While Covid-19 is raging on, regular trips to the salon may not as doable or as safe. If you're worried about overgrown roots, you can breathe easy. Shadow root hair, or the creation of contrast between the roots and the rest of your hair, is on trend now. According to Glamour, it's one of the hottest hair color trends for Spring and requires less upkeep. Wella Professionals also say that the shadow root hair trend is ideal for those who like their natural hair color or prefer darker roots. It's also great hair trend for covering gray roots.
DIY Shadow Root Hair Color Combinations
While the shadow root hair trend is most visible on blond hair, you can also experiment with other combinations. Aside from pairing dark roots with different shades of blonde, Wella suggests trying a copper red shadow root or a chocolate brown shadow root. These two hair color shades look great on natural brunettes and helps you avoid potentially damaging your hair with bleach. While shadow root hair is harder to achieve on darker hair, you can make sure that the contrast is more visible by extending the color of your roots farther down your hair.
The Benefits of Shadow Root Hair
While many believe that any type of hair coloring technique can be high maintenance, shadow root hair is the opposite. For those with dark hair, shadow root hair allows them to gracefully grow out their hair without worrying about touching up. Since there's no need to constantly dye roots, hair will turn out healthier with less chemicals. For natural blondes, it's easy enough to buy semi-permanent or permanent hair color at the drugstore and maintain the dark roots at home. You can also experiment with rainbow colors. The options are limitless. Shadow root hair looks good on any hair length and effectively adds dimension and movement.
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How To Achieve Shadow Roots At Home
Stacy Freeman of Posh in Progress says you need the following hair supplies for achieving shadow roots at home:
Root touch up permanent hair color kit
Hair gloss or toning gloss treatment
Foil
Comb
Hairdresser/barber cape
This tutorial is meant for blonde hair, but you'll get the idea. Start by applying the root touch up permanent hair color solution to your roots. For blonde hair, any hair color will be visible, so the shade choice is up to you. Use the comb to evenly spread the hair color from your roots up to where you want the darker tones to be. You can stop before you reach your ear area or go past it. The foil is optional. Freeman uses it to create highlights, particularly keeping blonde strands near her face to add brightness. Once the dye is evenly applied, wait for the allotted processing time, and rinse it out. The hair gloss adds shine and even out the tone. Apply the product and again, set the timer accordingly. Rinse and style as usual.
For brunettes, you may need the help of bleach to create a more visible contrast. Byrdie recommends Manic Panic Flash Lightning Hair Bleach Kit, Clairol Professional BW2 Lightener or Wella Professionals Color Charm Powder Lightener. Apply bleach at ear level and use a comb to evenly distribute it. Make sure you follow directions. After bleaching, apply your desired hair color and a gloss after it for a healthy shine. If you have graying roots, you can touch that up with a semi-permanent dye closest to your natural color.
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