Life is too short to have boring hair. What better color to bring your hair alive than going silver. Yes, the same gray hair color men and women hide for centuries is now the new hair color trend. From bright platinum streaks and highlights to dramatic smokey grays, a lot has been successful in making this granny hair look sexy, edgy, and surprisingly youthful. If you want to channel your inner silver fox yourself or perhaps just want to low-key camouflage your greys, check out the following best silver hair dye for men and women.
Read also related articles: Best blonde hair dye, best black hair dye, soap cap, and best shampoo for bleached hair.
Post Contents
- 10 Best Silver Hair Dye
- 1. Ion Color Brilliance Brights Semi-Permanent Hair Color Titanium
- 2. Kenra Permanent Color 7SM Medium Blonde-Silver Metallic
- 3. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Absolutes Silverwhite – Silver
- 4. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids (Silver)
- 5. Wella Blonder Permanent Liquid Toner – Pale Silver
- 6. Ion 7SP-HM Silver Pearl Permanent Creme Hair Color
- 7. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Absolutes Silver White, Dove Grey Medium
- 8. Hair Paint Wax A Splash Of Color – Silver
- 9. ADORE Creative Image Shining SEMI-PERMANENT Hair Color (155 Titanium)
- 10. Joico Color Intensity Semi-Permanent Titanium
- How to Perfectly Nail the Silver Hair
- Bleach, bleach and more bleach
- Use a Toner
- The Process
- After-color hair care tips
- The Best Silver Hair Dye goes to…
10 Best Silver Hair Dye
1. Ion Color Brilliance Brights Semi-Permanent Hair Color Titanium
The secret to shiny silver hair
If your game is to flaunt your gray hair like a badge of honor, wear it with a metallic shine. This titanium shade from Ion will help you achieve just that. It is part of the brand’s Color Brilliance hair dye series which is a range of fluorescent shades formulated to give your hair that intense shine that glistens with light. The semi-permanent formula is free of ammonia and peroxide so you can flirt with grey hair, no strings attached.
Pros
- For brilliant gray hair with an added shine
- No peroxide and ammonia
- Ready to use; no developer needed
- Works on pre-lightened, color-treated or virgin hair
- Instant result in less than an hour
Cons
- Fades too quickly with a regular shampoo
- Long and extremely thick hairs will need more than one box for full coverage
2. Kenra Permanent Color 7SM Medium Blonde-Silver Metallic
If you’re torn between going blonde or silver
One popular fresh take on the silver look is the silver-blonde hair, a hybrid color that gives the traditional blonde a silver hue. Kenra has the right blend of glimmering silver tones in darker in a hue like that of brushed stainless steel, complimented with medium-hued blonde tints to help you achieve a silver-blonde with a touch of dimension. Consider this color if you are committed to a new ‘do because it is designed for permanent wear. Nonetheless, this shade is not jarring and is a versatile hair color that looks good to anyone, particularly those that are on the lookout for a modish hairstyle.
Pros
- Silver color with a blonde undertone
- Color stays on hair for quite a while
- Made with conditioning Complex 5
- Offers full gray coverage
- Created by top celebrity colorist Guy Tang
Cons
- Contains a small amount of ammonia
- Color is not permanent enough for some
3. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Absolutes Silverwhite – Silver
Best silver dye to beautify aging strands
This is your chance to embrace your natural greys. Introducing Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Absolutes Silverwhite – Silver, a very special gray pigment developed to give matured white and silver strands their needed luminance. The silver falls on the bright natural transparent hue, teamed up with cool tones to additionally cancel out unwanted and brassy tones. The demi-permanent formula, lasting up to 25 washes, is added with Siliamine and Collagen to ensure hair’s good condition and restore youthfulness in aging hair — all in a low ammonia and pH volume.
Pros
- Refines and embellishes aging silver strands
- Wards off undesirable yellow tinges
- Tones down salt and pepper hair
- Fade-resistant for up to 25 washes
- With hair fortifying Siliamine and collagen
- low-pH volume
Cons
- Not ammonia-free
- Requires a developer
4. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids (Silver)
Lets you play around with colors
Pravana, one of the fastest developing innovative hair color brands presents us with this customizable semi-permanent concentrated silver dye. With pre-lightened hair, it’s easy to achieve a perfect shade of sterling but you can also leave it longer for a full-grey effect. Additionally, you can control the intensity or lightness by diluting it, preferably with a hair conditioner if you are after a metallic finish. On top of that, it can be intermixed with other hues to create interesting shades, another point for versatility!
