Anyone considering or know how to bump up your silver grays with minimal damage?

[SilknStarch]

Used to have dark brown hair, in the past 6-8 years my hair has turned very ashy color I call "grey mouse brown". Very yuck kind of color. Anyway I also have some silver streaks which I love and wish I could speed the transition from mouse to silver. My hair is currently BCL and I wonder how strange looking it may get before the mouse is less noticeable. I have never colored my hair so it is pretty uniformly streaked with greys and ashy browns. The silver streaks tend to be inside layers that aren't very visible. I am considering a bit of color to help the silver along if I could figure out how. Suggestions? I am wondering if I could add additional silver streaks or maybe something to brighten the overall gray effect? Hey I'm turning 60 soon, I have earned a pretty gray. :)

[dulce]

You could add a few ash blonde[looks silvery ] thin foil highlights but make sure to use a blue shampoo/conditioner weekly to keep it a silvery colour.I'm debating on that too as at 61 ,not enough gray yet and I love the gray.

[SilknStarch]

That's what I'm leaning toward, but wondering what is the least damaging method of lightening the hair for the streaks. Bleach and peroxide give me the willies (I envision little crunchy sections of hair here and there) paranoid I know but I really know almost nothing about coloring. Just really want a little better transition look.

[Elecita]

There are many brands of shampoos that make purple/silver shampoo, which is commonly used to remove warm tones from hair. It can be used on blonde highlights to make them more platinum, and also on silver hair to make it look whiter. I have successfully used it for the former, and it doesn't do any more damage than your usual sulphate shampoo. I bought mine at a hairdressing supply store. You can try some highlights with low-volume bleach and then using a similar shampoo. There is also the option of using hairdressing toner on your hair, which can be a bit risky - it does turn light hair whiter, but if you leave it too long, it can turn greenish or purplish.

[Anje]

I'd recommend going to grad school or having children.

[SilknStarch]

Anje, Been there done that, they were only partially successful.

[SilknStarch]

Elecita, I thought the blue and purple shampoos had to be used on bleached hair to do their thing. Will definitely try them before doing anything more drastic. Thanks for the suggestion.

[swearnsue]

I'd recommend going to grad school or having children.

Anje! LOL!!!

[fairview]

There are many brands of shampoos that make purple/silver shampoo, which is commonly used to remove warm tones from hair. It can be used on blonde highlights to make them more platinum, and also on silver hair to make it look whiter.

There are 2 types of purple shampoo. One referenced above and one for black very dark brown/black hair to enhance the purple/black look. I suggest you read the label carefully. My former boss picked up the wrong one and after she came out of the shampoo bowl(despite my warning during the process), she looked like she could be getting her 3 minutes of fame standing on a red wood porch on Cops shouting, 'Take that man away.' It was impossible to contain my howl when I saw her.

If the technology existed, I would gladly offer my scalp in transplant trade. I'm 100% silver and have been for awhile. While I am working on my guest's hair I am always complemented and told that people spend a lot of money for that color hair. I think I look like a snowbank in Montana in the middle of winter.

I would like to encourage you to consider a different approach. Right now you want to gain more silver. To do so will require lifting your hair with lightener. Within four weeks you will see a extreme line of demarcation, perhaps even 2 weeks. Anything with foils and lightener will require maintenance. Are you up to every 6-8 week visits to the salon? If so go for it. I would encourage for the time being to think about using a demi color which could be done at home since it is applied like shampoo. Pick a color similar but very much lighter than your natural color. This will nto eliminate your silver but creaet highlights and dimension to your grey mouse brown hair. Depending on how often you shampoo it can last as long as 8 weeks or as little as 3. If you get lazy and don;t do it right away it will continue fading out and go back to natural.

Just a thought on the opposite side of the highway that might be easier for you to maintain until your hair also joins the snowbank in Montana club.

[Anje]

Anje, Been there done that, they were only partially successful.
Oh, you know you've always wanted that second degree...... ;) Seriously, it seems to be working nicely for me!

[spirals]

Anje, :rollin: I remember last year the trend was to have grey highlights. Maybe ask you hair dresser to use whatever they were using last year?

[Natalia]

Iveheard of people using a few drops of laundry blueing as a rinse now and then. They do make glosses designs for silvers though if youd rather go conventional.

[clioariane]

My mother swears by Lush Daddy-O (http://www.lushusa.com/Daddy-O/9999902003,en_US,pd.html?start=8&cgid=liquid-shampoos) for her silver streaks.

[SilknStarch]

clioariane, Now I am searching for one of these shampoos that isn't SLS based. The fruit and seaweed etc. sounds good in this one but still SLS, maybe that's part of the process that can't be helped.