# Coloring your beard **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 5, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026 "2018-11-05T18:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/1 "2018-11-05T18:01:28Z")
I liked my temples going grey—it looks cool. But in the last two years my beard (vandyke/goatee/circle beard) has gone most completely grey and I don’t like the way it looks. So I’m thinking of dying it black again. I’ll probably pick up something at the pharmacy to try. Have any of you tried this? Any ideas, thoughts, advice, conclusions? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/2 "2018-11-05T18:53:20Z")
Nooooo. I think grey beards are distinguished looking. If you must, go to a salon and have it done. I guess that’s a thing. Pix? ---
**Author:** ![split\_p\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@split\_p\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/split_p_j)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/3 "2018-11-05T19:03:09Z")
I’m prematurely grey, and I hate it. I haven’t seen any product that looks real to me. I haven’t tried to use any products myself, but I’ve seen the results on people slightly older than me that do use them, and to me it looks like they are wearing make up, no matter what race. I’m a 46 year black man and I’ve had to resort to shaving all the hair on my head and face off because my grey hair is so bad. I’m sorry that my response doesn’t really help, but I’m hoping others may have a answer that really works. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/4 "2018-11-05T19:04:22Z")
For a few years until it went properly gray I went the other route; whitened it for Santa season gigs. Natural beard Santas around here are $30 an hour and false beards only get $10. I tried a couple home things but all looked bad soon after; a matter of days. So I broke down and went to a pro and it worked pretty well. I haven’t had to do this in 20 years but my advice would also be hit a salon. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/5 "2018-11-05T19:16:39Z")
[Yasser Arafat](https://www.google.com/search?q=yassir+arafat&client=firefox-b-1-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch) was probably the most famous person with a full, grey, invisible beard. He _had_ a full beard but it really looked like scruff. Here’s a ‘world leader’ who looks like he didn’t shave for a few days. Looked like shit, IMO. I also used to have a goatee that decided it didn’t want to be dark anymore. I tried to do something with it but with a short goatee you need to do something (color) it about every 5 days. Ummm, no. I just shaved. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/6 "2018-11-05T19:58:21Z")
If you do decide to use a colouring product, be sure to do the skin test… you can be badly burned if you are sensitive to the chemicals ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/7 "2018-11-05T20:57:40Z")
I did it – my beard went full gray while the hair atop my head was still ungrayed, and it looked weird 9and made me look older). So I colored the beard until I shaved it off. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/8 "2018-11-05T21:05:32Z")
Thanks for all the advice! Cal, what did you use? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/9 "2018-11-05T21:36:08Z")
I dye my circle beard all the time. Just For Men makes a dedicated beard dye that is very stable and long lasting. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/10 "2018-11-05T21:47:27Z")
Doesn’t the dye color the skin too? I thought about doing this, but my beard is too thin. I’m worried that if I do it, I’ll look like I’m walking around with black face. Don’t need none of that. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/11 "2018-11-05T21:47:30Z")
I have seen some really bad beard dye jobs. I think I agree with the posters that say go to a salon. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/12 "2018-11-05T23:20:16Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > [Yasser Arafat](https://www.google.com/search?q=yassir+arafat&client=firefox-b-1-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch) was probably the most famous person with a full, grey, invisible beard. . Arrafat’s problem wasn’t that his beard was grey, it was just patchy. He’s one of those guys that just never had full follicle deployment of his beard. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/13 "2018-11-06T00:07:21Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Doesn’t the dye color the skin too? I thought about doing this, but my beard is too thin. I’m worried that if I do it, I’ll look like I’m walking around with black face. > > Don’t need none of that. No, it washes off. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/14 "2018-11-06T01:14:40Z")
My beard turned gray way before the hair on top of my head. Now that I’m mid fifties it doesn’t bug me. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/15 "2018-11-06T04:17:49Z")
I’ve heard good things about Grizzly Mountain Organic Beard Dye, available on Amazon, although I haven’t used it personally. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/16 "2018-11-06T06:14:17Z")
“Look, a guy with a grey beard” “Look, a guy who dyes his beard” Your call. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/17 "2018-11-06T13:27:40Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I have seen some really bad beard dye jobs. I think I agree with the posters that say go to a salon. Good luck! When I got the first few greys in my otherwise brown beard, I bought a box of Just For Men. I carefully followed the instructions, but after 90 seconds I saw no change. So I waited. And waited. I finally decided it wasn’t working so I rinsed it off, only to discover my entire beard was _jet black_. It was horrible and it took way too long to wear away. In my twenties I bought a bottle of Sun-In while vacationing at the beach. I overdid it and turned extremely blonde. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/18 "2018-11-06T15:12:22Z")
That’s sounds like user error to me! The great thing about JFM and the like is that they can be used to any degree you want. Leave it in 30 seconds and rinse, and the next day some of the gray will have faded away. 45 seconds and you get a more profound change. Leave it in for a minute or so and you have a _dyed_ beard. I generally just apply for 30 seconds every week or so. That keeps my beard from being totally Colonel Sanders but doesn’t make it look obviously dyed. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/19 "2018-11-06T15:19:58Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Thanks for all the advice! > > Cal, what did you use? Don’t recall – it was one of the most common in the store. Just For Men, maybe. I solved the problem ultimately by not growing my beard again. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026/20 "2018-11-06T23:08:31Z")
I use Just For Men Beard and Mustache and it works fine, but there was a learning curve to get the results I wanted. I first thought that medium brown was my color, but it was a bit too light and looked rather reddish, so I then tried dark brown which was a good match. If left in for the full five minutes per the instructions, it goes pretty dark. Rinsing it out after three or four minutes gives a less drastic look. Thoroughly applying it to the whole beard resulted in a mass of solid color, which looked unnatural on me. It’s possible to feather it in and leave some “salt and pepper” look, which I prefer. It takes a surprisingly small amount of product to do this. It can also be applied to the temples for those want them to be less gray. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coloring-your-beard/824026.md?page=2)