Matrix Blog
Grey Coverage: The What & The How
Once grey hair makes an appearance, you have a choice – either colour the hair or leave it alone. If your client opts to colour it, there are some tips and tricks you need to know to achieve the best grey coverage.
WHAT EXACTLY IS GREY HAIR?
Grey hair isn’t a hair colour, actually it’s quite the opposite! It is hair that is free of colour or non-pigmented. That’s why it’s so important to select the right hair colour shade when covering grey hair. Grey hair also tends to change hair texture. It becomes coarser and wirier, so covering grey hair colour isn’t just about masking the white hair, it’s also about softening the hair texture.
COVERING A SMALL AMOUNT OF GREY HAIR
If your client only has a sprinkling of grey, perhaps a few silver strands along their part of at their temples, you probably don’t need to cover the hair colour completely. A demi-permanent hair colour blending service with a low ammonia deposit only hair colour like Matrix ColorSync allows the natural hair colour to remain the same whilst toning those few grey hairs to look like highlights in the hair.
COVERING LESS THAN HALF GREY HAIR
You may find that your client has much more grey hair but overall it is more pigmented than white and the majority of the grey is concentrated to one section, for example the front. You may opt to continue with the demi-permanent hair colour in the back where there is little grey hair and switch to a permanent hair colour like Matrix SoColor in the front to cover the heavier, more visible grey hair. Permanent hair colour contains more ammonia, and it opens up the hair cuticle to allow hair colour to penetrate deeply. This enables it to cover grey hair colour more completely and more permanently—it will not fade away like demi-permanent hair colour.
COVERING MORE THAN HALF GREY HAIR
If your client has more than 50% grey hair, you’ll probably have to use a permanent hair colour to cover the grey hair completely. Try an opaque, full-bodied formula like Matrix SoColor Extra Coverage. This hair colour provides uniform, even coverage and leaves hair with a natural appearance and is designed for 100% grey coverage. It also contains ceramides, jojoba oil and soy bean to condition and smooth unruly grey hair textures. Matrix Australia Artist, Stevie English, explains “People are afraid of grey coverage because it can look flat. With Matrix Extra Coverage, you get reflective colour with maximum coverage.”
CHOOSING THE BEST COLOUR FOR GREY COVERAGE
It must be a balanced, neutral hair colour blend that contains the three primary colours - red, yellow and blue. If any of these primaries aren’t present in the hair colour, the result will be too dull, too ash or too bright.
Introducing autumn’s latest trend – rich multi-tonal mochas for grey coverage. The rich warmth of mocha is trending with brunettes looking for a hair colour that isn’t a traditional basic brown. These new brunette looks are anything but basic. With a hint of colour, discover new artist techniques to enhance dark bases, featuring SoColor palettes to create rich mocha looks. Learn more about the mocha hair trend here.
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Once grey hair makes an appearance, you have a choice – either colour the hair or leave it alone. If your client opts to colour it, there are some tips and tricks you need to know to achieve the best grey coverage.
-
WHAT EXACTLY IS GREY HAIR?
Grey hair isn’t a hair colour, actually it’s quite the opposite! It is hair that is free of colour or non-pigmented. That’s why it’s so important to select the right hair colour shade when covering grey hair. Grey hair also tends to change hair texture. It becomes coarser and wirier, so covering grey hair colour isn’t just about masking the white hair, it’s also about softening the hair texture.
COVERING A SMALL AMOUNT OF GREY HAIR
If your client only has a sprinkling of grey, perhaps a few silver strands along their part of at their temples, you probably don’t need to cover the hair colour completely. A demi-permanent hair colour blending service with a low ammonia deposit only hair colour like Matrix ColorSync allows the natural hair colour to remain the same whilst toning those few grey hairs to look like highlights in the hair.
COVERING LESS THAN HALF GREY HAIR
You may find that your client has much more grey hair but overall it is more pigmented than white and the majority of the grey is concentrated to one section, for example the front. You may opt to continue with the demi-permanent hair colour in the back where there is little grey hair and switch to a permanent hair colour like Matrix SoColor in the front to cover the heavier, more visible grey hair. Permanent hair colour contains more ammonia, and it opens up the hair cuticle to allow hair colour to penetrate deeply. This enables it to cover grey hair colour more completely and more permanently—it will not fade away like demi-permanent hair colour.
COVERING MORE THAN HALF GREY HAIR
If your client has more than 50% grey hair, you’ll probably have to use a permanent hair colour to cover the grey hair completely. Try an opaque, full-bodied formula like Matrix SoColor Extra Coverage. This hair colour provides uniform, even coverage and leaves hair with a natural appearance and is designed for 100% grey coverage. It also contains ceramides, jojoba oil and soy bean to condition and smooth unruly grey hair textures. Matrix Australia Artist, Stevie English, explains “People are afraid of grey coverage because it can look flat. With Matrix Extra Coverage, you get reflective colour with maximum coverage.”
CHOOSING THE BEST COLOUR FOR GREY COVERAGE
It must be a balanced, neutral hair colour blend that contains the three primary colours - red, yellow and blue. If any of these primaries aren’t present in the hair colour, the result will be too dull, too ash or too bright.
Introducing autumn’s latest trend – rich multi-tonal mochas for grey coverage. The rich warmth of mocha is trending with brunettes looking for a hair colour that isn’t a traditional basic brown. These new brunette looks are anything but basic. With a hint of colour, discover new artist techniques to enhance dark bases, featuring SoColor palettes to create rich mocha looks. Learn more about the mocha hair trend here.
