There's no need to panic though! Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
You may associate purple shampoo as strictly a shampoo for blondes, but it's actually immensely helpful when you have grey hair, too. It's useful for both naturally grey hair and dyed locks. Purple shampoo is exactly what it sounds like – it's a shampoo infused with violet pigments.
Purple shampoos work on the simple premise that, as purple is the opposite colour to yellow on the colour wheel, it neutralises warm tones in the hair. While primarily marketed at bleached blondes, purple shampoo also works well on grey hair, balayage hair and highlights in hair.
Purple shampoo neutralises brassiness but enhances blonde pigmentation. To maintain a silver shade, your shampoo requires a stronger colour neutralisation. Silver shampoo is formulated with deeper purple pigments to target yellow tones in a much stronger way.
If you have platinum, gray, or silver hair, you can leave the purple shampoo on for up to 30 minutes, depending on how brassy or discolored your hair is.
If you are a natural brunette, you'll want to blend your greys with darker lowlights. For natural blondes, you should add highlights and lowlights ranging from pearl to medium blonde. And if you are a natural redhead, a range of brown and blonde highlights and lowlights will enhance your grey locks best.
If you have naturally white or grey hair, purple shampoo can be used in the same way as with bleached hair to remove yellow tones and revive vibrant color. It can also be used on red hair to counteract brassy tones for color that stays fresh week after week.
Silver shampoo is also perfect for natural grey hair which can develop a yellow tinge from exposure to elements such as wind, rain and pollution. The shampoo can help correct this brassy colour, as well as strengthen hair fibres.
These shampoos don't just get rid of grey hair, they even reduce the brassiness on blonde and silver hair colors, leaving them vibrant and shiny. And it doesn't matter if your hair is going grey naturally due to age, pregnancy, or hormonal imbalances or if you've got them dyed a silver-blonde tone.
Just like blondes, brunettes and redheads can benefit from using color-specific shampoos, those with gray and silver hair are no exception. Gray hair, since it lacks pigment and can be coarser, needs a little extra TLC to keep it shiny and healthy.
Bleach all of your hair and use a silver toner to adjust the color. Apply bleach to get rid of all pigment—you want your hair to be almost white for this. Then, wash your hair with a silver toning shampoo to introduce gorgeous light grey or silver pigments. Use the shampoo every 2-3 weeks to maintain your new color!
How Often Should I Use Purple Shampoo? Keep in mind that purple shampoo does not replace your regular shampoo and should only be used once or twice a week. Doss warns that there is such a thing as too much purple.
If you have brassy orange or even red tones, blue shampoo is your best bet. However, blue pigment won't help with yellow undertones. The reverse is true for yellow undertones. Purple shampoo is great for removing yellowness, but not effective for orange or red tones.
DOES PURPLE SHAMPOO DAMAGE HAIR? The cool violet pigment in purple shampoo won't damage hair, but if you leave it on strands too long, those purple pigments will take their job a little too far and could turn tresses a purple-violet colour.
If your hair is blond, grey, or white, use an apple cider vinegar rinse or a baking soda-hydrogen peroxide paste. Once you get the yellow out, you can prevent it from returning with a few changes to your personal care routine.
We recommend one tablespoon in a liter of water as a periodic rinse. Another option is to mix a bit of apple cider vinegar into a dollop of shampoo. This clears build up from environmental toxins and hair products. It also seals the hair cuticle, making your grays silky, shiny and frizz-free.
In younger people, an enzyme called catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. But lower levels of this enzyme, combined with lower levels of enzymes called MSR A and B that repair hydrogen peroxide damage, cause hair to turn gray as we age.
As for how often to use it? Sorry to say, there's no specific schedule to follow. Everyone's hair is different, but we recommend using it once every week or two, then building it up from there until you find your own cadence.
We all ask ourselves the same question a day or two after our color appointment: “How long do I have to wait before washing my hair?” Celebrity colorist Aura Friedman makes it simple: “Wait at least three days before shampooing your hair after color,” she says.
This Roux fancy-full temporary hair color rinse number 42 silver lining tones and brightens bleached or gray hair. It is an instant formula that rinses in and shampoos out. It keeps color looking its best between color treatments, evening tones, and removing brassiness. It blends away gray.
To cover gray hair naturally, apply a paste of cassia powder with water or citrus juice to your hair for a blonde shade. Alternatively, for a red, brown, or black color, try henna powder mixed with amla powder, coffee powder, and curd or plain yogurt.
Henna. One of the most popular and gentle ways to treat gray hair is using henna powder. Henna is a powdered form of leaves which essentially helps to treat the gray hair when used every month. Henna comes with natural color pigmentation, thus, covering the gray roots easily.