Silver Hair | Abingdon | Didcot | Wantage | Oxfordshire

It’s worth noting that not every process will be the same. There are some basic assumptions insofar as we expect the hair to be healthy, virgin and a colour for which can achieve silver in one sitting. This isn’t necessarily the same approach that would be applied to other clients with a different starting point or profile and therefore would be subject to some tailoring. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

1. Pre-Lightening (Bleaching): As a rule of thumb, colour can’t lift colour. In order to achieve silver, hair requires lightening before toning (which we will come onto). To achieve a clean silver tone, your hair will need to be lightened sufficiently ideally to a pale blonde or even white colour. The bleach ‘colour’ won’t be desirable to walk out of a salon, however it will be essential to achieve silver. Bleach itself isn’t a hair colour, bleach removes pigment (colour) meaning in most cases bleach will leave a variation of red, orange, yellow or white. A light yellow or white is what your Stylist will eventually be looking for. Your desired silver will come later in this process. At this key stage, your Stylist is seeking to create a clean base for the silver toner to work on. If your hair is naturally dark or has been previously coloured, this may involve a different approaches and in some cases additional approaches.

2. Toning: There is a stage between bleaching and toning which is your processing time. This is time where your hair is left to lighten and this is dependent upon a handful of factors including integrity of hair, desired colour and starting point (is your hair dark, light, coloured, resistant etc). Processing time cannot exceed 60 minutes however not every client can expect processing time of that length.

Once the processing time  has elapsed and your Stylist is happy, it’s time to wash, towel dry and apply your toner. Toners are your desired colour (in this case silver) which ‘grabs’ onto the lightened hair. In-salon we use JOICO, a US colour brand that deliver a range of toners called ‘Blonde Life Quick Toners’. Within the range toners they offer an amazing Silver which can be used to blend grey, achieve an all over light or deep silver and this can be controlled by your Stylist to soften or add depth dependent upon what you desire.

3. Upkeep: Silvers are different from other colours. There is a tendency to fade as they are considered ‘fashion colours’. The lifespan can vary from client to client, however regular masks, treatments and gentle shampoo’s can be of real benefit.