10-Minute Gray Coverage? Try This Technique!

3 Steps For Faster, Longer-Lasting Gray Coverage

If there’s one thing stylists have on their holiday wishlists, it’s quicker appointments—especially when it comes to covering resistant gray regrowth. Joico Artistic Educator Kelly McGowan (@kellyshouseofcolour) is sharing her secrets to achieving 100 percent gray coverage in just ten minutes. The result? More time for clients and more money in your pockets.

Keep scrolling to learn express application techniques, go-to formulas and placement strategies for dimensional shades in half the time.

Swipe to see the before and after:

1. Choose fast-acting formulas for optimal processing time.

When time is money, it’s best to make every minute behind the chair count. Kelly recommends using Joico’s LumiShine LUMI10™ permanent haircolor to deliver 100 percent gray coverage in just 10 minutes. This fast formula is ideal for those last-minute walk-ins, double-booking clients with ease or hybrid blonding with gray coverage applications.

Tap the beaker to see Kelly’s formulas:

• Formula A (teasylights)

  Joico Blonde Life™ Powder Lightener + 20-volume developer (1:1.5)

• Formula B (gray coverage)

  Joico LumiShine LUMI10™ 6NG + LumiShine LUMI10™ Accelerator 22-volume developer (1:1)

Click here to shop Joico’s LumiShine LUMI10™collection.

2. Apply teasylights for a soft, dimensional result.

Kelly’s goal is to give her client a soft, blended look without a ton of contrast. How? Teasylights! After prepping the hair with Joico’s Defy Damage ProSeries 1 Bond-Protecting Color Optimizer Spray, create a basic halo around the surface of the head, following the client’s unique head shape.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Start foiling at the top of the head, making sure to avoid any regrowth so you can apply LUMI10™ later. Take larger weaves and finer sections for maximum lift. Remember to leave any prelightened ends out to preserve the integrity of the hair.
2. Continue foiling down along the hairline, alternating each section until you reach the top of the ear. Don’t place another foil below that point to avoid harsh lines of demarcation.
3. At the top of the crown, apply two layered teasylights and a third, smaller one in the back for a burst of color.

Pro tip: When foiling the front, make sure your last weave is the hair that falls around the client’s face. This creates a ribbon of dimension around facial features where we want to see brightness.

Swipe to see Kelly’s three-step teasylights in action:

Want more Joico education? Click here.

3. Fully saturate to cover stubborn grays.

Kelly recommends waiting until your foils need 10 to 15 minutes of processing time, then applying generous amounts LumiShine LUMI10™ to regrowth. Make sure to fully saturate the hair, applying underneath each section, and to target the grayest areas first so they have the most time to process.

Pro tip: When applying gray coverage color, take vertical sections when possible to avoid harsh lines and unnecessary staining.

Once processing is complete, cleanse, add a glaze of choice at the shampoo bowl, then complete the look using Joico’s Defy Damage ProSeries 2 Bond-Strengthening Color Treatment to seal everything in. 

Watch Kelly’s entire 10-minute gray coverage technique on BTCTV!

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Products Used

Gray Coverage

LUMI10™

Lightener

Blonde Life

Joico

Haircare

Defy Damage Protective Shampoo

Joico

Conditioners

Defy Damage Protective Conditioner

Joico

Haircare

Defy Damage Pro-Series 1

Joico

Haircare

Defy Damage Pro-Series 2

Joico