This is my gray hair transition journey. You too can learn how to transition from dyed red hair to natural gray with a clear, step-by-step process. Tips for blending, maintenance, and embracing your gray journey.
I took these photos a few days before my fourth appointment.
Forgive the frizz, I hadn’t brushed my hair yet that morning. Anyhoooo I was surprised at how gray my hair looked. This was six months in to my gray transition, and you could clearly see how gray my hair was getting!
Not to jump ahead too much, but this is the grayest it will look for a long while. More to come as to why.
Transitioning Dyed Red Hair to Gray: All My Steps, Part 4
The time in my stylists chair this appointment was (by far) my shortest appointment.
I went into the salon and after a quick chat at the chair was immediately ushered over to the sink. My hair was K18-ed with a spray, then K18-ed with the mask. Then, a platinum toner was applied to my hair. She worked it in well (combed and massaged) and it was bagged while I waited.
After the toner was rinsed out and my hair was washed and conditioned, I headed back to the chair. My stylist wanted to determine if the brassy color was out, if the platinum toner was enough, and then we had a very long talk on what I wanted to see from my hair color going forward.
She was pleased with the gray/silver/white color that was coming out, but displeased with all the dark colors left in the hair. She couldn’t find much red (I was surprised) and after chatting for a while, I let her know I liked the white and I wanted to wait to add more low-lights. I think there is (more than) plenty of brown in my hair to break up the white, and I would like to see how it grows out.
What I found interesting is that she said my hair is growing in predominately white, and that the “salt and pepper” isn’t all dark + light, it is mostly white + gray. THAT I did not expect to hear.
The next appointment (in 4 weeks) the plan has changed a bit. Instead of toner only, it will be a volume 10 bleach on some areas of my hair where she is not happy with the lift and color. Since one of those areas is the front/top of my hair (it is brown/yellow), I understand why she is vexed. There will not be any additional low-lighting at this point as I want to see how it grows out. I also asked for a haircut next time. It is not the length that bothers me, it is the colors – the ends appear a lot darker than the rest of my hair, and since I usually wear a black sweater on top of my shirt it makes my hair appear scraggly (at least to my eyes).
And, as I write that… one of her co-workers was gushing over my hair and said, “It looks like you have extensions.” It does not appear long to me (at all), but it may be that I am used to the length and what it looks like.
While I do not expect a drastic hair change with a cut, I do want to clean up 2-3” in length and hopefully make my hair look fuller. Since we are leaving for a long trip to Spain in two months, the next appointment makes the most sense to get a haircut and get used to the shorter length (there will be an appointment right before we leave).
As far as the color and how gray/silver/white it is… the photos do not do it justice. It is very gray/silver/white with the blonde now, and when pulled back it is more white than blonde. There is some brown and yellow (blondes) when it is down, and those colors are more obvious than gray/silver/white. The red is almost completely gone with just a few spots left. My stylist made the comment that she was pleased as how little was left of the red, and how quickly (to her) it came out.
I have the same orders to take care of my hair this time as the last: K18, purple shampoo, and oil the ends.
My next appointment is in four weeks, and I am curious to see the changes that appointment will bring.
I usually have an update at the halfway point between services, but this month I had a fall and was dealing with issues that are much more serious than going gray. I did K18 mask a few times, but that is all.
Note: This is the fourth in a series of posts about my gray transition journey. I hope you will stay with me for my monthly update on the highs, and lows, of transitioning to grey/silver/white. My multicolored hair journey! You can read my initial post here, and my second post on gray transitioning is here, and last month’s post is here.
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