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To some, gray or silver hair is the sign of entering into a person's twilight years. To others, it is sophisticated and edgy. It is also a way to gradually transition from your colored hair to a new gray look. Dyeing naturally black hair a beautiful silver color is more difficult than with other colors of hair, so it's best to seek help from a professional hair stylist to achieve a silver color you’ll be happy with.
Steps
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Deep condition your hair 1-2 weeks before you dye it. You can have this done at your local hair salon. Using bleach is really hard on your hair. This is a preemptive measure to ensure that your hair doesn’t get as dry and damaged, or at least less than it would have been otherwise. Deep conditioning can help reduce breakage.
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Wash you hair the day before you bleach it or earlier. It’s a common misconception that bleach won’t affect dirty hair as well as it does clean hair. Give your scalp a little time between washing and bleaching so that the natural oils in your hair can build up. This can help you protect your scalp from the irritation that the bleach may cause.Advertisement
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Prepare to have to cut off some of your hair. Mentally prepare yourself for the possibility of needing to cut off some broken or damaged hair after using the bleach. Before bleaching, make sure your hair is on the longer end of your comfort zone, so that you don’t get upset when a little bit needs to be cut off.
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Get a bleach kit. In order to achieve, glossy, silver hair, you will first need to purchase a 30-volume bleach kit. [1] X Expert Source April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist Expert Interview. 8 December 2020. You can buy these at many hair salons, even at pharmacies. Don’t buy the cheapest kind. Bleach can really mess with your hair, so you might as well invest in a high quality hair bleach. You don’t need to buy the most expensive one either, but it isn’t recommended to go bottom of the barrel here. -
Apply Vaseline along your hairline. [2] X Research source Start at the forehead and work your way down to the nape of your neck. This will help protect your scalp from the bleach and dye. Make sure your hairline is well covered.
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Put on Latex gloves. This will protect your hands from the dye and the bleach. It may also help make the process less messy and keep your hands from staining.
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Clip your hair into sections. You’ll want between 4 and 6 sections depending on the thickness of your hair. One by one, starting at the back, you’ll take down the clip and apply the bleach to you hair using a hair color brush that you can buy at a hair salon. You might want a friend to help you out with the back of your head to ensure that all of you hair gets saturated.
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Follow the directions on the kit's box. Every bleach has different instructions so it is hard to be too specific here, but generally you want to let the bleach sit until it has reached the desired color. Check on is every 10 minutes or so to see if it has reached the color you’re going for. If the bleach dries, then it has stopped working. Even if your hair hasn’t reached the desired color, rinse the bleach out of your hair once it has dried or an hour has passed.
- Take a hair from the back of your head and do a strand test with the bleach to see how it affects your hair before applying it to your head. [3]
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Expert Source
April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.
- Take a hair from the back of your head and do a strand test with the bleach to see how it affects your hair before applying it to your head. [3]
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Expert Source
April Ferri
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Determine if you need to do it again. Your hair needs to be a very pale blonde color before you apply the silver dye in order to get the silver color you desire. If it is a shade of orange or light brown, you will need to bleach your hair again, by following the kit's same steps. Remember to wait at least a week or so after the first bleaching process to lighten your hair again.
- Rinse your hair when it is pale blonde then use toner to remove the last bits of yellow. Avoid letting the bleach process for so long that your hair turns white, as this is a sign of damage.
- You might even want to wait longer than a week to bleach your hair again if it’s in poor shape after the first bleaching.
- Since you have black hair, you’ll probably have to bleach it at least twice.
- Be wary about bleaching your hair multiple times. Bleach can cause extreme breakage. If your hair isn’t reaching that pale yellow color and the bleach seems to be damaging it, consider talking to a professional hair stylist.
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Use toner to achieve the silver look you desire. White and purple toner works a bit like bleach, except it cancels out any orangery or yellow tones in your hair, and gives it a beautiful silvery tone. You can buy toner from a beauty supply store, or you can probably find it at stores like Hot Topic or your local pharmacy.
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Put on new gloves and separate the hair back into four to six sections. Remember, you want to stay sanitary and keep your hands from getting stained with dye. Do not wear the same pair of latex gloves you used to do the bleaching with.
