Putting silver toner on blue hair

Silver is most definitely one of the more complicated colors to try and execute with oVertone. Due to the pigments that create Silver, your starting color needs to be either neutral- toned, or fully platinum blonde.

Since silver is a delicate balance of colors, if the balance is thrown off at all it will give you unexpected results. These could include hair turning blue, green, or a grey-ish brown. The best way to see if your hair is the proper starting shade is to strand test.

Check out these strand tests:

Strand 1:

We used Vibrant Silver over a cool bleach blonde color and it turned a steely-blue color!  It turned blue because the hair was very pale and cool, which meant the starting hair wasn’t warm enough to cancel the coolness of the mix itself.

Strand 2:

We used Vibrant Silver over a medium blonde color and it turned a greenish-tan color.  In this case, it turned out muddy because the starting hair color was too warm!

Strand 3:

We used Vibrant Silver over a cool bleach blonde, same starting color as strand 1, but it was toned it with Pastel Orange, by applying it and then rinsing it quickly.  After toning the strand we applied the Vibrant Silver.  As you can see it turned out a perfect silver gray color!

If you applied Silver, and your results aren’t what you were anticipating, toning could be the key.

Green/Tan? Your starting hair color was too warm.

If your hair is mostly tan, we would recommend trying another application. Tan is an indication that you’ve toned into neutral territory but your hair hasn’t absorbed enough Vibrant Silver to reflect silver.

If your hair is more green than tan, tone it with the Pastel Red Daily.  Apply a bit of the Pastel Red Daily Conditioner on clean, wet strands and rinse out quickly. 

 Curious to see how it works? Watch this video:

Blue? Your starting hair color was likely too cool.

To cancel the blue we recommend toning with Pastel Orange.  Apply a bit of the Pastel Orange Daily Conditioner on your clean, wet strands and rinse out quickly. Apply and rinse until your hair is no longer blue, then try applying Vibrant Silver again.

Any other color – if your hair turns any other color besides green/tan/blue/silver, email our Color Consultants a pic and they can pull you back from the hair color precipice.

Here are a couple more things to consider…

If you tone your hair with either a blue or a purple shampoo or conditioner to keep your locks a pristine white, stop doing it at least 2 washes before applying Vibrant Silver.

If your hair is very warm and/or brassy, consider lightly toning it first to cancel some of the warmth.  What color you should use depends on your brass, but we’ve got you covered with our Toning Conditioners: use Blue for orange tones, Green for red tones, or Purple for yellow tones.

Do you have blue hair, and you want to dye it silver or gray?

I have some good news for you and some bad news.

Let’s start with the good news.

 The good news is that going from blue to silver is completely possible, and in fact, here I’ll tell you how to do it.  

The bad news is that it is a long process and expose our hair to an intense bleaching process. If you don’t respect the times that I explain to you here, you could end up ruining your hair.

Having clarified that, I think it’s worth the change because the result will be a vibrant silver that could be everyone’s envy.

• Today, I will tell you about the different types of silver-grays
• How to remove the blue dye from your hair without ruining it
• How to prepare the color mixture and apply it to your hair
• Tips for maintenance so that your silver hair looks brilliant and attractive for more time

Tabla de Contenidos

• Semi-permanent vs. Permanent silver dyes, Which one should you choose for your hair?
  • Permanent Dyes
  • Semi-permanent dyes
• What materials to buy to dye the hair silver
• First step: how to remove the blue dye from the hair
• Step 2: apply the silver dye
• How to maintain the new silver color so that it looks vibrant for longer
• Conclusions

Semi-permanent vs. Permanent silver dyes, Which one should you choose for your hair?

Here, we should choose between permanent and semi-permanent dyes.

What is the difference between them?

I’ll tell you.

Permanent Dyes

Permanent dyes use 20 or 30-volume developer (depending on the tone), which breaks the hair cuticles to absorb the pigment.

They last 3 to 5 weeks and require monthly maintenance, depending on how your hair grows.

If you are looking for a silvery tone, L’Óreal age perfect has a large range of silvers that go from pearl gray to lead-gray.

Semi-permanent dyes

Semi-permanent dyes don’t contain peroxide. Generally they are gels or creams that are applied to wet hair. They are an excellent option if you don’t want to damage your hair or if you are vegan.

They last between 3 and 8 washes, and they have a wide range of colors that are very diverse and original to choose from.

