by Viridiana Lopez

Created on: July 18, 2008

As a professional hairstylist I will give you some tips and advice on how you can "minimize" the appearance of dark roots, since you're very limited on how you can "hide" dark roots. You can only "hide" dark roots literally, either by wearing a hat or a very thick head band. Sometimes, though, a hat is not appropriate for your climate nor a thick head band appropriate for certain formal events.

The tips I have for you are techniques that I personally have used with my clients and that seem to work the best. Believe it, or not, I have had people in wedding parties that had brutal, dark roots contrasting on their caramel or blonde haircolor and have left me to resort to my "bag of tricks". That being said, and being realistic about the fact that we cannot hide but only make roots less obvious if we don't opt for a hat or head band, here are my tips.

1. DO NOT PART YOUR HAIR IN A STRAIGHT, SOLID LINE. This is actually my number one, top trick I have to offer. Straight, even partings flatten your hair, exposing your roots to the fullest. What I recommend if you want a side or middle part in your hair is a zig zag part. Be careful not to zig zag it too wide because it'll look like a little girls hair style. Grab a rattail comb and start at your hairline.

Start zig zagging very thinnly and uneven until you get to the desired deepness of how far back in you want your part. Do not make the zig zag too perfect or even because it will be obvious it's a zig zag and you don't really want a zig zag design on your head. This works great because you're overdirecting hair left and right from how it naturally falls, this causes your hair to "lift", "stand", or "poof". What this is creating is "VOLUME", which takes me to my second tip.

2. BODY, VOLUME, AND FULLNESS. Causing your roots to "lift", "stand", or "poof" by either teasing, zig zagging, liquid volumizing, or blow drying your head upside down is the ONLY way to lessen the appearance of dark roots. The more your roots stand, the shorter the darkness appears. You can make 1/2 inch roots look 1/4 inch long, which isn't bad. You can make 1/4 inch roots virtually disappear and no one will know!

3. NO SLICK STYLES. Whatever you do, do not style your hair flat or slicked back or to the side. Don't wear a part in a ponytail whether straight or zig zagged because right when you tie it back it automatically flattens, showing off your dark roots. Tease or volumize the top of your head and tie a fairly loose ponytail. If you're going out wear your hair soft, toussled, and full to not expose roots. Wear as less product as possible; too much weighs your hair down and gets rid of whatever volume you achieved.

4.CAMOUFLAGE GRAY IN YOUR DARK. If you have gray in your dark roots and the rest of your overall color is light brown or has highlights, you can easily camouflage it. Dip your eyeshadow brush in water and dab it in any eyeshadow that matches any of the colors in your hair, go over any gray that is visible after you've styled your hair the way you want it. It will blend in the rest of your hair, just make sure the eyeshadow doesn't have shimmer or glitter in it; it has to be matte.

I hope these tips and hints help you the way they've helped my customers and me.

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