Grey Hair - How to obtain and maintain it

Long time no see? I've been quite busy these past weeks but today I decided to take some time off to blog. I recently dyed my hair gray and well why not make a quick guide on how to obtain grey hair!

Before I began I had platina blonde hair which I recommend anyone who wants to obtain grey hair to have, if it's too yellow or darker the color won't come out right. I used silver shampoo at first and left it in until most of the yellow tones had turned more blue/purple. This makes sure that once the color starts to fade it won't look dirty or yellow.

This is the color I recommend, it's called Berina hair color cream - light grey color A21. I have tried another permanent dye and toners but this is the one that has worked the best. You can find this color really easily on ebay just by searching the name I've written above. This is a permanent dye not a toner so it will damage your hair slightly like all permanent dyes, but with this dye I barely noticed it.

The dyeing process

The dye doesn't come with any obvious instructions, it does have a few on the inside of the box but they weren't that helpful so I took matters into my own hands.

1. Put on a pair of plastic/silicon gloves then grab a small bowl and a spoon, you will need these to mix the dye. Pour the whole tube and the liquid in the flask into the bowl and mix it thoroughly, keep mixing it until it's smooth and you can't tell the difference between the two things. 
2. Wet your hair and towel dry it. Now before you apply the dye to your entire hair I would suggest that you try it on a small strand of hair to see how it reacts. The recommended time to leave this dye in before rinsing it is around 20-40 min, so during that time check the hair on a regular basis by taking a little bit of water on your fingers and rub a small area of the dyed hair gently, by doing so you will be able to see what the dye looks like underneath. If the color looks nice you can continue to step 3.
3. In this step we will start by rinsing the color out of the small area that you've already applied dye to, then we can start dyeing the whole hair or the particular areas that you want grey. Start by applying it by your roots and work your way out, using either an application brush or your hands (I would recommend the brush at first). Remember that the furthest parts of your hair will probably take more dye since it's been treated more than the area near your roots, that's why you should start with the roots and work your way out.
4. Once you've applied the dye to your whole hair you wait, now this is the tricky part. This dye have a lot of blue tones so if you aren't careful your hair might end up looking blue, and that's not what you want. I only had this dye in for 15 minutes which is 5 minutes less than the recommended minimum time and my hair almost turned blue. This time will vary though depending on the quality and color of your hair before you used this dye, so remember to check your hair on a short regular basis during the entire dyeing process (you can use the same technique that you used earlier!).
5. Once you think the dye has been in long enough and you think the color looks good rinse it out using shampoo and a lot of conditioner, then you're done! Hopefully your hair will look great and you'll be ready to rock that grey hair like there is no tomorrow!

Maintaining the color

So grey is a really hard color to keep in your hair since it will fade out very quickly, so here's my tip on how to maintain it properly. You will need directions silver toner and a good silver shampoo. You can get the directions toner off ebay and I would suggest you ask your hairdresser or go to a proper haircare store for tips on what silver shampoo you should use.

1. Use the silver shampoo when you wash your hair (but not every time since your hair will become dry then!) to avoid it turning yellowish, just remember to not leave it in for too long or else it will turn purple/blue.
2. Every now and then after you've washed your hair you will notice how it might start to get yellowish in certain areas or that the color has faded but it still haven't reached that point where you want to dye it with the permanent dye again. This is when you use the the silver toner from directions! Apply it after you've washed and towel dried your hair using your hands, rub it in at the yellow areas or in your entire hair, remember that this color is a toner so it won't hurt your hair and the longer you keep it in the better the color will stick. Then just wash your hair like you did before and then you're done!

This is what I do to dye and maintain the color, I hope it has helped at least a little!

GOOD LUCK!