Question about covering grays?

[ncgal25]

What will happen if I use drugstore box color over top permanent salon color?

Im trying to go au natural (not sure what my natural color will be - but there is a ton of gray)... My gray roots on top of my head are looking bad against the dark brown salon color.

I really want to go natural.

Is there a way to do this without looking like a skunk for a while?

I dont think its possible to go lighter without damaging my hair. My ends are a Level 3 or 4 (dark brown) right now.

[Anje]

I'm not a haircolor expert, but my first thought is that most of those drugstore colors are permanent too. If you want to grow in your gray and cut out the permanent color, without looking like you're doing that, I suspect the only thing that might work is using lots of deposit-only washout haircolor. Ideally the ones with no ammonia or peroxide, which only last through a few shampoos or less. Other possibilities are things like Manic Panic Nefertiti or Cobra (both browns, not sure if they still make them) and those Fanciful rinse-out colors. Hopefully those would allow you to grow out, then would simply wash out.

ETA: Another, perhaps less appealing option: You could see if the salon would add to your brown haircolor as highlights. That way, you'd get chunks of dark color and the gray coming in, and you could maintain something like this while gradually getting less and less colored. At least then you'd have chunks of gray coming through instead of a single stripe down your part.

[silverjen]

I suggest looking at http://goinggraylookinggreat.com/. It's quite inspirational, and may have the information you're looking for.

[jojo]

^^ what a brilliant site, thanks ever so much for sharing x