5 Hairstyles That Will Cover Your Roots Between Salon Appointments

Try these when there’s no time for a dye job.

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We get it: Roots happen to the best of us. No matter whether you have a standing appointment at the salon, or are diligent about your DIY hair color sessions, there inevitably come times when you look in the mirror and realize you have some serious roots showing. And in those instances, how you style your hair can make all the difference when it comes to camouflaging prominent regrowth until your next dye job.

“Hair grows on average about a quarter to half an inch per month, which is why many people need touch-ups every four to six weeks,” explains Tricocci tech Hannah Rivas, a color specialist at the Chicago 900 location. She adds that regrowth is always going to be more noticeable for those whose hair is super dark brown to dark blonde, and can be especially noticeable if you’re coloring your hair in order to conceal grays. Enter the beauty of trying any of these five hairstyles to detract from visible roots.

According to Matrix brand ambassador Castillo, creating lots of volume is one of the best ways to distract from tell-tale roots. It makes sense; when there’s lots of full, voluminous hair to look at, no one is going to be looking at the very top of your head. If you have naturally wavy or curly hair, he suggests playing that up by using a variety of different size curling irons in different directions. This will create both texture and lots of volume. If your hair is on the fine and/or straighter side, Rivas suggests setting your hair with Velcro rollers, then backcombing the roots to help further hide regrowth.

Just like volume serves as a good distraction, so too does texture, says Castillo. Rather than keeping everything super straight and slick, enhancing pieci-ness and dimension will take attention away from visible regrowth. He suggests using products to add texture to the hair first. Try a wax spray—we like Redken Spray Wax Invisible Texture Mist ($23; ulta.com)—or a dry shampoo, like Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo ($6.47; walmart.com). Pull it back into a bun, the looser and messier the better. Even easier? Create that texture, then pull hair back with a claw clip. “Grab your hair as if you were creating a pony, twist it a few times and lift upward, then secure in the center with a clip,” suggests Rivas.

For many people, the part is where regrowth first becomes most apparent, Castillo points out. So, rather than leaving your hair down and the part very prominent, consider pulling back the top half so that there’s no visible part. Section your hair from ear to ear, then brush it back. Secure with pins or tie into a little mini top knot. Either way, the previous rules of relying on texture and volume apply here, too.

“Braids are a classic for covering regrowth, and can be tweaked to work for any hair texture or length,” says Rivas. She suggests opting for Dutch, AKA 3D braids. “It’s similar to a French braid, but you fold the strands under rather than over one another,” she explains. “This both creates a thicker braid and draws attention away from regrowth.” Everyone will be checking out your cool new braid and asking questions how you created it, not paying any attention to your roots. Plus, “The overlapping strands of hair in the braid can create the illusion of fuller and more uniform hair color, making roots less noticeable,” she adds.

When in doubt, accessorize. You can, quite literally, conceal regrowth entirely by wearing a bandana or scarf, says Rivas. Or, use them simply as a distraction and grab a standout hair clip or fun headband, she says. While this won’t necessarily hide your roots per se, it will draw attention to the accessory, rather than the hair itself.