Stage make-up question: How do I gray my hair?

Factual Questions
1

I asked a similar question some while back, but so far the methods I’ve tried haven’t worked well so please forgive the repetition.

This is a picture of me- I have very fine (I’m referring to texture, not quality) medium blonde hair and I’m very fairskinned. I’m 37 and I’m playing a 60 year old character in a play. I really want to give myself gray hair for the role but so far the things I’ve tried haven’t worked. I live in a small city so there’s no such thing as a convenient costume shop (though there are the obligatory Super Wal-Mart, Beauty Supply store, etc.).

So far I’ve tried:

Platinum-white highlighting spray (from a beauty shop): there are two major problems with this:

1- It takes almost an entire can to do the job, which gets a bit expensive (this is a no-budget community theater production- all money went into the set and costumes)
2- I sweat like a euphemism and when I do it makes little silver rivulets run down my face and I look like the Tin-Man with Stigmata
Baby Powder- this works if I use enough, but the problem is that when I move quickly (and I have to make a couple of quick moves in the play) it looks like I have a serious dandruff problem

White shoe polish- works better than the highlighting spray but runs even more if I sweat

Does anybody know of any relatively inexpensive method of graying my hair OR a way to make the baby powder/spray/shoe polish methods not run/flake so much? (Would hair spray help?)

Thanks for any info. (Body language and penciled “wrinkles” help convey aging so the gray isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s become a near obsession.)

2

That color hair is gonna be a bitch to grey effectively. I normally grey the temples, but as I have only had to worry about people with dark hair…

In your case, I would recommend combing in the shoe polish, not smearing the sponge over your hair.

If you want to buy hair whitener, which won’t sweat out, here’s a link You may also want to try Googling “stage make-up”

The most important thing is to come in the color. Keep it off your scalp, and that should reduce the amount of runoff when you sweat.

3

An extreme solution would be to get it dyed darker, then lighten it using the traditional ways.

4

The other important thing is to comb in the color, the Rolling Stones not withstandng.

5

I’ve actually considered doing this- perhaps to a light brown or so. I’ve never dyed my hair.

Here’s a stupid question: the hair dyes (ala Ms. Clairol, etc.) for women are cheaper than the hair dyes for men. Is there any difference in them whatsoever or is it just marketing?

Also, how long should I wait after dying my hair before applying the stage make-up? Would the two have a reaction that could end up with my becoming a Michael Jackson style human torch?

Actually, I’ll start another thread about hair dying to elicit more interest.

Thanks for all answers btw.

6

There are a couple of different shoe polishes and one (it used to be the cheapest at Rexall stores) that really held well (didn’t run) and really whitened, which with your hair color is what you need. I’m talking about those squeese bottles with the sponge applicator be sure to shake them well and be sure not to move around a great deal while they are setting.

I’m not a big fan of using powder to change hair, but I have had to do it. That darn white halo that traveled with me until I found a cure - regular industrial strength hair spray (I used some stuff called AquaNet) sprayed on after the powder had relatively settled. It locks it in there. Of course, your hair won’t move in anything less than a force 7 gale, but it holds that powder in place.

TV

7

Thanks again for all suggestions. I ultimately went with shoe polish (the silver highlights required almost an entire can and ran worse than the shoe polish). I also got a bit of a suntan that week which gave Kirby a nice “redfaced” look, and I added a couple of age spots to the face that, while probably not noticeable from the audience, at least I knew they were there. If you’re interested in the effect, this is the before and these are the afters (this is my character’s entrance- the right arrow shows some close-ups- I’m the guy in a tux).

Thanks again.