When trying to grey blend the line of demarcation between the new growth (grey) and the old permanent hair color you are trying to eliminate, you need bleach to remove the artificial pigment first. Grey hair is simply hair that no longer produces pigment. So we need to match the previously colored hair to the new growth. The only way to remove artificial pigment to the lightness required is bleach. Color doesn’t remove color.
When lightening artificial pigment the hair will always reveals the underlying tones which is always a warm tone. Think yellow, gold and orange. This is universal. People always say, “my hair pulls red”. Everyone’s hair pulls red. It is universal. All colors are made up of red, yellow and blue. The blue tones (think ash) always fade or are removed easily because these dye molecules are smaller than the yellow and red molecules. So when removing color you are left with a warm tone.
When beginning to go lighter or remove pigment, the best thing to do is have a professional in salon color removal treatment. The one I always use is Malibu C, CPR. CPR is Color Pigment Remover, a professional, vegan formula powered by Malibu C’s Antioxidant Vitamin Complex. Designed to release unwanted pigment from both oxidative (permanent hair color) and non-oxidative (semi permanent) hair color dyes, it removes up to three levels of artificial color without lifting or disrupting the natural pigment. Hair remains strong, vibrant, and ready for precise recoloring. I use this tool to gently remove as much artificial pigment as possible before bleaching. The hair is always left a warm tone. This is where bleach comes in.
Once we’ve removed as much pigment as possible (usually up to 3 levels) with CPR, then we go in with bleach to lighten even further. Bleach has gotten a bad reputation for damaging the hair because it has not been used properly. Low and slow is the moto here! Low volume peroxide and slow, gentle processing. NO heat. Take your time, this is a slow tedious process but very necessary to maintaining the integrity of the hair.
Taking very fine, thin pieces with proper application, lifting the color to a clean level 10 is the goal. Once that is achieved we “tone” with an ash based color to match the grey root.
Previous coloring, the age of the hair (length) and bleaching creates porosity. Porosity is the reason toning is going to be the new color service that will be required over the next several months to achieve and maintain the cool, silvery, grey tone. Remember, the ash or cool tones always fade first revealing warmth. This doesn’t mean anything went wrong, it’s just the science behind the “why”. Why bleaching is necessary and consequently toning is necessary for the long haul.
Are you still afraid of “bleach” after learning why it is a necessary evil when grey blending? Leave a comment or question below.
- Taming Frizz and Loving Your Grey
- How to Manage White Roots and Brown Ends Without Full Color
- Why Your Toner Doesn’t Last: The Truth About Grey Blending Maintenance
- From Deep Brunette to Grey Blended Beauty
- A Professional Guide to Grey Blending for Brunettes
Leave a Reply