Hair Color Is For Men Too!

Okay gentlemen, here and now is the time to realize that we are allowed to make ourselves look and feel good just as much as the ladies.

Although the products and processes are similar, I do respect that the reasons prompting our journey, as well as the desired results, vary greatly between genders.

When a guy decides to color his hair, he has already made a bold breakthrough in accepting the fact that he is going to have to look really ‘uncool’ for about a half hour to do so.

That takes a lot for us, so give us some slack.

The beautiful thing is that most men do not opt for results that require a lot of dexterity to achieve, so we can tackle many of these needs in the privacy of our own bathroom. Although, accept that there are times when you may need to ask for help from a professional (this is not asking for directions you know!)

For those who opt for noticeable or fashionable color, often it is lightening that takes the spotlight. Fellas, please…do not divide your head into the northern and southern hemisphere and bleach the top totally leaving the underneath section dark. Avoid this unless you never want to date again, ever.

Coloring your hair blonde – The male way!

To get nice natural blonde effect – here is a great trick (especially for shorter hair). Use a firm hairspray and spray your hair straight out on end from your head. Think early 70’s punk (trust me, this is only temporary!)

Then mix your color or bleach (bleach works best for this believe it or not) and put on rubber gloves (don’t play the hero guys, chemical burns are not pretty!)

Place a dollop in the palm of your gloved hands and simply ‘touch’ the color onto the very tips of the spikes. Try to feather the color in a progressive manner as opposed to looking like you were ‘dipped’ in bleach. A little inconsistency is okay.

Also make sure to taper off the color where you plan to stop. Meaning if you only want to do the top, do it heavier on the very top, lesser over the sides until it is barely visible in the lower areas. Stay in front of a mirror and shampoo it off after about five to ten minutes. You can always re-apply but it is hard to go back. This gives a great “lifeguard blonde” look.

Men who want to use color to cover gray

For those who want to blend their gray, you can use the ‘soap cap’ technique mentioned in our article on natural hair coloring. The other natural color principles also apply here to men.

There are many products like ‘Just for Men’ that help blend gray and are formulated to address the needs of men, and many times these are also strong enough to tackle facial hair too.

If you are coloring the hair on top of your head, color your facial hair. If you don’t, you’re not fooling anyone!

Also, if the directions tell you to process for twenty minutes, check it in ten.

The first couple of times you will want to give yourself some time to get used to the new you. Going shoe polish black because you got caught up in the game on television during the color processing is only going to buy you a lot of teasing from your buddies. You can always re-apply more and process longer if necessary.

Should a man really color his hair?

With men, coloring your hair can be the difference between getting the job or not. Unfair as it may be, we can be judged of our capabilities by our appearance and perceived ‘maturity’. For those who are thinning (I say, “I am growing too tall for my hair, thank you very much”) color not only makes hair appear thicker, but it can diminish the overall thinning effect by giving hair more “oomph” and style-ability.

Hair color allows us to look and feel younger, vital, and fresh. Plus it is an advantage for those who want to spice up a current relationship, or put bait on the hook to secure a new one – we deserve to look good as much as anyone else does.

Since makeup is not an option for most men, hair color can make us look younger, more rested, current and tidy, and give us the confidence we need to do what we have to do. So guys set aside the unnecessary bravado and consider some color.

There is something to be said about the guy who takes pride in himself enough to always bring his A-game – that something is usually ‘wow!’