Retouching Grey Roots? Read This First
Want a grey hair root touch-up that gets rid of silver regrowth fast? The good news is, it's possible to home in on roots without having to plan your whole day around it. Gone are lengthy salon visits and blocky tell-tale coverage; now you can be in and out the salon chair in less than an hour, minus those silver strays.
So, let's take a closer look at how you can achieve a quick, easy and natural-looking grey root touch-up. From first greys to stubborn greys, making them vanish just got easier...
What’s the Best Way to Touch Up Grey Roots?
Retouching grey roots may seem like a simple, ‘quick fix’ task, but the precise application required means it’s a job best left to salon colorists . Not only are they expertly trained to mix up a color match that blends in with the lengths of your hair, but they also have the skill and know-how to ensure your grey hair coverage looks natural.
Plus, in the salon, hair experts have access to the best hair color and root touch-up products, from gentle demi-permanents to high-coverage permanent formulas. When gray root coverage is your goal, ask your Wella colorist for Koleston Xpress. With up to 100% coverage and the most natural-looking finish, it turns back the clock on hair in just 10 minutes.
Is Koleston Xpress Right for Me?
Koleston Xpress is right for you if you want:
- Up to 100% grey coverage in just 10 minutes.
- A permanent hair color formula that penetrates the hair fiber for long-lasting results.
- A non-progressive color with Control-X Technology that helps to prevent over-processing.
- A wide range of intermixable colors so you can find your ideal shade match.
- Built-in Metal Purifier and ME+ Dye Technology to ensure true-to-tone color and protection from extra damage.
What Are My Other Options for Grey Root Color Coverage?
As well as Koleston Xpress, Wella Professionals offers a range of grey touch-up treatments, from the gentle formula of Color Touch to the permanent power of Koleston Perfect. Your salon colorist will be able to advise on the best product for you, but it's always a good idea to head to your hair color sessions with a little knowledge of your own.
For First Greys: SHINEFINITY Color Glaze
If you're just seeing those first silver strays and want to soften their appearance, a SHINEFINITY Color Glaze will gently blend them away. The zero damage, zero lift, demi-permanent glaze veils your hair in glossy, translucent color, with irresistible silky shine that enhances your base from root to tip.
For Grey Blending: Color Touch
With up to 70% grey coverage¹, Color Touch is our always-loved, now better than ever demi-permanent, with the new Metal Purifier to give you true-to-tone vibrancy and shine, no matter your hair's condition. Perfect for when you want natural-looking coverage that blends away regrowth and brightens lengths, it's stunningly rich.
For Up to 100% Grey Coverage: Koleston Perfect or Illumina Color
Like Koleston Xpress, Koleston Perfect gives you up to 100% coverage of grey hair in a powerful, pure-pigment, permanent formula. It’s ideal for services including and beyond grey coverage, whether you want a boost of blonde, a radiant red or a beautiful brunette shade. It's also the first and only professional hair color that combines uncompromised color performance with Metal Purifier and ME+ Dye Technology, so you get true-to-tone vibrancy, every time.
Illumina Color also works to cover greys with up to 100% coverage, giving you youthful, radiant, 100% natural-looking color. It's luminous in every light, making it a popular product for anyone who craves lustrous hair. Your colorist can use it for a grey hair root touch-up or a root-to-tip transformation.
How Often Do Grey Roots Need Touching Up?
The time between salon visits all depends on how quickly your hair grows, but as a general rule, we recommend booking your salon visits every 6-8 weeks. If you find your grey roots reappear much sooner and you want to keep them covered up, speak to your colorist about application options for express appointment in between longer salon visits. Grey regrowth doesn't mean you have to settle for a high-maintenance hair schedule. Koleston Xpress is an innovative solution that lets you drop in for a 10-minute touch-up – you can even book it during your lunch break.
Is it Better to Go Darker or Lighter with Grey Hair?
With the Wella portfolio, your colorist can achieve an exact shade match for your natural color, so you don't have to change your look if you don't want to. But if you're ready for a switch, you might be wondering whether to take your hair lighter or darker. While the choice is up to you, as a general rule, we recommend opting for a lighter shade. Why? Because this will reduce the contrast between your roots and your lengths, ensuring your regrowth appears less visible.
How to Maintain Color Between Salon Visits
You don't want your grey root touch-up to fade fast, so how do you make it last? In the time between salon visits, try these simple solutions for rich, long-lasting color...
1. Wash with a Color-Safe Gentle Shampoo
Too-harsh shampoos can strip your hair of color, so reach for a gentle shampoo formula that deeply cleanses without shifting your grey cover-up. ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo is ideal, as it protects your color for up to 8 weeks² with a powerful blend of antioxidants and the detoxifying Metal Purifier. Plus, it's suitable for all hair types, so whether you have oily hair or dry hair, you can lather up with this luxurious cleanser.
2. Use Deep Conditioner Every Week
Keep hydrating hair products handy to ensure the lengths and ends glow. Even when regrowth starts coming through, hair that's healthy and radiant will take the spotlight. Try ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask, applied to clean, damp hair. Let it absorb for up to 10 minutes while lengths are wrapped up in a towel, so it deeply absorbs the hair cuticle.
3. Keep Signs of Hair Damage at Bay
Youthful-looking hair doesn't just come down to color; the condition is also key, with damage causing your hair to appear stressed and dull. So, after every wash, apply ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. It's a leave-in treatment that repairs hair damage in 90 seconds³ and reduces breakage by 99%⁴. Simply mist it from roots to ends, let it absorb for the full 90 seconds, and then style your hair as usual. You'll see and feel the difference right away.
Then, layer ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum over the top. Delivering glass-like shine and moisture, this Omega-9 and Squalane-boosted blend controls frizz for smoothness that lasts up to 3 days⁵. It also acts as a UV shield and heat protectant, so you don't have to worry about the sun or your flat iron fading your color.
Looking for more tips on grey root touch-ups? Discover our complete collection of Grey Coverage Guides, with easy-to-follow advice from salon experts.
¹ When using Color Touch Plus.
² When using Structure+ Mask.
³ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
⁴ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test versus non-conditioning shampoo.
⁵ When using ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, if unwashed for 3 days, vs. untreated.