Dyeing Your Beard: Types, Pros & Cons, and Tips to Maintain it

You’re probably familiar with hair dyes. You can turn your scalp hair into every colour you can possibly imagine. And now, you can do the same with your beard.

There are many reasons why you might choose to dye your beard. Whether you want to cover up gray hairs or stand out with a flashy neon colour that catches the eye, you should know the pros and cons of facial hair dyes. We’re here to cover the basics and help you understand the steps and aftercare of dyeing your beard.

What Are the Benefits of Dyeing Your Beard? -------------------------------------------

Matching your scalp hair colour

A lot of us have a beard that doesn’t match the colour of our scalp hair. That’s totally normal and it even adds flair and personality to your look. But if you want everything to be matchy-matchy, you can simply pick a beard dye that resembles the shade of your scalp hair.

Getting a uniform colour

Your beard hair, just like your scalp hair, can change in colour as it grows out. The tips of your beard hairs are the oldest parts of your hair fibres and they tend to be lighter due to prolonged exposure to the environment.

In this case, you can use a beard dye that matches your natural colour. This will help ensure an even colour throughout the length of your beard.

Getting rid of grey hairs

Gray hairs are something we all have to deal with sooner or later. Although we associate gray hair with old age, some of us can develop gray beard hair as early as our 20s. A bit of silver in your beard can make you look dashing, but if that’s not really your vibe, you can use beard dye to regain your natural hair colour.

What Are the Risks Associated with Dyeing Your Beard? ----------------------------------------------------- Hair dyes are quite safe, even for at-home use. That being said, you should definitely stick to specifically hair dyes that are formulated for beard use, and always do a patch test before using a new product.

Hair damage

No matter what product you choose, changing the colour of your hair will always cause a bit of damage to your hair fibres. If you want to apply your beard dye at home, make sure to follow the product’s instructions sheet.

Colours not matching properly

This can be problematic if your aim is to find a perfect match for your scalp hair. Your natural beard colour can influence how the final colour’s going to look. This means that your beard might not end up with the same colour as the one displayed on the package.

Fake-looking beard

A really uniform beard colour can look a bit off. This tends to be more obvious for guys who sport a really dark hair color. And it’s even worse if your scalp hair has a much lighter color in comparison.

Requires some serious commitment

Once you change the colour of your beard, you’ll need to get regular touch-ups. Your beard will continue to grow, but your beard dye remains unchanged. Your roots will essentially be a different colour than the rest of your beard.

Step-by-Step Guide on How To Dye Your Beard

Step 1: Find the right product for your needs

Always choose a product that’s marketed as a beard hair dye. Scalp hair products tend to be too irritating for the sensitive skin on your face and are likely not designed for facial hair texture. A lot of scalp hair dyes also contain ammonia. This compound helps the pigments seep into the hair fibres, but it’s definitely not something you’d want to apply to your face.

Depending on your needs, you should choose a semi-permanent or a permanent hair dye. Semi-permanent dyes provide less coverage and will fade with every wash, but they tend to be less damaging to your hair and tend to look more natural.

Step 2: Pick a colour

Some products have a guide that can help you understand how the final colour is going to look if your beard’s naturally lighter or darker. It’s easier to dye lighter hair dark than the other way around. The only realistic way of turning a dark-haired beard into a lighter colour is by using a bleaching agent and should be done by a trained professional.

Step 3: Start with a clean medium

Do a patch test

Put a bit of product on a clear patch of skin (like the wrist or the crook of your elbow) and leave it on for 24 hours. If you have a reaction and your skin turns red and irritated, you shouldn’t be using the product.

Apply your dye on a clean beard

You don’t really need to wash your hair before you apply your beard dye (unless it is specified in the instructions of your product). What you need to avoid is applying your beard dye over your beard care products. Having thick layers of protective ingredients like waxes and conditioners can block the dyes from reaching your hair fibres.

Take protective measures

Keep in mind that anything that comes in contact with your beard dye might get stained. Wear gloves while applying and washing out the product and immediately wipe away any surface the dye comes in contact with. Also, maybe opt out of wearing a shirt.

Step 4: Apply your Beard Dye

Each product comes with a specific set of instructions. Read the guide and follow the steps indicated by the manufacturer. In general, hair dyes have two separate components that have to be mixed at the moment of use. One component is the actual dye and the other is the colour activator.

Apply your beard dye evenly or on specific patches of hair you want to colour, then let the product work for a few minutes. If you want to do a good dye job, make sure that you apply evenly on each side of your head. The live-in time of your beard dye will vary a bit from product to product, but it’s generally around 5 to 10 minutes.

The final step is rinsing your beard with clean water to remove all the chemicals from your facial hair. The easiest way is to wash your beard in the shower. This helps prevent any dye from landing on your skink or bathroom counter.

Step 5: Upkeep for a Healthy Beard

Even the semi-permanent dyes will cause a bit of damage, making your hair more prone to moisture loss. Keep your post-dye beard healthy with a good beard-care routine.

Your routine should always start with a proper beard wash. Specialized beard shampoos like our Radiance beard wash will provide a more gentle cleaning that’s safe for facial hair and for the sensitive skin of your face.

You can use a good quality beard oil to give your hair the hydrating boost it needs to bounce back and regain its natural sheen. You can try out our Day liquid tonic beard oil. Made from natural ingredients and no known DHT inhibitors, our beard oil is a great fit for any skin type.

Another thing you can do is use beard butter as a styling product. This will help condition, moisturize and strengthen your whiskers while providing a medium-strength hold.

Questions About Beard Dyes

How often should you dye your beard?

How often you need to dye your beard will vary according to the type of product you use, the area you’re covering with the beard dye, and the speed growth of your beard. Reapply your beard dye when you’ve noticed that the colour has faded, or when you start developing noticeable roots. This could be after 4 to 6 weeks or even sooner if you’ve opted for a dramatic beard colour change.

What are some common mistakes people make when dying their beard?

A common mistake men make when dying their beards is choosing the wrong colors. For example, going for beard shades that are much darker than your scalp hair can make your beard look unnatural. Another common mistake that beard enthusiasts can make is not paying attention to the instructions. Make sure to follow the product’s guide for the best results.

How long does beard dye last?

Semi-permanent beard dyes will last about 2 weeks, and tend to fade with every wash. On the other hand, permanent dyes will help you retain your beard color for much longer, but your beard’s new growth will be more obvious.

What if you don’t like how your beard turns out?

This is an unpleasant situation that can have one of three outcomes. If you’ve used a semi-permanent beard dye, you can wait for the colour to wash out after about 2 weeks. If you haven’t chosen a very dark colour, you can simply dye your beard again with a different colour. If neither of the two is an option, then you can always start over with a nice clean shave.

Every man can give his glorious beard a new colour and a new life

Check out The Beard Struggle’s collection of products & guides to help you get an amazing Viking beard.

Shop Now