How to Dye Naturally Black Hair Silver

Co-authored by April Ferri

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 Approved

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.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preparing to Dye Your Hair

1
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.
2
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.

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3
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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Bleaching Your Hair

1
Get a bleach kit. In order to achieve, glossy, silver hair, you will first need to purchase a 30-volume bleach kit.^{[1]
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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.
2
Apply Vaseline along your hairline.^{[2]
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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.
3
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.
4
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.^{[3]
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5
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.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  April Ferri
  Professional Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.}
6
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.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Applying Toner and Dye

1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.^{[5]
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Expert Source

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.} Color-safe shampoos and conditioners can be bought at your local pharmacy.^{[6]
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Research source}

Expert Q&A

Question

I have natural black hair, but I just recently dyed my ends red. Now I want silver, what do I do?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

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.
Question

I 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
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

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.
Question

What chemicals do I need to dye my hair silver, and where can I obtain them?

Community Answer

Silver 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.

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.

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