Unpredictable results

Looking to cover grey hairs with natural dyes? Proceed with caution

ARE you hoping to cover those ageing greys while avoiding harsh chemicals when dying your hair?

While not impossible, natural dyes have limited efficacy in grey coverage, and they can also yield unpredictable results.

While hair styling products are constantly advancing, there remains a frontier that natural colours cannot achieve: blonde. Significantly lightening your hair is still only achievable through the use of bleach.

“We have found that plant-based products can colour the hair about one shade darker,” says Swantje Waterstraat from a German consumer group, after putting a range of natural hair dye products to the test.

Henna is the most popular plant base for natural dyes, and it has been used for centuries to colour hair, nails and skin. Extracts from other plants including coffee and walnuts are now also used in plant-based dyes.

It’s not all bad news though if you are still hoping to conceal greys without having to resort to chemical-based colours. While natural dyes are not absorbed by the hair as readily as con- ventional dyes are, they do still tone the hair.

This can create a happy side effect: The partially dyed grey hair can look like highlights. “The testers liked this result,” says Waterstraat.

But you still need to proceed with caution while using natural products as the results may not reflect those shown on the box.

“If you have previously dyed your hair with chemical-based products, you should always do a strand test first before applying the natural product,” says Waterstraat. Doing this can avoid one of the most feared beauty catastrophes: Ending up with a hair colour you don’t want.

Doing an initial strand test is also sensible even when dying your hair from its original state. It also allows for you to trial how long the dye should be left on the hair as this also has is a determining factor in the end result.

Exposure time needs to be precise – leave it in too long, and you may end up with a much darker colour than you intended.

The time required to achieve your preferred colour also depends on factors such as the density and condition of your hair. – dpa

Natural hair products appeal to many for health and environmental reasons, but let’s face it – you also want to look good. With a few techniques, you can reduce the risk of an unwanted result.