For most of us, gray hair is inevitable. The best hair dyes for gray hair can help you embrace your silver strands or keep them concealed for as long as possible. You can go with a permanent hair color that you mix into a developer and apply with a brush (just like your colorist), zap the brassiness out with a toning conditioner, or go with a semipermanent box dye kit for less of a commitment. If you’re between appointments and want to avoid that gray balayage look, you can even go with a temporary root touch-up to mask the regrowth for a few more weeks.
Whatever route you take, there are a few things to consider when covering up grays. Since gray hair is prone to dryness—and hair dye can strip the hair of hydration—NYC-based celebrity hairstylist Mia Santiago from Sally Hershberger Salon recommends looking for formulas that offer full coverage with added moisture.
To find the best ones, we spoke with expert colorists and chose Age Beautiful Permanent Hair Color Dye Liqui Creme as our top pick, which permanently covers grays while nourishing hair and comes in an impressive 92 shades. But if you’re looking for a root touch-up, toner, or a dye suitable for a sensitive scalp, we’ve got picks for you too.
The best hair dyes for gray hair, at a glance
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Best Overall: Age Beautiful Permanent Hair Color Dye Liqui Creme
- Pros: Available in almost 100 shades; formulated with nourishing ingredients; easy to use
- Cons: Doesn’t come with the developer
This permanent hair dye is specifically formulated for aging hair and can not only completely cover grays but also strengthen and support overall hair health, thanks to ultra-nourishing ingredients such as biotin, keratin peptides, and silk proteins. “Age Beautiful Permanent Liqui-Crème Hair Color is my go-to for 100% gray coverage with rich, long-lasting results,” says Santiago. “[It] is specially designed for mature hair with antiaging ingredients [and] covers grays fully.”
The at-home hair color also boasts an impressive color range with over 90 shades to choose from, including medium-brown, as well as some silver, ashy hues if you want to lean into the gray but need a little bit of toning magic. The only downside? The hair dye doesn’t come with the developer, which is required for the coloring process.
Best Root-Touch Up: L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Hair Coloring Kit
- Pros: Easy to use; 100% gray coverage; built-in applicator
- Cons: Not a lot of shades
Regrowth is one of the trickiest parts of dying gray hair. If you have concerns about your gray roots, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Hair Coloring Kit, which Santiago says gets you “fast, precise root coverage in just 10 minutes.”
She recommends this easy-to-use permanent hair-dye kit for quick touch-ups. It comes with everything you need—including a convenient built-in applicator—for 100% gray coverage. While it doesn’t come in a ton of shades, the formula is available in several popular hair colors, including black and dark brown, so you can easily cover up starkly contrasting roots.
Best Gentle: Clairol ColorStrong Permanent Zero Ammonia Hair Dye
- Pros: Lots of blond shades; 100% gray coverage; straightforward box dye kit; comes with a treatment
- Cons: Can get messy
If you have a sensitive scalp, Santiago says this Clairol dye is gentle on the hair and scalp “yet still delivers full gray coverage without harsh chemicals.” This pick is proof that drugstore hair dye has changed a lot. The box dye kit is ammonia-free and provides excellent gray coverage while also supporting hair health with AHAs and a bonding treatment for post-hair-dye care. The drugstore hair dye is available in 18 different shades, including plenty of blond options for low-maintenance gray coverage as well as several brunette tones and gorgeous copper colors.
Best for Men: Just for Men Shampoo-In Color
- Pros: Easy-to-use shampoo-in formula; long-lasting gray coverage; application takes five minutes
- Cons: Amazon only carries the dye in four black and brown shades
This long-lasting permanent hair dye features a shampoo-in formula that is “easy to use and blends gray naturally in five minutes,” says Santiago. Thanks to its ease of use and quick application process, it’s a fabulous beginner-friendly choice for men who haven’t colored before. It’s also enriched with strengthening and hydrating ingredients such as keratin, olive oil, and vitamin E to support aging hair and works well with all hair types.
Best Spray Cover-Up: dpHue Color Touch-Up Spray
- Pros: Great for instant root touch-up; quick-drying
- Cons: Washes out (but doesn’t wear off)
This hairspray formula is enriched with biotin to strengthen strands and is great for those in-a-pinch moments when you can’t get in to see your colorist (or are in between appointments) and need some believable coverage. Santiago likes this option because it offers “instant [and] temporary root coverage that washes out.” And, despite its washable nature, it is quick-drying and doesn’t wear off unless you introduce water, so you don’t have to worry about it getting on your clothes or bedding.
Best Demi-Permanent Hair Color: Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Hair Color
- Pros: 100% gray coverage; hair-strengthening formula; easy application process; long-lasting color up to 10 weeks
- Cons: Not a permanent hair dye
While this option is technically permanent, it’s actually closer to a demi-permanent hair color, since it lasts up to 10 weeks. Santiago says it’s a great choice for full gray coverage and has “built-in keratin to strengthen and protect hair.” This box dye is the best hair color for DIY gray coverage, thanks to its easy application process (though, warning: It can get messy!) and strengthening ingredients, including keratin and a Bond Enforcing System. It also comes with a post-treatment serum featuring vitamin B6 and collagen for strong, healthy-looking strands.
