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What Is Hair Concealer?

T. M. Robertson
T. M. Robertson

Hair concealer is a topical treatment mainly used to cover up thinning hair or bald spots. It can also be used to cover up gray hairs or make touch-ups in between salon visits. Choosing the correct shade of hair concealer is important in order to make it look as natural as possible. One should also take into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of concealers, as they come in spray, lotion, and powdered forms. It may be necessary to experiment with the different types and shades in order to come up with the best option and coverage.

When purchasing hair concealer, it's important to choose the correct color. Hair concealer comes in a variety of different shades, and the concealer color shouldn't necessarily be matched to the color of the strands of hair. Matching the concealer color to the roots of the hair is more important, as it makes the color look more natural. The only exception to this rule is for dyed hair. On dyed hair, concealer can be used to match the roots to the dyed strands to maintain coverage in between salon visits.

Hair concealer is usually used to cover thinning hair.
Hair concealer is usually used to cover thinning hair.

Many different varieties of hair concealer can be found on the market, and what works best for one individual may not work well for another. Examples range from sprays and lotions to loose and pressed powders. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages that one should consider before choosing the right one to try. For example, sprays can be messy and difficult to apply with precision in the desired areas. On the other hand, sprays have the advantages of not needing a separate applicator for use and giving instant coverage in seconds.

Individuals suffering from hypothyroidism may experience hair loss.
Individuals suffering from hypothyroidism may experience hair loss.

The primary disadvantage of lotions is that they take additional time to use because they need to be allowed to set and dry after application. One advantage of using lotions is that they spread easily over the scalp, which helps when covering large areas. The main difference between application methods for loose and pressed powders is that loose powders are often dusted on, while pressed powders are applied with an applicator. Neither powder tends to have as much staying power as sprays or lotions, and loose powders have the added disadvantage of being extremely messy to apply. Both types of hair concealer powders have the advantage of being able to blend different shades together for personalized color matches, however.

Discussion Comments

Saraq90

Hair concealer sounds like a great product, although I have obviously not tried it before.

I dye my hair quite frequently, so I sometimes have a period where I can not afford to get it professionally touched up when my roots grow back in a little.

Hair concealer seems like a great product to use when you don't have a lot of time and you don't have to much hair to cover up.

Hair concealer seems like a nice, quick fix, especially if you find yourself in-between two colors a lot, having two-toned hair, like I do!

Monika

@Azuza - I don't think there is any reason a man shouldn't use hair concealer. If all they have is a small bald spot, why not? Obviously if they are mostly bald hair concealer wouldn't help anyway.

I'm actually fairly certain I've seen a commercial for spray on hair concealer for men before. The commercial made it look like it worked pretty well. If I were a balding man I would have been sold on that stuff for sure.

Azuza

I've never heard of this, but I think it could be a great product for women. Women can actually get bald spots when they get older too. Of course, there is way more stigma for women going bald than there is for men.

Unlike men, women don't really have the option of shaving their heads. So I think hair concealer would be an appropriate option.

For men, I feel like if you're going bald you should just except it and not go through extraordinary measure trying to cover it up. Leave the hair concealer to the ladies!

recapitulate

@burdici- I like the stick concealers too. They work so easily, just like stick concealers for your face. And like you said, you can use it quickly and get on with the day. I imagine when I start going grey, hopefully a long time from now, I will think about doing the same.

afterall

I was in a play once where I had to wear a blonde wig. My hair is naturally a dark brown, so to help cover my scalp I had to use a hair concealer. It was really handy. These days I dye my hair even darker, and would really love to find a matching hair concealer that I can use now in between touch ups.

candyquilt

@ysmina-- Whether it will look good or not depends on which product you use. Some hair concealer brands have trial offers and sample sizes and it might be a good idea to try different ones at first to see which one you like the best.

As for being water and sweat resistant, some people like to use hair spray on top of hair concealers and say that it lasts longer that way. I don't do that because the kind I use is water and sweat resistant. I even tested it by working out with it on and swimming and it was absolutely fine.

I actually think that you would like the kind I'm using. It's a powder concealer and comes with an applicator. The best part about it is that it's supposed to help regrow and thicken hair, not just hide bald spots.

I think you should definitely give hair concealers a try, it really does a lot for my appearance and self-esteem.

ysmina

I'm starting to get a bald patch in the front which is not shocking since my dad has the same. But it's really bothering me because I'm not used to it and I think it looks bad.

I've been considering using a hair concealer but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. How natural can hair concealers possibly look? Wouldn't it be apparent that it's there and look funny?

And is there a kind of hair concealer that is sweat and water resistant? I can't imagine what a mess there would be if I was suddenly caught in rain and the concealer started washing away.

burcidi

My mom uses a stick hair concealer. It looks just like a stick makeup concealer, except that it is dark brown in color.

She doesn't have a lot of grey hair, but the ones that are around her face don't dye well with hair dyes. So she uses this stick concealer to conceal the few that remain. She just rubs the stick concealer on top and smudges it a little with her fingers so that it looks natural.

This is easy for her because it takes just a few seconds and she can do it real fast before she leaves the house. I don't think that she's tried the spray or powdered concealers but I don't think she would be as satisfied with them. The stick concealer is not messy and lasts all day because it has an oil base.

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    • Hair concealer is usually used to cover thinning hair.
      By: maska82
      Hair concealer is usually used to cover thinning hair.
    • Individuals suffering from hypothyroidism may experience hair loss.
      By: stockshoppe
      Individuals suffering from hypothyroidism may experience hair loss.
    • Receiving some forms of chemotherapy may cause damage to the patient's hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
      By: Monkey Business
      Receiving some forms of chemotherapy may cause damage to the patient's hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.