A hard style decision for many men when they start going gray is whether they should dye their hair of let it go all gray or white. It is an understandable dilemma: dyeing your hair implies taking on a new repeated action, it involves a lot of time and effort and it will mean a drastic change to your look that people will notice and comment.
The decision
For many men, the first time they decide whether to color their hair or not is a very difficult one. The social factor is most likely the reason behind it. People don’t know how others will react to their new look, so they tend to back off in order not to be ridiculed.
This is why maybe it is best to start dyeing your hair when it first starts to grow gray. This way, the change won’t be as radical. Otherwise, you can start doing it little by little: first some darker or light highlights, going little by little until you obtain the look you want to have.
For those who travel for extended periods of time, this can be an advantage: you can change your look right before going on a trip, this way, when you come back it won’t be a grand novelty for others.
The decision of coloring your hair has more to do than just with the social and cultural factor, which is why you should take other factors into consideration as well. Which brings us to our next point…
Doing it right
Most men who color their hair want to make it look as natural as possible. And that is for a good reason. Unless you are dyeing your hair a color that is clearly not natural, such as green or purple, you want to make it look natural. Otherwise, there’s a big risk that it looks fake. Your hair is a signal of strength and other factors, so “faking” it there will make people think that you have a fake character as well.
Look for instructions or ask a professional to do it or help you do it every time or at least a few times before you do it yourself. Getting your hair done rightly is crucial: if you leave out patches or do it wrongly in any other way, the fake factor will be extreme, regardless of how natural the color looks.
Dedication
One of the things that make men worried about coloring their hair is the fact that they know they will have to do it over and over again. Sometimes, you will even need to dye your beard and mustache to obtain the look you want. The dedication you need to put in when it comes to dyeing your hair is something you should really consider: will you be able to sustain it?
Of course, you can do it once and then let your hair go gray, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Also, dyeing your hair just on occasions will make you appear desperate and clinging to your youth. However, regardless of how you do it, you should consider the dedication you want to give it very strongly. If you are not willing to put in the work, you should learn how to appreciate your gray hairs. In the end, for many they are a more positive thing.
Fortunately, today there are more and more options for men to dye their hair: there are shampoos that cover just your gray hairs, there are different types of short-term sprays and, in the end, for most men, if the hair coloring goes bad, they can always get a buzz cut and start from scratch.
Coloring your hair is not an easy task and is quite hard to pull off well and sometimes you will need practice to get it right. If not having gray hair is something you want, you should definitely go ahead and get the best coloring experience you can: it will make you look younger and you will feel more comfortable and confident.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Men’s style trend: Unconventional hair colors
How to maintain your bleached hair in the summer
A guide to the different men’s hair styling products
Choosing glasses according to your face shape, hair and eye color
P.S. We want to hear from you! What is your take on hair coloring? Which products have you tried? How often do you color your hair? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!