Your roots and your lengths need different care.
New hair at the roots, treated hair below.

Regrowth and fading are two different things

The silver at your roots is brand-new hair that has never been colored. The faded lengths have already been colored, sometimes more than once. Running permanent color from scalp to ends every time puts the old lengths through another round they may not need.

Tell your colorist the whole story

Keep a note of home color, salon services and any straightening treatments, with rough dates. Before the next appointment, talk through how much coverage you want and which parts of your hair feel fragile. Your colorist can only work with what they know.

Your part makes the regrowth stand out

• Moving the part a little can soften the contrast without any color at all.
• If you use a root touch-up powder or spray, follow its directions and wash it out as it says.
• Keep it off skin that’s sore or irritated.

The colored lengths keep catching

• Give the ends more slip with conditioner and handle them gently.
• If the splits keep coming back, ask your stylist about them before the next service.
• Color can hide roughness for a while, but it can’t smooth it.

Every touch-up seems to reach the old color

• Talk with your colorist about keeping the next service to the new growth where that’s possible.
• Lengths that get reprocessed over and over get more fragile each time.
• Do the allergy test the dye asks for every time, and if a product burns, rinse it off and stop.
• Never retry a dye that reacted once to see whether you tolerate it now.

Condition for the lengths that have been through the most

The conditioner is for your older, colored lengths, so choose it for the slip and softness they need. Silver roots don’t mean every part of your hair wants a richer mask.

Browse rinse-out conditioners. The consultation uses your hair details and treatment history to compare conditioner options.

Wash for your scalp, not just the color

Wash when your scalp is oily or has product on it, and follow whatever aftercare your color service came with. Protecting the color is never worth living with a sore, unwashed scalp.

Browse cleansing products. The consultation uses your wash frequency and scalp concerns to recommend a shampoo.

1. Wash the scalp gently

Work the shampoo into the scalp and let the suds run down the lengths. Rubbing the fragile ends together is how they get rougher.

2. Condition the treated ends

Smooth conditioner through the lengths that have been colored most. They’re the ones that catch, so that’s where the slip helps.

3. Comb through the change in texture carefully

Start at the ends and work up. Where silver regrowth meets colored hair the texture changes, so go slowly there rather than yanking through it.

4. Plan the next appointment

Bring the full history, including any reaction you’ve ever had to a dye, so your colorist can decide what’s safe to repeat.

Signs that need more than routine care

• If a dye reaction keeps going or gets worse after you’ve rinsed it off, or you notice new hair loss along with a sore or itchy scalp, see a medical professional. It’s worth getting looked at before your next color service rather than waiting it out.
• Trouble breathing or swelling of the lips, mouth or throat after dye is an emergency. Call emergency services straight away.