The 7 Best Dyes for Men with Gray Hair, According to Hairstylists

Just for Men has been a leader in hair dye for graying dudes for years, so we weren’t too surprised to find our testers gave it the top rating—especially after chatting with the pros. “Just for Men has been the ‘go-to’ for men’s hair coloring for a very long time,” Haygood says, noting its overall effectiveness and wide range of color options. “Plus, it works fast to cover grays, in as little as 5-10 minutes! It does this by mainly coating the cuticle or outside of the hair with pigment, which can fade with time to give you a washed-out brassy look.”

The formula includes keratin, olive oil, and vitamin E, all of which help soothe the scalp and strengthen hair health. Not to mention, we found it offers full coverage of gray hair while still maintaining a natural look. This is in no small part due to it being one of the few semi-permanent options on this list that is designed for full coverage and not just blending—though, it will require slightly more upkeep than a permanent dye as a result. But seeing as Just for Men also doubles as the best budget option, we found the trade-off to be well-worth it, and still cheaper in the long run than many others.

The only real downside to this product is that it can be mildly confusing when searching for your hair color, as most online retailers (like Amazon) break it down by categories across multiple links and it’s not available directly through Just for Men. To make navigating this easier, just click on which of these best describes your hair color: Black, light brown, medium brown, and dark brown. This is ultimately a positive, albeit somewhat annoying, because after you click your color, each then has at least three variations for added accuracy.

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Another favorite of Haygood (and ours) is this dye from Simpler that truly lives up to its name offering an uncomplicated and effective solution to graying. “This has been my new favorite that I suggest to my male clients,” Haygood confirms. With a wide-spreading cream and easy-to-use brush, we found the application of Simpler to be a breeze.

Plus, its clean and nonirritating ingredients make it perfect for those with sensitive scalps. “It has a less harsh formula for those who are sensitive so is gentler on skin and the color range seems to give the most natural results without fading,” Haygood explains. Not to mention, it’s possibly the longest-lasting permanent hair dye we’ve tried with many of our testers gaining up to two months between treatments.

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Look, if your head hair is starting to gray, in all likelihood your beard is next (or already gray). When it comes to dying both head and facial hair, Pacinos is the best we’ve found. But don’t just take our word for it, ask the professionals. “I highly recommend Pacinos Signature Line Hair Color for its ease of use and professional-quality results. The formula is simple to mix and apply, making it perfect for achieving clean, vibrant finishes,” Hazlitt says.

Beard dying is even more difficult to nail the natural aesthetic, but our testers found Pacinos never made their facial hair look brassy or artificial. As Hazlitt puts it, “Whether you’re touching up roots, covering grays, or enhancing natural tones, Pacino’s delivers consistent and lasting results. It’s a reliable choice for both beginners and seasoned professionals.”

If you want to own your grays and are just looking to blend them in a more uniform fashion, this will be your best bet. We tried this one after Tardo recommended it, and the results did not disappoint, leaving our hair looking naturally distinguished with more evenly distributed grays. Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Absolutes is uniquely effective at blending grays because it uses violet or blue-based pigments to neutralize yellow or brassy undertones, creating a cooler, more organic-looking tone. Still, its formula is also designed to smooth and refine gray hair to achieve a seamless look.

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If you’ve never dyed your hair, it can feel like a daunting task to do at home, but the entire process has never been easier thanks to True Sons. Our testers confirm that this hair-dying option is so simple that anyone, regardless of their haircare experience level, will quickly pick it up.

Unlike most hair dyes, which tend to be creams or gels, this version from True Sons is a foam. Simply release the foam into your (ideally gloved) hands, run it evenly through your hair, wait 15 minutes, then rinse it off. Just like that, you’ll be rocking younger-looking locks. Plus, the foam material means that there’s barely any risk of dripping or mess.

Possibly more than any other hair type, textured hair will require dye specifically formulated for it. We found that SoftSheen-Carson is the best of the bunch that are available. Thanks to an easy and precise application with its no-mix and ammonia-free formula, it effectively covers gray hair while still providing a natural-looking color. Not to mention, it lasts up to six weeks according to our testers.

That being said, regardless of whether hair’s textured, fine, curly, thinning, or somewhere in between, it’s important to not go overboard when it comes to dying darker shades, which is pretty easy to do with this stuff. Tardo points to making the hair too dark as one of the most common mistakes with home hair coloring on men. “I would personally recommend leaving the color in for a few minutes less than the product suggests. It’s better to have a little of the grey still showing than to have the color look super dark and fake,” he advises.

Why Do Men Go Gray?

Going gray is primarily caused by a reduction in melanin production, the pigment responsible for hair color. This decrease in melanin results from a natural decline in melanocyte activity, the cells that produce the pigment.

As we age, these melanocytes “become less active, leading to hair that lacks pigment and looks gray, silver or white,” according to dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach. While this is largely caused by genetics, Dr. Rabach notes there are other factors at play. “We believe the reduction in activity is a mixture of genetics, oxidative stress, and the depletion of the melanocyte stem cells over time.”

According to Dr. Rabach, free radicals (aka the unstable molecules that damage your cells and cause graying) can be triggered by a number of non-genetic environmental and lifestyle factors such as pollution, poor diet, stress, UV exposure, and smoking. Beyond that, certain health conditions like autoimmune diseases, thyroid imbalances or a Vitamin B12 deficiency—which plays a role in melanin production—can also speed up the graying process.

Are Hair Dyes for Men Different from Hair Dyes for Women?

The short version? Not really. “There is no difference in hair dye for men and women, the chemical compounds are the same,” says Haygood, noting that if anything, the process is just faster for men. “Men’s hair color can develop on the hair in a shorter amount of time because men’s hair is usually shorter and heat from the scalp helps quicken developing time.”

Tardo adds that the only real difference is that men’s hair dye is designed to be more subtle than women’s, as the goal for men is typically for a much more natural look, especially if they’re blending. “Much like when natural-looking makeup is put on a man for film or TV, we want them to look great, but as though they aren’t wearing makeup. When we put makeup on women, we typically use more color and the look can be more enhanced. The same theory applies to hair color for men,” he explains.

How to Care for Dyed Hair

The process of coloring can be a bit harmful to the scalp and hair, so to maintain its vibrancy and health, Hazlitt recommends using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner to protect against fading, as well as regularly applying hair oil to help keep it moisturized. “This combination will keep your hair looking healthy and your color lasting longer,” he says.

Haygood adds that using a purple shampoo will also help your hair from looking artificial after dying. “Once you start coloring, upkeep is imperative to keep color looking fresh. Incorporating a purple shampoo in between coloring can help diminish, unwanted, dull, brassy tones,” he explains.

Meet the Experts

• Chaz Hazlitt, a celebrity barber with clients including Machine Gun Kelly and Woody McClain.
• Clyde Haygood, a celebrity hairstylist and Pura D’or partner.
• Jeremy Tardo, a celebrity hair colorist with clients including Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto and Miranda Kerr.
• Dr. Morgan Rabach, M.D., a New York-based board-certified dermatologist.