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

Some men have a beard that doesn’t match their hair color—which can add flair and personality to your look. But if you prefer a consistent look, choosing a beard dye that closely resembles your hair can help achieve uniformity.

Related Read: Learn how to maintain a balanced beard and hair combo.

2. Covering Up Gray Hairs

Gray hairs can appear as early as your 20s, and while some men embrace the salt-and-pepper look, others prefer to maintain a youthful appearance. Beard dye allows you to regain your natural hair color with ease.

Related Read: Discover how to keep your beard naturally brown without chemicals.

3. Enhancing Uniform Color

Just like scalp hair, your beard can change color over time. The tips of your beard hair are older and lighter due to environmental exposure. Using a beard dye in your natural shade will even out the color.

💡 Pro Tip: If you're going for a bold color, ensure you're using a high-quality beard wash like Radiance Beard Wash to prevent color fading.

What Are the Risks of Beard Dyeing?

While beard dyeing is generally safe, there are some things to watch out for:

1. Potential Hair Damage

Changing hair color weakens hair fibers, making them drier and more prone to breakage.

✔ Use Beard Oil to restore moisture and protect dyed facial hair.
✔ Avoid over-dyeing to prevent hair brittleness.

2. Color Mismatch Issues

Your natural beard color can affect how the final dye appears—which may result in unexpected shades.

✔ Always do a strand test before applying the dye to your full beard.
✔ Choose a shade lighter than expected—you can always darken later.

3. A Too-Perfect Beard Can Look Fake

A uniform beard color may look unnatural, especially if it’s too dark compared to your hair.

✔ Consider using semi-permanent dye for a more natural fade.

4. Regular Maintenance is Required

Unlike your natural beard color, dyed beards require regular touch-ups as new hair grows.

✔ Plan for touch-ups every 4-6 weeks to maintain an even look.

👉 Related Read: Best Beard Care Products

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

✔ Lighter shades are easier to darken later.
✔ If going from dark to light, you’ll need bleaching—which should be done by a professional.

👉 Related Read: How to Make Your Beard Look Lighter

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.

Get the Best Beard Care Products for Dyed Beards

Want to keep your dyed beard looking fresh? Check out The Beard Struggle’s premium beard care products designed to keep your beard soft, hydrated, and perfectly styled.

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