hair.
The fact that they do not need to be performed at a beauty parlor to be effective and that they are so portable that they can even be carried about in a handbag is both beneficial aspects of these items.
Although the time that such treatments remain effective on your hair differs from one brand to the next, these products are not intended to be long-term solutions.
They are manufactured to last until your next appointment at the salon, when you will get a complete coloring. The great thing about root touch-ups is that they’ll fade easily with a couple of washes.
The question of whether or not root touch-up solutions may be applied to the whole head is asked rather often. Because these therapies provide quick benefits and are very straightforward to implement, it is only reasonable for consumers to ask whether they really work.
Can I Use Root Touch-up on My Whole Head?
Our colorists are often asked, Can I use root touch-up on my whole head?
The answer is “yes,” however, carrying out such a plan would not be the most prudent course of action.
Because your hair is already colored, and the effects of the hair dye are still visible, adding another hair color on top of the one that is already there is terrible for your hair’s health.
Your hair is already colored, and the effects of the hair dye are still evident; as a result, putting another hair color on top of the one that is already there is horrible for the health of your hair. The simple reason for this is that your hair is already colored, and the effects of the hair dye are still visible.
First of all, you are amplifying the negative effects of hair dye, such as drying out your hair and causing hair loss, and second of all, you run the risk of ending up with orange or brassy hair, which is a color that almost everyone despises.
If you want to avoid these outcomes, you should not use more than one shade of hair dye at a time.
Remember, too, that the color of your roots is now different from the color of the rest of your hair. This is an important distinction to make.
As a consequence, you think that you will end up with a single hue that results from a blended combination, but since they are not the same color as the rest of your hair, they will not blend together at all.
Root Touch-ups: The Good and the Bad
For those of you who don’t know, a root touch-up is a process where your stylist uses an incredibly fine razor to remove the color from your scalp. This creates an illusion that hair is growing thicker, which is ideal if you don’t want to do anything drastic like a cut or change your hairstyle.
But how safe are these touch-ups really? Can they actually damage your hair? Keep reading to find out.
Positives of Root Touch Ups
Everyone is aware of the potentially high expense associated with getting professional hair coloring done.
There are instances when we have to make a substantial financial investment before we can get the hair color we daydream of.
As a consequence of this, we want for there to be a considerable length of time that elapses in between each visit to the salon. For this reason, using a root concealer or touch-up is undeniably an effective strategy for cutting expenditures.
We keep promising that we will go to the salon the next week, but the following week turns into a month, and this pattern repeats itself eternally.
However, there is no sign that the roots will ever stop growing; they continue to spread even when it is difficult for you to find the time to move.
Just because of this, using a root cover or touch-up is effective and saves you time because you can buy it and apply it on your own.
Negatives of Root Touch Ups
Changing your hair color on your own is a task that is much more difficult to complete than it may initially seem. Getting an exact color match is not something that can be depended on, which is why attempting to do so is fraught with peril.
The experts at the salon often have to mix a number of different colors together in order to get the color that the customer is looking for. It is not always as easy as walking out into the world and purchasing a “dye number x” on your own.
The vast majority of root concealers that have been developed expressly for use on hair are completely safe to use without posing any threat to the health of your mane. On the other hand, just as there are better and worse versions of everything else, there are also better and worse brands of products.
The components are the most important aspect to consider; for instance, some of them will comprise drying alcohols like a dye. Therefore, make it a practice to read the thoughts of many other people on the products you are contemplating buying.
When utilizing sprays that are meant for touch-ups, use extreme caution. It was reported in a few reviews that the user ran the risk of getting cold burns on their scalp if the gadget was used for more than 20 seconds or if it was held too close to the head.
When applying the spray, you should do it in brief bursts lasting no more than two to three seconds while keeping the nozzle at a distance of at least three inches from your skin. This is the best way to ensure that the spray is effective.
Always ensure that you thoroughly read the directions stated on the packaging of the product before using it. Due to the fact that they are distinct from one another, it is essential that you read the instructions carefully and follow them to the letter.
What Is the Best at Home Root Touch-up?
If I’m being really honest with you, a few different products do quite well in this area.
You may wish to look into the L’Oreal Paris Magic Root Rescue, which is famous for its extensive usage of low ammonia color gel and speedy results in just ten minutes. You can have your roots fixed in only 10 minutes with this product.
Another great choice is the Style Edit Root Touch Up, which is noteworthy primarily for not including any drying alcohol, ammonia, or peroxide in its formulation. This makes it a very effective alternative.
Both are quite easy to apply and, once they are completely dried, do not leave any stains behind.
Advice from the Pros
It wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few suggestions from the professionals if you’re new to the world of touch-ups or if you’ve done it a few times but haven’t mastered it yet. This will make the procedure simpler and less stressful for you!
- You will be able to hone down on the hair color that comes the closest to matching your current shade if you use a shade finder.
- If you have the kind of hair that quickly takes on color, use lighter shades when coloring your hair so that you may get the most out of your new look.
- Test, test, test! You should rehearse the whole process on a strand of hair that no one else can see if this is your first time dyeing your hair or if you are unsure about the color you want to choose. This is especially important if you have never colored your hair before. You may want to experiment with various ways to style the hair towards the back of your head. Because of this, you may proceed with complete self-assurance at this point!
- Wearing a shirt that buttons up the front is a good idea when you are applying the color since this will keep your hands free. This approach is equally successful when used for coloring agents. To put it more simply, when it’s time to rinse, you won’t appreciate the fact that you’ll have to take off a regular shirt that’s been pulled over your head. This will be an inconvenience for you.
- It is suggested that you keep your shoulders covered, maybe with a towel, so that there is less of a chance that any of your clothing will get stained. This can be done to reduce the likelihood that you will become soiled. (Just so you are aware, in the event that it does happen, you will be able to get rid of them by using bleach or detergent.)
- Get your hairline ready so you can style it. If you are seeking anything to utilize for this specific purpose, some great alternatives to consider include Vaseline and ChapStick. This stage must be finished first in order to guarantee that the user’s skin will not be marked in any way by the subsequent steps of the treatment.
- Only apply the product to hair that has been well cleaned and just after washing it. Even the least number of oil particles might potentially influence the results of the experiment.
- It is essential that you keep in mind that you should not use the touch-up product on any portions of your hair that have been colored in the past. If you want to avoid creating the impression that your hair is false and opaque, confine your adjustments to the roots alone.
Final Thoughts
You should always follow up the use of any product on your hair with a treatment or a deep conditioning treatment afterward to eliminate any dryness or breakage that may have happened as a result of using the product. This is true regardless of the product you choose to use.
It is essential to bear in mind that the products and the process that is successful for one individual could not be successful for the other.
As a result of this, the process of identifying the coloring and touch-up solution that is most suited to meet your requirements may need some trial and error on your behalf. Have a Happy Hair Day!