Pros
- Highly concentrated and long-lasting formula
- Customizable; can be diluted or mixed with other colors
- Recommended for pre-lightened and bleached hair
- Shade level can be controllable by how long you let it on hair
- Gentle on hair; free of paraben and phthalates
Cons
- Won’t work well on a dark base color
- Purple tones can get easily pick up if not mix thoroughly
5. Wella Blonder Permanent Liquid Toner – Pale Silver
Keeps orange and yellow tones under wraps
Anytime you want to ditch your bits of warmth for healthier-looking hair, you can rely on Wella. The brand is known for its brass-kicking formula. Their pale silver toner contains violet additives to neutralize dull-looking warm tones and discoloration. Then it dual function to deposit cool-toned silver pigments, smoothly easing your hair into an all-grey look while simultaneously adding shine.
Pros
- Transitions hair into vibrant grey
- Corrects hair’s brassiness
- Long-lasting and fade-resistant result
- Easy to control the shade level
- Can be blended into other shades
- Infuses hair with a high shine
Cons
- Only works on pre-lightened and bleached hair
- Leaves guesswork; color chart provides only a rough idea on the true silver shad
6. Ion 7SP-HM Silver Pearl Permanent Creme Hair Color
The dye that colors while deeply conditions
Where other hair dyes leave your hair feeling straw, this hair color from Ion is enriched with deep conditioning Argan Oil and Pequil Oil alongside moisturizing hyaluronic acid to meet your hair’s hydration and nourishing needs and counteract possible dryness. It even eschews the use of PPD and only contains a little amount of ammonia so it’s gentler on hair. It takes advantage of the power of ultra-small silver pigments that penetrate into the hair shaft deeper, delivering results gradually so you can stop at the shade that you want.
Pros
- Gets into the hair deeper to bring the best results
- Allows you to choose from light to dark grey
- Choke-full of nourishing botanicals and moisturizing ingredients
- Makes hair shinier and resilient
- Long-lasting color
Cons
- Requires hair lightening
- Not ideal for hard-to-color hair
7. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Absolutes Silver White, Dove Grey Medium
For an instant soft silver sheen
If an intense shade of silver is not your thing, this dye from Schwarzkopf falls on the subtle silver spectrum. It fixes dirty-looking yellow matte on hair and refines the appearance of natural whites with result deliverance in no more than 20 minutes. Just like any other Schwardskopf dyes that come from the at-home line of Igora Royal Absolutes Silver White, the color is infused with Siliamine and collagen for healthier-looking locks shiny locks. The color will last you for up to 25 washes.
Pros
- For a soft subtle silver look
- Corrects the appearance of warmth and dull whites
- With the hair-friendly benefits of Siliamine and collagen
- Leaves hair with a natural healthy glow
- No signs of fading for up to 15 wash
- Instant result in 20 minutes
Cons
- Color is fixed unless mixed with a developer or toner
8. Hair Paint Wax A Splash Of Color – Silver
Let’s say you’re going to a festival or themed party and you decided to be a silver vixen for a night. Hair Paint Wax offers a washable hair coloring solution for those who are only after temporary grey. The water-based wax dye is made with natural ingredients and botanical extracts which makes it a great alternative to regular festival dyes and color hairspray that leaves your hair stiff and dry. If you are feeling extra, you can even mold and showcase gravity-defying styles. It’s a wax dye remember?
Pros
- Silver hair without commitment; washes out with shampoo
- Gentler on hair; Made with natural plant-based ingredients
- Molds and shape hairstyle
- No bleaching needed; Works on dark hair
- Won’t leave hair dry
- Brushable
Cons
- Need to apply as much for all-over color
- No control over the shade of silver
9. ADORE Creative Image Shining SEMI-PERMANENT Hair Color (155 Titanium)
A crossover between purple and medium-toned grey
The shade of 155 Titanium by Adore is a vibrant burst of pale grey with a hint of a lavender undertone for if you want to step your silver look up a notch. It’s quite pigmented and great if you don’t have too many yellow tones to cancel. While it may not be entirely made permanent, all Adore’s line of semi-permanent hair colors is designed to be fade-resistant for at least a month which is more than you can expect in a semi-permanent dye. More to the formula is a proprietary blend of natural ingredients meant to enhance color and shine made without ammonia, alcohol, and peroxide.
Pros
- A luxurious color of cool silver with purple reflective
- Free of peroxide, ammonia, and alcohol
- Long-lasting semi-permanent hair dye
- With shine-enhancing plant concentrates
- Easy to spread
- Mixable with other Adore colors
- With tint brush
- Cost-effective
Cons
- Not the best in concealing brassy tones
10. Joico Color Intensity Semi-Permanent Titanium
A simple straightforward dark titanium to combat brassiness
This titanium dye from Joico is sworn by both blonde and brunette peeps whose concern is their hair’s brassiness. It is in a deep pigment of gray that will surely cancel out the redness, all while showering keratin and luster to hair, thanks to Joico’s Quadramine Complex. The gel-like consistency can be directly applied to hair. There is no need for mixıng and developer and processing only takes 20 minutes. Best for beginners!