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Put vaseline on your scalp and hairline again. Once again, carefully dab the vaseline all over the skin that borders your hair. This will stop the dye from sticking to your skin or discoloring it.
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Apply the dye evenly throughout the hair. Using a bottle for efficiency, start at the ends and work your way up. You’ll want to make sure each section is covered from root to tip. Also apply the dye quickly, as freshly bleached hair often takes color very fast. Keep an eye on the color constantly and rinse your hair when the desired hue is achieved, otherwise you could end up with purple strands.
- If you miss a spot, that area will appear pale yellow while the rest looks silver, so try to be thorough.
Chris McMillan, Celebrity HairstylistChoose hair color thoughtfully. "Hair color should look good. I don't care if you have subtle highlights or My Little Pony pink—hair should never look washed out. The color needs to be rich and shiny; if it's not, you need to try another color—or maybe another colorist."
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Rinse, wash, and condition your hair. Once your hair is the silver color that you wanted, rinse your hair thoroughly with cold water to get the excess dye out. Then wash it with a color-safe purple shampoo and condition it with a color-safe conditioner to keep the silver color from washing out. [4] X Expert Source April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist Expert Interview. 8 December 2020. Color-safe shampoos and conditioners can be bought at your local pharmacy.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionI have natural black hair, but I just recently dyed my ends red. Now I want silver, what do I do?Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.This is a complicated color correction, so it may be best to consult with a professional hair stylist. The stylist may suggest either cutting the red ends off and starting fresh, or bleaching them and dyeing them the desired silver color.
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QuestionI have dark hair and wanted to go silver, so I bleached it 3 times. After dying it silver, the color only stayed for about 2 weeks. How can I make the color last longer?Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.It sounds like you have over-toned. Stop dying your hair and it should fade back to a brighter hue. You could also try washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove some of the color. So that it stays as healthy as possible, don't bleach your hair again.
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QuestionWhat chemicals do I need to dye my hair silver, and where can I obtain them?Community AnswerSilver shampoo can be purchased at most local stores. Apply it to your hair; the longer you leave it on, the more silver it will be.
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Tips
- Hair oils and creams can also help to repair damage that the bleach may do to your hair. You can also keep your hair healthy and strong by shampooing your hair with extra-virgin olive oil regularly, once every week or so.Thanks
- You may need to touch-up your silver hair with toner as weeks or months pass.Thanks
- You can also use coconut oil as a hair mask for healing. It is full of good nutrition and your scalp will love it.Thanks
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Warnings
- Going from black to blonde with bleach in just one step may badly damage even the healthiest head of hair. Take this into account if you are trying to take the quicker approach.Thanks
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References
- ↑ April Ferri. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.
- ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/augustafalletta/here-is-every-little-detail-on-how-to-dye-your-hair-gray#.myP2AYW3q
- ↑ April Ferri. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.
- ↑ April Ferri. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to dye your naturally black hair silver, you'll need to bleach and tone it first so your hair is light enough. Use a high-quality, 30-volume bleach kit for the best results. Apply the bleach according to the package instructions and lighten your hair to reach a very pale blonde color. Once you’ve bleached your hair, apply a white or purple toner to cancel out any orange or yellow tones. After you've applied the toner, apply the silver dye evenly throughout your hair. When your hair reaches the silver color you want, rinse the dye out and wash and condition your hair as usual. For more tips from our Cosmetologist co-author, like how to prepare your hair before dyeing it, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I have dreadlock and have been dying my hair black. I'm a senior and want my natural grey hair color. Your article is fantastic, I'm getting the first step and waiting six months before going to the shop. Thank you so much for your help." ..." more
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"I have dreadlock and have been dying my hair black. I'm a senior and want my natural grey hair color. Your article is fantastic, I'm getting the first step and waiting six months before going to the shop. Thank you so much for your help."
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"Great info re: bleaching, toning, dyeing, taking care of after the fact, as well as suggested hair care products."
"The article was helpful, easy to understand, simple, and had applicable steps."
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"Awesome step by step inductions!"
