Is Hair Powder the Same as Root Touch-Up Powder?

Short answer: Not always. "Hair powder" is a loose name for several different products. Volumizing and dry-shampoo powders are clear or white and add grip or absorb oil; they do not cover gray. Root touch-up powder and hairline powder are tinted, matched to your hair color, and made to hide gray roots or a see-through part until your next shampoo. Hair fibers are a third thing: tiny colored fibers that cling to thinning hair.

Five products people call "hair powder"

If you searched this question, you probably saw very different things sold under the same two words. Here is what each one actually does.

So is root touch-up powder the same as hairline powder?

Mostly, yes. Both are tinted, pressed or loose pigment powders applied to dry hair and washed out with shampoo. The difference is mainly the job they are marketed for. Root touch-up powder is aimed at gray regrowth between colorings. Hairline powder is aimed at making a thin hairline, a receding temple or a wide part look fuller by tinting the scalp between hairs.

In practice, one good tinted compact can do both: dab it on gray roots along the part, and press it lightly into the scalp where the part looks wide. Our guide to hairline powder covers the thinning side in more detail.

Why a volumizing powder will not hide gray

Volumizing and texturizing powders are designed to be invisible. They are usually translucent, so the hair underneath keeps its color. Put one on gray roots and you get gray roots with more volume. Dry shampoo powders can even make gray look more noticeable, because many of them leave a pale cast on dark hair.

If the goal is covering gray, look for three words on the product: tinted, shade name, and root.

Hair fibers vs tinted powder

Hair fibers are made for density. They cling to existing hairs and make thin areas look fuller from a distance. They can soften gray in thinning hair, but they are not designed to tint a sharp gray line along a part. Tinted powder is the better fit for regrowth at the part and temples; fibers are the better fit for overall thinning at the crown.

How to tell what you are buying

1. Look for a shade name. Root and hairline powders come in shades like black, dark brown, light brown or blonde. Volumizing powders do not.
2. Look at the format. A compact with a puff or brush is usually for precise application at the part. A shaker bottle is usually for volume or oil.
3. Read the directions. "Apply to roots and part" points to coverage. "Shake into roots and massage" points to volume.
4. Read the claims carefully. A temporary powder sits on the hair. It is not a dye, and it washes out.

How to use a tinted root powder

1. Start with dry, styled hair.
2. Choose the shade that matches the hair right next to your roots, in daylight.
3. Tap the puff on the back of your hand to remove excess.
4. Dab along the part, then lift the part slightly and dab both sides.
5. Press lightly into the temples and hairline.
6. Blend the edge with a clean brush or fingertip.

For shade matching in more depth, see how to match your root cover shade.

Where BUNEE fits

BUNEE is a tinted root-cover powder in a compact with a mirror and a puff, in 12 shades, including a dark grey. It is made for gray roots at the part, temples and hairline, and it washes out with shampoo. It is not a dye. Check the ingredient list on the pack and do a patch test first if your skin reacts easily.

FAQ

Can I use hairline powder on gray roots?

Yes. Hairline powder is tinted, so it covers gray at the part and temples the same way a root touch-up powder does.

Does volumizing powder cover gray hair?

No. Volumizing powder is clear or white, so the color of your roots stays the same.

Is root powder a hair dye?

No. Root powder sits on the hair and washes out with shampoo. A dye changes the hair color until it grows out.

Hair fibers or root powder for a thinning part?

Fibers add density to thinning areas. A tinted powder is better for a sharp gray line at the part. Some people use powder at the part and fibers at the crown.