Pros
- Has a rich color of dark titanium for a smokey hair look
- A favorite in toning down any shades of brassy tones
- Transform lackluster hair to a shiny finish
- Easy and direct application: No developer required
- Recommended for beginners
- Instant result in 20 minutes
Cons
- Works only on darker bleached hair
How to Perfectly Nail the Silver Hair
Coloring your hair silver might seem as easy as browsing those silver hair images on Pinterest and deciding it’s the look for you. When it comes to the process, however, there is far more catch. There are things you’ll want to take into consideration if you want to achieve the shade of silver you wanted.
Bleach, bleach and more bleach
The fate of perfect silver hair lies in the pre-lightening treatment. The goal is to get your hair to a light base that will accept the silver dye better unless you are starting off with a blonde base (or those that are at least on level 10). The amount of bleach depends on the original color you are going to work with. If your hair runs on the darker side, you will need more bleaching sessions, especially if a pale silver is what you are after.
One thing that you should know about hair bleaching, however, is it parched hair of moisture and in some way compromises hair health. But that’s only if you did not condition your hair beforehand. The following are some ways you can prep up your hair for the process.
- Treat your hair to hot oil 3 days before bleaching. This makes your hair more resilient and minimizes possible hair damage during bleaching.
- Avoid heat-stying on the week prior to the bleaching. Remember, you want a conditioned resilient hair prior to the oxidation. Using hot tools can result to weaken hair that will suffer more from bleaching.
- Do not wash your hair on the very same day of bleaching. You will want to preserve the natural oils for the bleach to distribute more evenly.
- Bleaching damaged hair can further wreak havoc, one of the main causes of bleached-gone-wrong. Wait for it to heal, preferably a month or longer.
Use a Toner
The bleaching process can leave hairstreaks of unwanted warm tones. A toner can help neutralize the brassiness of bleached hair. Your hair dye may come pre-equipped with toning pigments but it’s still a good idea to tone your hair prior to dying it silver for a more even result. Additionally, you can incorporate a toning shampoo in your hair regimen to ward off the redness.
The Process
Depending on the formula (permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent and temporary), the dye can be intermixed with an oxidant cream known as a developer. This hair dye essential activates the color to enable it to penetrate better into the hair. It comes in different concentrations which represent the amount of hydrogen peroxide that it contains. The choice will be relative to the degree of lightening as well as the intensity of silver shade you are after.
Additionally, you may dilute the formula with a conditioner if you want to lessen the intensity of the silver. The ratio depends on your liking. The more conditioner you mix it with the more subtle the color will be. The actual mixed color you see in the bowl is the shade your hair gets dyed.
How light or dark of gray your hair also depends on how long you let the dye sit in your hair. The deposit of color is often a gradual process so you can saturate your hair until you reach the precise silver shade you wanted. Just don’t go overboard and do not let the formula soak on your hair for more than 30 minutes. Otherwise, your hair will be damaged. For best results, always follow the direction on your silver hair dye product. Every brand will be a little different.
After-color hair care tips
Considering all the lengthy process you’ve gone through, you will want to make the most out of your silver. Your grey will look a little off over time if it’s not regularly toned. So make sure to keep in touch with your toner, preferably every 2 to 3 weeks to keep the vibrance of your color.
Apart from frequent salon visits, possibly for trimmings, maintenance may mean an introduction to hair care products that perhaps you’ve never even heard of. A purple shampoo, for instance, is a great weekly shampoo that contains violet micro-pigments that blends away brassiness. If you shampoo your hair daily, with your old shampoo to a sulfate-free or those that are safe to use for color-treated hair to preserve the color of your hair. Always follow it up with a good conditioner.
Finally, since your hair went through bleaching you will need a lot of upkeep to restore your hair’s vitality. Treat your locks to hair masks weekly. Whenever you can, avoid heat styling tools, not until your hair regains its health. But in cases you really need to, do apply a heat protectant. Also, avoid aggressors that can wear out your hair color such as pollutants, hard water, and sun rays. Remember, nothing is worse than pouring a lot of effort to achieve a perfect silver hair and then having it prematurely fade due to not caring for it enough.
The Best Silver Hair Dye goes to…
If you are still torn among the silver hair dye products featured here, start with Ion Color Brilliance Brights Semi-Permanent Hair Color Titanium. To kick it off, Ion is a trustable hair color brand that has gained many cult followings, among bloggers, colorists, and hair color aficionados. So any silver shade you choose in their line will surely deliver the true shade of silver that it is in the label.
The reason we choose this hair dye because of its perfect shade of titanium that is not too jarring and will surely look on anyone, regardless of skin tone. It delivers a great color while simultaneously give hair shine, because of what other best way to wear your silver hair than with glow. We also like that the formula is in semi-permanent for if you are just testing the waters and not sure if you cannot commit to grey, this is the best semi-permanent option you can have.