Silver hair has got us obsessed and it’s making hot grannies out of all of us. There’s never been a better time to go grey. All you want to know is, how to dye your hair silver at home.
This on-trend shade is one of the most striking hair colours to grace our eyes and follicles this year.
The must-have hue has been all over the catwalks and sidewalks as a year round, sultry colour.
But just how easy is it to get this colour at home?
With our help – it’s easy! Read on to find out how!
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Contents
- 1 What is silver hair?
- 2 Will silver hair suit me?
- 3 Can I just let my dyed hair go grey?
- 4 Can I dye my hair silver at home?
- 5 What do I need to dye my hair silver at home?
- 6 Best silver hair dye at a glance.
- 7 How to dye your hair silver at home.
- 8 Watch and learn. How the professionals do it.
- 9 How should I care for my silver hair?
What is silver hair?
Silver is top of the list of hair colour trends this year.
And searches over on Pinterest are blowing up every kind of silver hue you can imagine.
Silver is part of the awe-inspiring metallic hair colour trend that’s taking us all by storm. Smokey, Dusty, Graphite, Slate, Platinum, Steel….the spectrum of silver and grey hair dye shades, tones and colouring products are endless.
From smokey greys and ice silvers to mushroom greys and silver rose, we love silver for its versatility.
It’s a colour that’s great for ombre, it’s fab for balayage and we love it as a base mixed with pastel colours like dusty pinks and purples.
It’s no wonder silver is so popular right now.
Check out the latest looks for ideas and inspiration.
Will silver hair suit me?
Unlike the warm metallic tones of copper and gold, silver is definitely for cool types.
So if you have fair hair, eyes and complexion, you’ll look gorgeous with silver hair.
That’s not to say warmer tones can’t pull it off.
Darker greys with warmth like mushroom or adding a pastel wash over the top could work for you.
Find out your undertones with our handy checklist!
If you’re not sure what your natural colouring is, take our quiz!
Just answer a few quick questions to find out which hair colours suit you!
You can also try on some virtual hair colours with the Best hair colour changing apps you need to use in 2022!
Can I just let my dyed hair go grey?
If you’re thinking of saving time and effort and hard earned cash by growing out your natural hair to grey, think again.
Natural grey hair isn’t the gorgeous silver shiny colour we’re all lusting after.
Typically grey hair is coarse and has hints of yellow tones.
Though you can keep brassiness in check with a good silver shampoo.
Here, you have two options:
- Letting your roots grow out is of course doable but it will take almost forever and look horrendous quite frankly.
- See a professional. They’ll put silver highlights in your hair to help it grow out but this is a super intense process that’ll take a few salon trips (and a lot of dosh) and they’ll recommend that you cut your hair short to save it from complete decimation.
Growing grey gracefully is not an easy process but the good thing is, it’s temporary.
Within a year to 18 months, you’ll end up with the hassle-free silver grey colour that will make your life easier in the long run.
Can I dye my hair silver at home?
First thing’s first, your hair will need to be super super light to get the urban, ashy silver look.
Getting silver hair at home is definitely a labour of love. Being able to achieve the right shade at home all depends on the colour your hair is now.
If your hair is brunette to black – you’ll need to pre-lighten your hair with bleach to become a silver fox.
To get the sultry silver look, your hair colour will need to be almost platinum blonde.
If you’re not already a super-light or platinum white blonde, you’ll probably need to go through the lightening process more than once to lift your hair to the perfect bleach base.
Bleaching your hair can damage it and dry it out, so have a chat with your hairdresser who will advise you if your hair is in good enough condition to withstand the process.
If your hair colour is light brown to light blonde, you’ll also need to pre-lighten your hair with bleach.
Your hair will need to be super super blonde, almost white to get the true silver hue.
If your hair is light blonde and lighter – perfect! Try out one of the top silver hair dyes to get the look at home.
What do I need to dye my hair silver at home?
- Clarifying shampoo to remove dirt, debris and styling products from your hair.
- A hair dye kit that will give you all the tools you need to apply it like a pro.
- A hairdressers cape to protect your clothes. Towels will get stained and keep falling off.
- A barrier cream to prevent the colour getting on your skin. (Vaseline will do!)
- A wide toothed comb to separate your hair and comb through the dye.
- An excellent colour-safe shampoo.
- And excellent colour-safe conditioner.
- A heat protection spray to protect your colour before drying your hair.
