Hair Color for Touch-Ups

Stretch your hair color for another two to three weeks

One of the ugly side effects of coloring your hair is that after a few weeks you're sure to see the telltale signs of your natural or gray roots peeking through. Whether you have your hair colored at a salon or you do it at home, there are several products that can help you go just a little longer in between colorings.

Clairol Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up (*Est. $7) gets great reviews from experts at Allure, Shape and About.com who say that this permanent hair color can easily buy you an extra two to three weeks between salon visits. If that's not enough, Paula Begoun says that you can apply Root Touch-Up as often as you want to new root growth. Consumers at MakeupAlley.com say that the comb applicator is easy to use. The touch-up kit is available in 16 shades that "blend in perfectly with your base shade," according to Allure magazine. Clairol also provides an online tool that helps you to match Root Touch-Up shades to those of leading brands.

Most experts warn, however, that color-processed hair picks up new color faster than natural hair. It's important to apply new color directly to your roots only. If the rest of your hair needs a boost, several professionals, including those at Clairol, say that you can comb the color through to the ends five minutes before rinsing.

Revlon ColorSilk Root Perfect (*Est. $4) is permanent hair color that gets high ratings from users at Drugstore.com and MakeupAlley.com for being extremely easy to use, with no mess. In fact, they love the sponge-tip applicator so much that one consumer says she re-uses it with other products when she can't find her shade of Root Perfect in stores. (Users say it can sometimes be hard to find.) These same users also praise Revlon for providing excellent color match and covering grays flawlessly. ColorSilk Root Perfect is available in 12 shades that Revlon claims work with any hair-color brand, including salon coloring.

If you are trying to grow out your natural hair color but don't like the mismatching roots, experts at Good Housekeeping suggest using a temporary touch-up product such as Roux Tween Time Touch-Up Stick (*Est. $6). The stick works much like a crayon and washes out in the shower. A handful of users at Amazon.com are happy with this product, although one says it itches. It comes in eight shades and is safe to use every day.