Guide To Dyeing Hair And Beard At Home
There’s a lot to be said for a well-groomed man. In most social situations, a man who cares about his appearance is usually careful and considerate in all areas of his life. Personal grooming is important in business and in our personal relationships. One aspect of this is not looking old before we should. Sure, there’s not much we can do to reverse aging and a few silver streaks in our hair and beards can give a man a look of debonair distinction. But for some men, the greying starts way too early and many simply don’t like the streaks.
Fortunately, there are dozens of hair products for men you can use to cover up greying hair and your barber may even offer them for you. However, from time to time you may not be able to make it to the barber’s so you will need to take care of dyeing your hair and beard at home.
1. Choose The Right Color
The first step to dyeing your hair and beard at home is choosing the right color. If you don’t want to announce to the world around you that you no longer have a dark mane of hair, you want to choose a color that is as close a possible match to your natural color. Keep in mind though, that once you go down this road, you’ll probably need to touch up re-growth every four to six weeks. If you wash your hair with hair growth shampoos, you can expect to need a touch up more frequently.
2. Read The Ingredients
There are some really good dyes available for your hair and beard, but there are also some really nasty harsh ones. Check the ingredients list and avoid anything with overly harsh substances like ammonia, parabens, and sodium, laurel sulfate. Substances such as these are harsh on the skin and can damage your hair and your beard. Once damaged, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to restore them to a healthy condition, so choose products with mild ingredients.
3. Easy On The Beard
When dyeing your hair, you may be tempted to use the same product on your beard. You can certainly do this but keep in mind that the skin on your face is far more sensitive so go easy on the beard. Whenever possible, choose beard dyes as they are gentler on your facial skin and will still cover the greys. If you must use hair dye on your beard, don’t rub it on. Instead, use a beard comb or a beard brush while applying the dye. That way, you will get the dye on your beard and minimize contact with your skin.
4. Keep Your Hair And Beard Clean
You can use the best quality hair and beard dyes at home to keep yourself looking good, but they are only as good as the after dyeing routine you have. Dyes have a reputation for drying out head and facial hair which will give them a dull, lifeless appearance. Use good quality hair and beard shampoos to give your hair and beard a nice, clean, shiny look. Always follow with beard balm and a good conditioner for your hair. If your hair is prone to drying out, consider a leave in conditioner.
5. Avoid Too Much Heat
Heat is the natural enemy of hair and it can cause drying and irritation. However, you may still need to get your hair and beard dry, especially if your hair is quite thick. Use a hair dryer if you must, but try not to get to close to your hair and beard. The good news is, that many hair dryers these days have adjustable temperature settings so you can dry your hair and beard without excessive heat.
6. Glossy Is Good
Everybody has that one relative who always has super oily looking hair. While we may joke about our greasy-haired uncle, he may actually have the right idea. Some people simply have a dry scalp and quality dandruff shampoos or hair oils are a great way to prevent the flakiness of dandruff from becoming an obvious problem visible to all those around us. Dandruff is also prevalent around facial hair, so consider using beard oils in that region if you have dry skin under beard. If you want to avoid resembling your oily headed uncle, don’t despair. Hair and beard oils have come a long way over the years and today’s products are incredibly nourishing to hair and dry skin. They also leave more of a glossy sheen instead of the full-on oily look and this is good. Glossy hair looks silky and healthy. It’s certainly more appealing to look at glossy hair than dry hair that resembles straw.
With all the fantastic hair products for men available today, there is no excuse for looking like an old, shabby vagrant. If you can’t get to your barber or stylist for whatever reason, you can take care of dyeing your hair and beard at home. There’s never a good excuse for letting yourself go so keep up the grooming.
