Hair and beard dyes are a very common solution to a very common problem in the men’s grooming market. More specifically, the graying of hair in our beards, eyebrows, and hair that cause us to look many years older than we may actually be.
Unfortunately, if you’re a man that prematurely suffers from these gray hairs, then you may be looking into men’s beard and hair dyes and how to use them to regain that youthful appearance so that your look can match the way you feel. There’s nothing wrong with that!
There is, however, a common problem with the way men go about regaining that youthful appearance. That problem is hair and beard dyes.
There are risks to using hair and beard dyes, especially on or near your face and the sensitive skin around your mouth (i.e.beards). Today, we want to talk about the 3 main problems with men’s hair and beard dyes and what you can do about them to resolve the issues (or negate them completely) and get back that energetic youthful look!
Before we dive right in, check out Austin’s video on this topic below! and don’t forget to Subscribe to Volt’s YouTube Channel for more cool videos!
Beard Dyes Can Cause Allergic Reactions
Everyone’s skin behaves differently and everyone is sensitive to different things. And it just so happens to be that a relatively large proportion of the male population is allergic to certain harsh chemicals that are commonly found in hair and beard dyes. And the three biggest perpetrators found in hair and beard dyes are Ammonia, Hydrogen Peroxide, and PPD.
Essentially, the ammonia in hair dyes opens up the protein layers in the hair which allows the dyes to soak in. Hydrogen peroxide then strips your hair of its natural coloring, and the PPD bonds to the hair in order to color it.
According to studies and various articles, PPD is a natural allergen that can cause contact dermatitis. And the other ingredients, unfortunately, are not much better.
Not to mention, disrupting the natural proteins in your hair follicle itself is going to cause your hair some damage. And you’re going to have to take special care to replace the lipids and fats that get stripped away by these chemicals.
This brings us to the second main point as to why hair and beard dyes are generally not good to use, which is their potential for damaging your hair.
Beard Dyes Damage Your Beard Hair
After using hair and beard dyes, hair tends to get dried out, thin, and start splitting at the ends the way any dried out hair tends to do. And due to the nature of the chemicals used in hair dyes that are meant to penetrate the hair follicle itself, then the damage to your hair can be done from the inside as well as the outside. There’s simply no escaping it.
So, although beard and hair dyes may provide permanent results in terms of color (or at least until the hair starts growing out again) there is a kind of cost-benefit analysis to be considered in terms of the permanent damage that these dyes are also imparting on your hair.
Put simply, permanent color means permanent damage as well, at least until the point at which your hair noticeably starts to grow out again. And at that point, the purpose of permanent color becomes negligible anyways, because the roots of your hair will be displaying the color you no longer wish to have seen.
Beard Dyes Don’t Look Natural
The last (but certainly not least) issue that is common with beard dyes are the generally poor results they often bring. Hair and beard dyes simply don’t look natural, especially when you’re searching for that natural hair color look. After all, it’s one thing to dye your hair blue and never have to assume that people won’t guess that blue is your natural hair color, but when you try and use natural hair color to dye your beard, it never comes out looking quite right. Let me explain…
Hair and beard dyes often require that you mix a single homogenous paste throughout your hair and beard. This is the problem. This paste is too homogenous, and doesn’t leave any room for the natural variation in the color of your hair that causes it to look natural.
Beards are actually a blend of many different hair types and colors. Personally, my beard consists of many brown hairs, and many more red hairs blended throughout. (A nod towards my own Celtic ancestry, perhaps). And most beards out there have similar variations in color.
Adding a single homogenous paste used to color your hair means that all those hairs will be colored uniformly. The same shade, the same darkness, and the same color. This leads to what is unaffectionately known in the beard dye industry as a “shoe-polish” looking beard. Generally, not a good look.
This leaves your beard hairs looking too consistent and a little too “perfect” in terms of uniform color without variation. The best solution to this is to use a beard coloring solution that not only let’s you choose the color that is right for you, but also let’s you apply that color with variations in opacity that allows your natural hair to show through.
The Best Beard Dye Alternative: Volt Instant Beard Color
The best alternative to beard dyes is going to be known as temporary beard color instead. Temporary beard color is not a dye. Instead of permanently dying and coloring your hair, temporary bear color safely tints and coats the outside of your hair. This means that beard color can often forgo the harsh penetrating chemicals of beard dyes for more safe and natural alternatives.
Just take Volt Instant Beard Color into account. Instead of the ammonia and PPD, it uses cellulose and shellac for the desired effect. Two very natural and organic ingredients. This means that Volt can be hypoallergenic, and safe to use on hair and skin, while still maintaining the effectiveness as a beard color solution.
Because Volt is more like a beard tint than a dye, this means you have more variety with how you apply the color. You can choose the opacity (how dark the color is) and you can choose to blend the color into your natural beard color lightly or heavily. This gives you the option to choose a salt and pepper look, full color, or simply touch up certain spots in your beard without loosing a natural look.
Volt also colors your hair instantly. No more waiting for paste solutions to work before washing it out and only then seeing if the color is to your taste. Volt shows you how your beard looks the moment it brushes on and dries in 30 seconds for water and sweat-proof results.
Volt may not last as long as beard dyes, but it can be reapplied anytime, anywhere without the mess. It also allows you to wash off and re-apply it if you happen to not like the original application so you are never stuck with unnatural results again.
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