- An excellent hair dryer that’s suitable for coloured hair. Check out our Dyson Supersonic hair dryer review.
And your silver hair dye of choice! You can read more about each one in our Best silver hair dye reviews.
Best silver hair dye at a glance.
| Hair dye | Looks like | Best for | Buy now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garnier Olia Silver Hair Dye Permanent |  | Rich dark silver with purple hues | |
| Schwarzkopf LIVE Intense Colour Urban Metallics, Dusty Silver |   | Dusty grey tones | |
| L’Oreal Colorista Silver Grey Permanent Hair Dye Gel |  | A great base for adding colours | |
| Schwarzkopf Ultra Bright Silver Steel. |   | A subtle silver sheen | |
| Garnier Colour Sensation Vivids Blonde Hair Dye, Silver Diamond |   | Bright white, platinum blondes. | |
| Knight & Wilson Colour Freedom Metallic Glory Silver Grey Permanent Hair Colour |  | Cooler colour |
How to dye your hair silver at home.
Set the scene.
24-48 hours before you colour your hair shimmery silver, wash your hair at least two times with a good shampoo.
This makes sure your hair follicles are free of any of any product or dirt build up that can prevent the dye sinking in.
It also gives you hair a chance to build up the natural oils that will help protect it.
Make sure you apply the hair dye in a well ventilated room and set aside anywhere between 1-1.5 hours for the process.
You’ll need clean, dry hair and not wet or damp hair to apply the dye.
Don’t skip the strand test. Especially if you are new to dyeing your hair.
The strand test will show you what colour you’ll end up with so there’s less chance of a hair dye mishap.
Step one: Protect your surfaces, and you!
The hairdresser’s cape will protect your clothes and is a better than option than towels as you can move around freely while the dye develops.
Cover any surface around you that might get dye on it and put newspapers on the floor.
Coat your hairline, ears and neck with your barrier cream to make sure hair dye that will gather around your hairline will be easier to rinse off and it won’t stain your skin.
Unwrap your hair dye kit and grab your box of hair dye.
Mix the colour and developer together as instructed.
For easier mixing and application, pour the mixture into your hair dye bowl from your hair dye kit.
Step two: Section your hair.
Use your comb to separate your hair into 4-8 sections, depending on the thickness of your hair.
Clip each section so that the roots are easily seen and easy to get to with your hair dye application brush.
Step three: Apply the hair dye.
Using your brush, work the hair dye from the roots outwards so that your hair is totally saturated in the formula.
- For previously dyed hair – You’ll need to start with your roots first so that you don’t end up with a coloured band of hair at the roots. Follow the guidance on your hair dye instructions.
- For hair that isn’t already dyed (virgin hair) – brush the formula into your hair starting at the roots and painting down to the ends, making sure each section of hair is totally saturated.
Step four: Let the dye work its magic.
Fix your hair up or pop it in a shower cap while the dye develops. A towel will also contain heat which will help the colour process.
Leave the dye in for the amount of time specified on the box hair dye instructions.
Check on the colour development and leave it for 10 minutes longer if needed.
If you feel any burning or itching – rinse it off straight away!
Step five: Rinse your hair.
When the time is up, give your hair a good rinse int he shower until the water runs clear.
It is totally normal to see a lot of colour wash out at first, so don’t panic!
Wash your hair twice with a good colour shampoo to make sure all of the dye is removed.
And condition your hair with the a good colour conditioner and leave it in for 5 minutes to really set your colour.
Step six: Style and dry!
Your hair colour will look darker when wet, so dry it off to reveal your true new silver colour.
Protect your hair from the heat with a good hair heat protection spray before using a hair dryer.
Dry and style your hair as usual and admire your new coloured locks!!
Watch and learn. How the professionals do it.
How should I care for my silver hair?
Unfortunately, this is a colour that will fade fast, that’s why you’ll need to give it extra TLC and use only products that are formulated especially for silver coloured hair.
Your hair will be fragile and more prone to breakage and split ends for a couple of weeks. Especially if you’ve lightened it too.
Deep condition your hair once a week and avoid a lot of heat styling if you can.
When you do heat style, use a heat protectant every time.
You’ll also need to use specially formulated silver shampoos and conditioners to keep the colour from becoming brassy and keep yellow tones at bay.
And don’t forget to always follow our great advice in How to look after your coloured hair and keep it luscious for longer.