Rock Your Roots
Photos: © Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, © Dave Hogan/Getty Images, © George Napolitano/FilmMagic, © John Shearer/WireImage
As anyone who colors their hair knows, roots are the cardinal sin of hair dying. Or so it used to be. Recently, we've been spying more and more celebs, especially of the blonde variety, who are sporting some major roots on the red carpet. In fact, it's almost as if they are showing off their rootage. What gives?
According to Eva Scrivo of New York's Eva Scrivo Salon, roots actually look more natural than uniform color. "The depth created by a root line looks more natural and allows women to feel that their hair color looks a bit more lived in. It feels more organic opposed to an opaque single color, which can look almost wig-like," she says.
Women have become nothing if not more savvy about their hair color, which Scrivo states as the reason roots have become more acceptable. That's great news for the lazy and/or cash-strapped among us who can't afford to get color touch-ups every 4-6 weeks. Just don't think this means you can rock a totally two-tone 'do. Showing roots looks good if your natural hair color is just a few shades darker than your dye job, say chestnut brown roots with caramel strands. Someone with hair that's naturally dark brown with platinum blonde hair dye is going to look a bit silly with their roots showing.
If you love this look and want to enhance your natural roots even more, Scrivo suggests asking your colorist to add a few highlights at the part of your hair and around your face. As your roots grow out, the highlights will help "break" the demarcation line and enhance the root look. For a softer lift, try doing this with a glaze or semi-permanent color instead.
On the flip side, if you think roots are something to be hidden and not flaunted, there are some quick and simple ways you can hide root growth until you can get to the salon. Instead of a straight part, create a haphazard zigzag part--this will blur the line of your roots and make your color look more blended. Or try a tinted dry shampoo like Bumble and bumble's Hair Powder or Neil George's Refresh Dry Shampoo. According to Scrivo, spraying dry shampoo in the root area gives your hair lift and the tint helps to lighten up dark roots, hiding re-growth and making them less noticeable.
Do you bare your roots or hide them away?
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I have brown hair with a small amount of grey. I color to a nice light auburn and I hate to see my roots. Maybe it's different than with a blonde. Also I go to a testing salon and never pay for any of my services, color or cuts.
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Roots will never be a trend in my opinion, they look absolutely horrible and if my roots would show up one day, I would want to die an instant death at that moment.
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i think they look totally tacky... there are ways of adding depth and getting a natural look w/o having obvious, ugly roots (highlights + lowlights).... if your hair is the same tone, just a slightly different shade, then, it might look okay, but, when it's a totally different color or drastically different shades, it makes it look more fake.
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This trend may have become more popular in the last few years, but I can remember back a little farther than some of you. In the 80s, Madonna sported serious rootage. Her blonde bob had a good inch of black peeking out at the part. It was all part of her image... those were the days of "Desperately Seeking Susan" and "Borderline". Personally, I don't have a problem with roots if they are part of an overall good style. On the other hand, roots or tri-color hair on a stringy long mess just looks cheap.
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I agree. What about us who color our hair and then when it starts growing out, we have grey roots showing? I, for one, hate that but then again, I don't want to ruin my hair by overcoloring. Any suggestions?
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NO NO NO NO NO, No roots. A very little is ok, but I find that it makes your hair look flat on top. Not good.
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I don't like the look of the dark roots. It is almost as horrible as seeing my own gray roots! I don't think it looks natural, it just looks like you need to color.
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I'm a natural beige brown with auburn highlights and I've been dyeing my hair black for the past 8 years, until I decided to go back to natural. The question arose - deal with roots, and ultimately, a two tone, or bleach the living life out of it to get a close enough match? I'm impatient and the roots looked like hell even after the second month, so you can guess what happened next. I'm all about personal decision and owning any look with confidence, but roots definitely aren't my cup of tea. Isn't the idea so that people don't know you're dyeing your hair? I tend to look at people who don't fix their roots as not concerned with their appearance, unless it's obvious they're growing it out.
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For a blond, I don't mind it -- but when it's GREY like mine, EWWWW! I don't think as bad on others as it does on me though.....
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I think if you are born dark that is the way you are going to look best even though you look ok blond as well, when the dark grows in, it is nice to have both! Kind of like having you cake and eating it too!
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I just have no idea how this even slightly became a trend. Some people it might look okay but 99% of the time it just looks awful in my opinion.
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I think it looks tacky! Trying to make it trendy is just an excuse for laziness. It's ugly and looks like trailer trash.
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It's not the end of the world if your roots are showing, and I think it depends on the base and natural color on how inappropriate it might look.
Personally I would like to think that perhaps like the every day woman, celebrities may be lax about their roots because the cost of professional color is as equally (if not more) expensive for them.
My dark roots are coming in, and I am definitely following the trend and sporting two-tone hair until I can save enough money to get a refresh.
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I think it's great. They have just a little bit of roots showing, and when they pull their hair back, the blonde is mostly what you see and it gives it more depth. I think it can look fake when people's hair is all uniformly one color. Normal hair isn't usually like that. it's got different shades of color, usually some darker underneath because the top is lighter from being out in the sun. I color my hair to a medium brown with some caramel highlights, and my roots are growing in, and I don't mind it at all. Now, when they get to be two inches or more, then I'll re-dye them. But until then, I'm just going to call it "trendy" and dye my hair less.
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as a blonde with multi tonal hair i was excited to see this report. im greatful for the trend because it makes me feel more comfortable about showing a little rootage. but when they get longer than an inch highlights or lowlights are a must. i liked the bit about madonnas style back in the 80s.
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How bout you just dye your hair close to the color that it really is for a fun natural look. Or heck get a wash out dye that last 30 days. Golly.
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LIke she said, roots look good if they are a few tones darker than your highlights NEVER grey...ugh. i have grey hair and touch up my roots with the darker color of my highlights in between hair color appts.. I have mid brown color base and blonde highlights.. I can't look at even a mm. of grey but the brown adds depth and looks great. I don't like the blonde all the way to the root ...it lacks depth especially if you arent young anymore.
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You talk a lot about dark roots for blonds. What about grey roots for people with dark hair?
Posted 9:14 AM on 01/14/2010