Can you dye grey hair blonde?

Covering grey hair blonde is completely achievable if you choose the right shade, developer strength, and application method.

Why Going Blonde Works So Well on Grey

Grey and white hairs are naturally light, so they accept blonde pigments very easily. The lighter you go, the easier it is to disguise any remaining grey and create a soft, blended regrowth line instead of a harsh root.

However, you do need to pay attention to the natural level of your hair and choose the right type of blonde hair color.

As well as the right strength of developer.

We'll explain it all in this blog.

Choosing the Right Hair Color Level

Now if your client's hair is 100% grey, and it's 100% grey everywhere, then it doesn't really matter about color.

Your client's hair is essentially white. You can choose your blondest grey coverage color, which is 10N and go ahead and apply.

However, if at the root area and elsewhere there is still some non-white hair, ie your natural original hair color, then you need to look and assess what exactly the hair color level is.

You can aim to go around 1 level higher than your natural color, but not much more.

So for example, if your natural hair is level 8 (light blonde, in other words) it would be better to aim for level 9 rather than level 10.

The Key Products You’ll Need

Color Gel 10N – Extra light natural blonde gel for a maximum blonde result and strong grey coverage on blondes. Use this if your client has a natural base of 9 and higher.

Color Gel 9N – Very light natural blonde gel for a soft, natural blonde with full grey coverage. Use this if your client has a natural base of 8 and higher.

Color Gel 8N - Light Blonde, for a medium blonde coverage. Use it if your client has a natural base 7 and higher.

Color Gel 7N - Deep Blonde, a medium dark blonde coverage. This can be used by someone with a natural base 6

Color Gel 6N - Dark Blonde. This is our darkest blonde color. It will give a rich coverage. It's a good choice if your base is level 5 or higher.

Premium 20 Vol Developer – For gentler lift and excellent coverage on most grey hair.

Premium 30 Vol Developer – For stronger lift when the natural base is darker and you need more lightening.

You can use a shade of Color Gel on its own, or mix them.

For example, 9N and 10N can be mixed together for a customized blonde color on grey hair.

Suggested mix idea:

50% 9N + 50% 10N with the right Premium Developer gives a natural but bright blonde that covers greys and avoids looking too ashy or too dark.

Which Developer Should I use for Coloring Grey Hair Blonde?

Ugly Duckling Premium Developers Contain Bond Protect

Developer choice depends on how dark your starting color is and how much lift (lightening) you need.

Use Premium 20 Vol Developer when:
- Your natural level is already around dark to medium blonde.
- You mainly want to cover grey and freshen existing blonde.
- You want gentle, controlled lightening with extra protection for the hair.

Use Premium 30 Vol Developer when:

- Your natural base is darker (light brown to medium brown) and you want to go properly blonde in one step.
- You are aiming to get a really true level 10 blonde hair and the natural hair level is a little short of that.

Both Premium Developers contain Bond Protect and are designed to protect and condition the hair while lifting, which is especially important on mature or resistant hair.

For best results when going very light blonde, mix your Color Gel with 30 Vol Developer.

Mixing Color Gel with Blondify

Color Gel are liquid colors just like Blondify Toners.

This means that you can also mix Color Gel with Blondify to get a more ashy or a more violet blonde tone, while at the same time getting grey hair coverage.

Many clients do this. For example, you can mix Color Gel 10N and Blondify 010V (Natural Violet Blonde) 50/50 and get a much cooler shade of blonde.

Step-by-Step: How to Cover Grey Hair Blonde

1. Assess your starting point
- Check how dark your natural regrowth is and estimate your grey percentage (for example 30%, 50%, 80% grey).
- Decide how light you want to be: a very light blonde (9N) or an extra light/platinum blonde (10N).

2. Decide your formula

Example formulas:

- For natural soft blonde coverage
- Color: 9N Color Gel
- Developer: 20 Vol Premium Developer
- Mix: 1 part 9N to 1 part 20 Vol (for example 60 ml color + 60 ml developer).

- For brighter, platinum-style blonde with grey coverage
- Color: 10N Color Gel
- Developer: 20 Vol or 30 Vol Premium Developer depending on how much lift you need
- Mix: 1 part 10N to 1 part developer.

- For a balanced blonde on darker bases with a lot of grey
- Color: 9N + 10N in equal parts
- Developer: 20 Vol for lighter bases, 30 Vol for darker bases
- Mix: 1 part total color to 1 part developer (for example 30 ml 9N + 30 ml 10N + 60 ml developer).

3. Mix your color
- Combine Color Gel and Premium Developer in a non-metallic bowl or applicator bottle at a 1:1 mixing ratio.
- Mix thoroughly until the texture is smooth and creamy so it spreads evenly through the hair.

4. Apply carefully to grey roots
- Start in the areas that are most grey or most resistant (usually around the hairline and crown).
- Take small sections so that every grey hair is fully saturated with product.
- Work methodically through the regrowth area, then pull through mids and ends if needed to refresh existing blonde.

5. Processing time
- Leave your Color Gel 9N or 10N with Premium Developer on the hair for around 10 minutes, checking visually as you go.
- For more resistant grey, or when using lower volume for gentle lift, you can extend processing in line with professional timing guidance until the color looks fully developed and even.

6. Rinse, shampoo, and care
- Once you reach your desired blonde level and coverage, rinse with lukewarm water until it runs clear.
- Shampoo and condition with a color-safe or purple range if you want to cool down any residual warmth and maintain a clean blonde tone.

Some examples

1. Mixing 10N and 9N to cover grey

Grey hair - Before

Grey hair - after. We used a mix of 10N and 9N for this model.

2. Mixing 10N and Blondify 10V 

We mixed Color Gel 10N with Blondify 010V

And got a great, natural blonde toning result - with zero grey hairs visible.

3. Using Color Gel 8N to cover medium blonde hair

Before - level 8 hair

After using Color Gel 8N - see the difference.

4. Using Color Gel 6N to cover dark blonde hair

Before 6N

After 6N. Excellent results!