If this is your option, you can choose between Maniac Panic where each tone has a different name or Arctic Fox which has colors with unconventional numbers, meaning, not those that we see or buy normally.

Once we define what dye we need to use, we go to the hair salon store or pharmacy to buy everything we need.

Now you know the difference between permanent and semi-permanent dyes.

For an example for this article, let’s suppose that you choose to dye your hair with a permanent dye.

 It could be  L’Oreal Perfect Age Pearl Gray, that is a light and very shiny silver.  

Very well, let’s see what other materials we will need in addition to the dye.

What materials to buy to dye the hair silver

Let’s suppose that you have hair dyed a deep blue.

To get to any silver or gray tone, you will need to bleach your hair. So, we will also need to buy all the materials necessary to do the bleaching.

• 30-volume developer
• Bleaching powder
• Protective serum
• Gloves
• The silver dye you chose
• Silver Gray toning shampoo
• Gray Keratin bath

Now that we have all the materials, we can get to work.

First step: how to remove the blue dye from the hair

We said that we will use the example of hair dyed a deep blue, so it will be necessary to bleach to get rid of the color.

Let’s start with bleaching.

In a plastic bowl, mix the 30-volume developer with bleaching powder and protective serum. It’s an oil that protects the hair from the temperature of the process to break. When we have a homogenous mixture, we can start.

• Apply it to the lengths and ends without touching the roots since the lengths have more pigmentation and take longer to lose it.
• When you finish, apply to the roots.
• You can use a thermal cap so that the process is even.
• Let it sit between 30 and 40 minutes, checking the color every 10 minutes.
• Once this time has passed, rinse with abundant warm water to get rid of all signs of the mixture.

And now what?

At this point, two things can happen.

If your hair got to a buttery tone, great. This is the tone we are looking for to be able to apply the silver dye.

 On the other hand, if you hair doesn’t get to that buttery tone, it will be necessary to do a second bleach, which I recommend you wait at least a week to do.  

During the first and second bleaching, you should really care for you hair and nourish it with serums or oils.

What happens is silver and gray are lighter colors, so if after bleaching, your hair isn’t sufficiently light, the new color isn’t going to take.

Step 2: apply the silver dye

Once we have bleached the hair to a light blonde, we can apply the silver color.

Before doing anything, I recommend that you read the instructions very closely for the chosen dye.

This is the point where many women make mistakes because of rushing. It’s better to take a bit longer but be sure of what you are doing.

 That’s why, I repeat, be sure to read the instructions carefully that come with the dye you bought.  

Very well, now I want to explain the general steps for a permanent dye like L’Óreal, which we mentioned before. But I insist, it’s just a generic explanation. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR BOX OF DYE.

• Mix the tube of color with the developer cream until you get a homogenous mixture.
• Apply from the roots to the ends, being careful to cover your whole hair with the dye.
• Wait 40 to 60 minutes.
• Rinse with your normal shampoo and apply a rinse cream.
• Dry your hair with a hairdryer, and you will have brilliant, silvery hair and a renewed look.

How to maintain the new silver color so that it looks vibrant for longer

To maintain your silvery tone, you should follow these simple steps during your beauty routine.

• Wash your hair with a gray toner shampoo. This will help you maintain your silver tone. Revlon 45-day gives great results. Apply it and let it sit for between 5 and 10 minutes, rinse, and ready to go.
• Doing keratin baths with gray dye is also good for maintaining the color and restructure the hair fiber after bleaching.
• If you chose a semi-permanent dye, remember that you should retouch the color after 4 or 5 washes.
• If you chose a permanent dye, you should retouch the color monthly.
• Coconut oil gives shine and softness to the hair. Apply it at night and in the morning, rinse it out.
• Remember the tone and brand of dye that you used for the next time. Confusing the tone could make your hair look bad.

Conclusions

Going from blue to gray at home is completely possible if you keep in mind all the things we’ve been talking about.

 If you have any doubts, no matter how small they are, it would be best if you go to a professional colorist.  

There’s no one better to advise you about the best gray tones for your hair and help you determine the best process after evaluating your hair health.

And you, do you know what silver tone you are going to dye your hair?

What happens if I put silver over blue hair?

What happens if you put toner on blue hair?

What color neutralizes blue hair?

What color will cover up blue hair?