Can you dye gray hair blonde?

You often see pictures online and in magazines of hair colors that dye gray hair dark, easily hiding those first gray hairs. But what about blonde? How can you successfully dye gray hair blonde?

Here are our best tips and tricks for achieving the most beautiful blonde color results.

How gray is the hair?

When the first gray strands appear, there are many ways to cover them up. If the rest of your hair is blonde, you can easily hide individual gray hairs with a tint. Simply keeping the gray hair is often a simple solution, as it is not as visible in blonde hair as it is in darker hair.

This is also why advertisements for hair color products that cover gray hair usually show dark hair. Gray hairs are simply more visible here.

However, if 50% or more of your hair is gray, then permanent hair color is the best solution, even for naturally light hair.

What type of hair dye is best for dyeing gray hair blonde?

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Bleaching and bleaching agents are not the right approach

Since gray hair is already light and has no color pigments, it is not necessary to bleach it additionally. Most bleaching agents contain substances that bleach the hair, which means that the typical results achieved with bleaching agents cannot be achieved with gray hair.
Permanent hair dyes that contain strong bleaching agents are also not recommended. Not only are they unnecessary, but they can also damage gray hair, which is often more sensitive, and lead to brittle hair.

Avoid dyes containing ammonia, SLS, or parabens.

Since gray hair can be easily damaged, we always recommend using a hair dye that does not contain ammonia, SLS, or parabens. These substances can damage the hair, leaving it brittle or split.

Ammonia immediately breaks down the hair due to its high pH value, allowing the color to penetrate. While it is good for the color to reach every strand of hair, the fact that ammonia breaks down the hair so aggressively often damages it. In this case, it is better to use a milder alternative.

The problem with henna hair dyes on gray hair

Due to the altered surface structure of gray hair, these henna colors often absorb very well. This is a great advantage, especially with dark shades. However, blonde colors have the major disadvantage that they can turn greenish when they react with gray hair.

And since henna hair colors cannot be easily recolored, caution is always advised with these.

Semi- or permanent hair color?

Whether you should choose a semi- or permanent hair dye to color your gray hair blonde depends on several factors.
If you are unsure which shade of blonde you would like, have particularly porous hair, or are dyeing your hair at home for the first time, then a tint is a good solution.

A semi- lasts less long and can be washed out again. This means that the result is not as long-lasting, but if you are not satisfied with it, it can be removed again. In most cases, a dark blonde tint is more successful than a lighter one.

If you want a long-lasting result and possibly a lighter shade of blonde, then a permanent hair color is the right choice. Make sure that it is ammonia-free and contains natural, nourishing ingredients so that your hair remains naturally beautiful even after coloring.

Choosing the right blonde color

When choosing the right shade of blonde, it is important to consider not only the brightness of the color, but also the nuance. There are many options available, from dark blonde to platinum blonde and honey blonde to cool ash blonde.

What is your natural hair color?

In general, we always recommend not going more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color. Even if you have gray hair, it's a good idea to choose a new color that is close to your original hair color. This will ensure that the color suits your complexion and that the result looks as natural as possible.

Warm or cool shade?

Once you have found the right shade, you need to decide whether you want a warm or cool color.

The advantage of warm colors is that they stand out a little more from the gray and give a fantastic honey or golden blonde result. Reddish tones also have this great advantage.

Cool colors have the advantage that they don't stand out quite as much from the gray shade, making it less obvious that you've colored your hair. However, it's also more difficult to achieve a perfect result with these colors.

That's why we would always recommend choosing a warm blonde shade. This will give you a beautiful, natural shade for naturally radiant hair.