Root retouching is an essential maintenance practice for people with colored hair. But what do you do when your roots don’t get color? First, you need to understand why your roots won’t get color before you can apply the best solution.
Why are my hair roots not getting color?
The roots of your hair will not take color because of the following 7 reasons:
- You have virgin hair
- You left the color longer
- Your roots are gray
- Your hair is too oily
- You used the wrong key
- You used an insufficient amount of paint
- You used the wrong application technique
Polishing your roots is an essential maintenance routine for colored hair. It keeps your hair looking even from roots to ends. It also prevents the unsightly demarcation mark from new growth since the last coloring.
While touch-ups keep your hair color consistent, sometimes your roots don’t pick up color as expected for several reasons.
#1. you have virgin hair
If you are trying to dye new hair growth, it may not take color easily. Undamaged and strong virgin hair. It can resist damage for an incredible amount of time, even when used semi-constantly and Permanent hair color, which works by opening the hair.
Virgin hair has a stronger cuticle, making it harder for the color to open up the top layers to deposit color. You may need to leave the color on longer or dye your roots multiple times to allow the color molecules to penetrate and hold.
#2. You left the color on too long
Why don’t my roots get color after I leave the color longer in my hair?
Sometimes leaving the hair color for a long time allows the hair to get a better color, especially when dealing with virgin roots. However, never leave permanent color for more than 45 minutes or more than 20 minutes for semi-permanent hair color.
A common myth that leads people to leave color in their hair longer is the belief that the results will be better.
The truth is that leaving color for a long time dries and damages your hair. The color may also be dull and patchy in some cases.
#3. Your roots are gray
Your graying hair could be the reason the roots are not getting color. Gray hair is notorious for resisting color, especially at the roots. The changing texture is the main reason gray hair repels color.
As you age, you produce less oil, and as a result Coarse hair. Coarse hair has a hard time absorbing color, especially permanent and semi-permanent hair colors. It is even more difficult to dye roots if your gray hair has oils, creams or dry shampoo.
#4. Your hair is too oily
Oily roots will not take color. Oils create a protective layer on the hair, and prevent the color from penetrating the hair cuticle. Aside from lack of color, oily hair can interfere with the coloring process, especially when trying to cover gray roots.
It is always recommended to wash your hair a few days before dyeing. The timing, however, depends on how oily your scalp is.
#5. You used the wrong key
An essential key in activating the hair color. Without the right kind of developer, your roots won’t get the color you want.
Most box colors come with a matching key type as part of the package. However, when buying the color and key separately, you have to decide if you want to go lighter or darker.
A strong 30-50 volume developer is ideal when trying to dye your roots lighter. On the other hand, a 10 volume developer is the best choice when you’re going darker.
For gray hairs, a 20 volume developer is the best choice whether you’re going darker or lighter. This key helps to overcome the resistance to color that gray hair exhibits.
#6. You didn’t use the right color
Your roots will only get color if you use an adequate amount of color. When coloring your roots, the color must be enough to completely saturate each strand of your hair.
You can also mix the wrong amounts of color and key, resulting in partial results. In most cases, manufacturers recommend a 1:2 mixture of paint and developer.
If you use too little developer, the color will be too dry and unable to color your roots. Using too much hair developer can result in a liquid solution that does not deposit color as expected.
#7. You used the wrong application technique
Using the right color and developer is essential to achieving the desired color results on your roots. However, you will not achieve the desired result without proper root touch-up technique.
Dyeing the roots is not intended to place the product randomly on the hair. This involves systematically applying the color to all the hair around your head, making sure each strand is saturated with the color and developer mixture.
The right approach when coloring your roots includes the following:
- Cut your hair into at least four sections. You can go for extra sections if you have more hair.
- Applying the color directly to the roots of the hair first. When retouching the roots, starting from the roots allows for further processing at the roots. You can then blend the color with the middle section and ends.
- You left it in the color for the recommended time
- Wash the product from the hair thoroughly after processing
How to fix if the roots of my hair do not get color
Now that we’ve answered your question about why your roots won’t take color, the next thing is how to fix the problem.
Follow these tips when correcting roots that won’t take color.
- Apply nourishing treatments to your hair, especially if you have bleached your hair recently. Nail repair protein and oil fillers are great at restoring the health of your hair.
- Prepare your hair before dyeing it by washing it 48 hours before the dye job. A hot oil conditioning a week before is also a good idea before painting.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to mix the color, what developer to use and processing time for the best results when retouching your roots.
- Choose the right hair color. Go for hair colors made specifically for root touch-ups.
- Use root coverage powders or sprays and temporary root concealer products to cover your roots while you wait to see a professional colorist to touch up the roots.
- Visit a professional hairstylist for root touch-ups. A professional knows what they are doing and will help you avoid the problems that do-it-yourself rooting brings.
Should you dye your roots first or last?
Always color your roots first when doing a touch-up. The hair processes faster near the roots because of the heat from the scalp.
Colorists often start coloring from the mid-sections to the ends when coloring virgin hair. However, when touched, the roots are usually darker than the rest of the hair. Therefore, they will need a longer processing time to achieve the middle and edge color.
How long to leave hair color on the roots?
You can leave hair color on your roots for 30-45 minutes. If you use heat during the coloring process, cut the time in half to avoid damaging your hair and irritating your scalp.
You shouldn’t wash off the color before 20 minutes, because the color and developer may not have had enough time to work on your roots. It can also leave you with uneven results.
On the other hand, never exceed 45 minutes because the chemicals in the color can start to damage your hair by drying it out.
Polishing your roots is a must for anyone with colored hair. And sometimes it can be frustrating when your roots don’t get color after trying to dye. When this happens, identifying the reason behind it can help you solve the problem and save yourself a lot of frustration.