What does toner do to grey hair?

Author: Mr. Tomas Kassulke  |  Last update: Thursday, December 25, 2025

Silver hair toner is a popular option when it comes to showcasing your grey. Instead, a blue pigment is used to neutralise yellow undertones. Gradually, your hair stylist can reduce the colour pigment at each application, smoothly easing you into an all-grey look thanks to a silver toner for hair.

Should you use toner on gray hair?

Yes, you can use a toner instead of a dye, especially if you have white or gray roots. Toners are typically used to adjust the tone of blonde or highlighted hair, neutralizing unwanted brassiness or yellow tones. However, they do not provide significant color change like permanent or semi-permanent dyes.

How can I make my grey hair more silver?

To get silver, you need to decolorize your ends with bleach. You want to get your hair to a pale yellow/white color. If the hair is orangey or too dark yellow, the silver color will not take. Take care not to let the bleach sit for too long. You don't want your hair to resemble wet cotton.

How long does toner last on grey hair?

Depending on you hair type and hair condition, toner can last between 2-to-6 weeks.

What is the best toner for greying hair?

Best Toner For Grey Hair
  • PureologyPureology Color Fanatic Top Coat and Tone - Purple 200ml. ...
  • PureologyPureology Color Fanatic Top Coat and Tone - Blue 200ml. ...
  • IGKIGK Mixed Feelings Leave-In Toning Drops Brunette 30ml. ...
  • KeracolorKeracolor Toning Drops Gold 60ml. ...
  • KeracolorKeracolor Toning Drops Violet 60ml.

Silver / Gray / Grey Hair Products That I Use

Is purple shampoo a toner for grey hair?

Yellow is the opposite of purple on the color wheel. So when your gray or lightened hair has unwanted yellow tones, purple shampoo acts as a toner and can cancel out brassy hues.

Does toner wash out of your hair?

Unlike permanent hair colour, toners gradually wash away much quicker due to having less staying power. It's like a 'top coat' for your hair because it does not penetrate as deeply into the hair strand.

What happens if you leave hair toner on too long?

Overlapping the toner application or leaving it on for too long can lead to overprocessing, which may result in dryness, breakage, or a change in texture. To avoid overprocessing, it's crucial to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and monitor the toner's development time.

Is toner damaging to hair?

The main difference between toner and hair color is that the former simply deposits pigments on the surface of the hair, while the latter—at least in the case of permanent hair color—introduces color deep into the hair cuticle. And because they only act on the surface, toners won't damage your hair.

What toners do hairdressers use?

Professional Hair Toner & Colour Correctors
  • Clearance. ...
  • Matrix SOCOLOR Cult Color Eraser 22g. ...
  • Matrix Total Results Brass Off Blonde Threesome Smoothing Cream 150ml. ...
  • Crazy Color High Speed Rapid Toner 100ml. ...
  • Pulp Riot Blank Canvas Colour Remover 1.5oz Discontinued. ...
  • Schwarzkopf Blond Me Creative Pastel Toner 60ml.

What does baking soda do to gray hair?

Regarding using baking soda for gray hair, experts endorse its potential benefits such as controlling pigmentation loss, lightening the strands, and providing texture. It can be used on coarse grey locks to make them smoother too by eliminating product buildup from oils or soaps.

What is grey blending?

Gray blending is a hair coloring technique that involves blending gray hairs with your base color to help soften the contrast between shades. Typically, the process involves either highlighting your hair or adding lowlights.

What is the best serum for gray hair?

Our Top Picks
  • Best Gray Hair Treatment Overall: Arey To The Root Serum, $55.
  • Best for Slowing Grays: Vegamour Gro-Ageless Hair Serum, $78.
  • Best for Thinning Hair: Living Proof Scalp Care Density Serum, $64.
  • Best Naturally-Derived Formula: Leonor Greyl Paris Serum Energisant, $120 $90.

Can you tone grey hair to look like highlights?

Balayage for grey hair works in a similar way to blend greys, by accentuating the natural greys you already have. As balayage uses a freehand technique that creates natural looking highlights, it's a simple way to side-step root touch-ups and creates a chic, low-maintenance look.

How to choose the correct hair toner?

Here's how to find the perfect toner shade:
  1. Determine your current hair colour, including highlights, lowlights, and undertones. ...
  2. Determine the underlying tones of your hair. ...
  3. Determine what you want to achieve with the toner. ...
  4. Choose a toner shade that is appropriate for your hair colour and desired outcome.

How to make grey hair shiny silver?

How to make gray hair soft, shiny, and silver
  1. Use a hydrating shampoo regularly. ...
  2. Swap in a clarifying shampoo. ...
  3. Use a purple shampoo and conditioner. ...
  4. Use a serum for shine. ...
  5. Use hairspray the right way. ...
  6. See a hair stylist for a keratin treatment. ...
  7. Do weekly deep conditioning masks. ...
  8. Get a gloss treatment.

Can toner cover grey hair?

Tresch also suggests using a gloss or toner like John Frieda Colour Refreshing Gloss or dpHUE Color Boosting GLOSS+ Deep Conditioning Treatment to easily camouflage sparse gray hairs.

Is purple shampoo a toner?

Is purple shampoo a toner? Any product that dispenses pigment to adjust hair tone can be considered a toner, and that includes purple shampoo. Its pigments work to neutralize brass.

Is toner worse than hair dye?

Yes, as studies show, toner is significantly safer for your hair than permanent dye.

Do you apply toner to wet or dry hair?

You want the hair cuticle to be open for toning. Towel-dry hair to about 65 - 75% dry then start toning. Usually color & bleach is on dry hair, even toners and colors that do not require developer; however toner that uses developer is recommended on towel dried hair.

How to get rid of over toned grey hair?

Clarifying Shampoo

Most toners are not permanent, therefore eventually, after several washes, the 'cool' tones will fade. If you want that toner gone quicker, 2-3 washes with a clarifying shampoo will start to remove the blue, grey or purple stains.

Do I shampoo after toner?

You should wait to shampoo your hair again after applying toner for about 24 hours. This will allow the toner to set and not wash out of your hair.

Will my hair get lighter after toner?

Although it might seem like it can lighten, toner has no lifting ability. Toner simply cancels out unwanted tones.

Do you put toner on clean or dirty hair?

One of the main reasons why it's important to wash your hair before getting a toning treatment is because your stylist needs to be able to see your natural hair color. This is especially important if you're looking to achieve a specific tone or shade.

How many hair washes until toner fades?

If you wash your hair every day, expect your toner to fade out FAST. If you wash it once a week, you will generally get a month of nicely toned hair. If you feel like the toner just DOESNT last in your hair, the are a number of factors why this can happen.

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