Coloring the hair is the only way to get rid of gray hair. There are a few different ways to color the hair, however, depending on how much gray hair one has; for instance, if all of the hair is gray, or if it only has a few gray streaks. One of the best ways to get rid of gray hair that has just started to appear is to add highlights to the hair.

Highlights add dimension and depth to the hair, and are one of the most natural-looking ways to dye the hair and get rid of gray hair. In this method, only pieces of the hair are dyed; in this case, the gray hair, along with other strands to make the highlights look natural. Highlights are intended to brighten the hair where the sun would naturally hit it and lighten it, and can look great on people of all ages.

For those who have more gray hair than highlights can cover, it will be necessary to dye all of the hair in order to get rid of gray hair. One might choose to go to a salon for this purpose, or to do it on one's own, at home. A salon will be more expensive than dying the hair at home, but the results may look more natural. This is because a stylist is able to add different shades within the hair; hair that is too monotone, as one often gets from a box, can look very unnatural.

In addition, most stylists use permanent hair dye, which lasts longer, but is also slightly more damaging to the hair. When purchasing hair dye to use at home to get rid of gray hair, it is best to choose permanent or demi-permanent versions. Semi-permanent hair color lasts just a few weeks before gently washing out, and is not capable of covering grays. Demi-permanent lasts longer than semi-permanent, but fades more gradually than permanent because it does not lighten the hair or strip it of its color as much, meaning that unattractive roots will not appear.

Permanent hair color is one of the best ways to get rid of a whole head of gray hair. It is much less expensive to dye the hair at home, and any roots that grow out can often be touched up with demi-permanent hair color. Whenever dyeing the hair at home, be sure to follow the directions on the box, and only leave the dye on for as long as necessary to prevent the color from becoming too dark.