Best for Sensitive Scalps: Herbatint Permanent Hair Dye
- Pros: Alcohol and ammonia-free; 100% gray coverage; formulated with herbal ingredients
- Cons: Some customers say the formula temporarily causes an itchy scalp
Hair dye can cause some scalp irritation, so if you have sensitive roots, Santiago says to consider opting for this gentle at-home option made with organic herbal ingredients. The Herbatint Permanent Hair Dye is one of the best hair dyes for sensitive scalps thanks to its ammonia-, alcohol-, and fragrance-free formula. “[It’s a] natural, plant-based formula that’s gentle but effective for covering grays,” Santiago notes. The color formula is enriched with tons of incredible herbal extracts, including meadowfoam, white birch, aloe vera, echinacea flower, rhubarb, witch hazel, walnut, and bark extract to support hair health. And despite its gentle formula, it can fully cover gray hair. To be on the safe side, be sure to do a patch test before diving headfirst (pun intended) into this kit.
Best Gloss Conditioner: dpHue Gloss+
- Pros: Lasts up to eight washes; great at-home toner; provides a natural color look; up to 12 applications in one bottle
- Cons: Doesn’t permanently cover grays
If you need an at-home toner or are looking for low-key gray maintenance, the dpHue Gloss+ is one of the best. “[It] conditions and adds shine while enhancing color tone,” says Santiago. She also loves that you can use this product to blend early grays without commitment. This hair gloss features a creamy texture that applies like a conditioner, offering a subtle semipermanent color pop. While it won’t permanently cover grays, it’s a fabulous choice for those who want to enhance gloss and shine (the sheer tone is great for that). You can also use it as a toner for your DIY box dye do. In addition to its easy application and color-enhancing formula, it’s also made without peroxide and is ammonia-free.
Best Medium-Brown Shades: Wella Color Charm Permanent Liquid Hair Color for Gray Coverage
- Pros: Comes in several medium-brown shades; fade-resistant; 100% gray coverage (including stubborn grays)
- Cons: Doesn’t come with the developer
This at-home hair color is one of the most salon-worthy options on our list. “Wella Color Charm Permanent Liquid Hair Color [boasts] professional-level coverage at home with long-lasting results,” says Santiago. It’s available in 68 different shades—including several medium-brown hues—so you can easily find one that fits your preference. Plus, it’s fade-resistant and strong enough to hide the most stubborn gray hairs. With all that said, it’s not a kit, so you’ll need to add a developer to your cart if you want to use this.
Best Value: Revlon ColorSilk with Bond Repair Complex
- Pros: Specially formulated to prevent breakage and promote stronger and healthier hair; conceals grays for up to eight weeks
- Cons: Not as long-lasting as others on our list
This drugstore kit takes budget-friendly to a new level: it comes in a pack of three for $15 (that’s $5 per color session). Santiago loves its affordable price tag but also notes it’s a great “ammonia-free option that covers grays and helps protect hair bonds.” In addition to its excellent value, this at-home hair dye comes in 14 different shades, including several natural-looking brunette colors. And since it’s enriched with a bond repair complex and vegan keratin fillers, it can prevent breakage and promote stronger, healthier-looking hair post-color. While it’s not as long-lasting as some of the other options on our list, it can keep gray hair at bay for up to eight weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Which hair dye covers gray the best?
For the best fuller coverage, go with a permanent hair color, which Santiago says “penetrates the hair shaft, alters natural pigment, and gives long-lasting coverage,” making it one of the best options for those stubborn grays. This type of hair dye grows out rather than fading over time. Demi-permanent color is another full-coverage option that deposits color without lifting natural pigment. “It gently blends grays, adds shine, and fades gradually.” If you prefer a sheer, color-enhancing formula, gloss is also an option. “This process adds shine, boosts tone, and blends grays temporarily,” says Santiago, noting that glosses usually last a few weeks.
If you need a quick fix or want to blend a harsh grow-out line from permanent color between salon visits, Santiago says root touch-up kits such as the L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Hair Coloring Kit or sprays can do the trick.
Is it better to go lighter or darker to cover gray hair?
When covering gray hair, going lighter or choosing a shade that is closest to your natural color can yield the best results and make regrowth less noticeable, especially if you have solid gray hair. Shades such as dark brown or black can look ultra-harsh against heavy gray roots.
What is the best low-maintenance color for gray hair?
Demi-permanent formulas are the best low-maintenance color for gray hair because they can provide full coverage similar to permanent dye, but also fade over time, so the grow-out line at your roots appears less harsh. If you need a quick refresh, you can also try using a gloss for some added pigmentation between salon appointments.
Flaunting grays is also always an option. To brighten those silver strands, opting for a toning formula that gets rid of the brassiness (such as a purple shampoo or even the Glaze Super Hair Gloss in blond) can brighten up your gray do. “You can throw in a clear gloss for that smooth, glowy vibe,” says Santiago.
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