Q&A for How to Dye Roots

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How can I touch up my roots at home?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

I recommend sectioning your hair as cleanly as possible and work in small sections to keep it neat. Also, try as much as possible not to overlap your color—that's when you're going to start getting bands in your hair, or you could get breakage.

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Question

How should I dye my roots if they're lighter than my natural hair color?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can use the method described above to dye your roots as long as your roots are within 3 levels of your natural shade. Retouch your roots every 4-6 weeks. When selecting a color, chose a cooler color than the desired result to help counteract the warmth that is exposed when you lift your hair color to a lighter shade.

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Question

How do I apply hair color to roots, especially in the back, by yourself without that wierd looking color comb?

Community Answer

It's much easier to do with the comb, but you can wear gloves and just use your hands.

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Question

Can you re-dye your hair after two weeks?

Community Answer

Yes, two weeks is fine. I don't recommend doing it often, however. Excessive dyeing can dry out and damage your hair.

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Question

It's been 6 weeks since I dyed my hair. My roots are about an inch long now. I am going to try a toner to remove orange and brassy tones. Is it OK to dye my roots, then use toner immediately after dyeing?

Community Answer

Try the toner, then maybe wait a day to dye the roots.

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Question

Is it necessary to pull the dye through your hair to the ends? If so, how long should it be left on before rinsing? I've found if I don't leave it on about 10 minutes, the rest is lighter than my roots.

Community Answer

It is easier to pull the dye all the way to the ends of your hair. Leave the dye on for about 10 minutes if you want a darker look. Put on dye for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, it just depends on the type of dye and the color.

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Question

My sister tried to bleach my hair, but only half of it is bleached. I bought red dye yesterday; how do I get my hair one color (red) if it’s two colors already?

Community Answer

The hair needs to be evened out before you apply more color. Bleached hair absorbs hair dye faster and more intensely than natural hair, so the result will always be uneven. Ideally, all of the hair should be evenly bleached first. If you are unsure how to proceed at home, try and consult a professional hairdresser to avoid permanent damage on your skin or hair.

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Question

I literally see gray roots three days after dyeing my hair brown with box dye. Why would I see roots so quickly?

Community Answer

You most likely have hair tht grows very quickly! Unfortunately the only way to cope with this is continuing to dye your hair brown though there are products that are meant for quickly touching up grey hairs.

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Question

How to keep dye from bleeding into areas I don't need to color when I rinse?

Community Answer

Using cold water will prevent some of the dye bleeding. You could always try (not that this is foolproof) putting conditioner or some sort of cream on the parts you don't want the new dye on.

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