Grey hair, don't care!
Posted by Cool Blades | 5th May 2026
It used to be the case that at the first sign of a grey hair, people would flock to the salon to cover them up and forever more would have to endure their coarse, wiry existence. Nowadays we’re encouraged to accept the natural aging process (when it comes to hair at least) and allow our silver threads to stay put.
The trouble with grey hairs, however, is that they tend to stick out like a sore thumb against our natural colour. It can be difficult to know which route to take when colouring our hair from this point. Should we give them free reign and remain untouched? Or should we give them a smooth transition into our natural colour by blending them in?
Bleach or high-lift highlights are a great option when blending in grey hairs. It brings a scattering of hairs to a similar lightness level which camouflages those pesky pigment-lacking strands. This can make them appear less obvious and over time could serve as a stop gap until your ‘natural highlights’ grow long enough to blend in on their own.
However, not everyone wants to go that light. Even though accepting your greys will inevitably mean your hair will appear lighter over time, adding more blonde into the mix will dramatically change the colour of your hair which may not always complement skin tone or the overall integrity of your hair. So where do we go from here?
Demi and semi-permanent colours are a great way to get the best of both worlds as they require a low volume developer which tends not to lift the level of the hair. These types of colours merely coat the hair and don’t penetrate the cuticle, so the hair stays smooth and glossy with added tone.
Instead of covering the greys completely, they soften them down to a tone similar to your natural hair colour, making them less obvious in that stark bathroom light. This can avoid the solid line that appears with permanent hair colours and can be a lot less maintenance. Semi and demi colours are also a gentler option for the scalp, as the chemicals are less harsh on the hair cuticle and are the perfect option for sensitive heads.
At Cool Blades we stock several options for those clients who would prefer this gentle transition.
Available in 16 shades, this semi-permanent hair colour provides 30% grey coverage which takes the cool edge off grey hairs, blending them into natural colour. Wella Colour Fresh can last up to 10 washes and can be used on clients without greys who just want a rich, glossy tone without completely changing the colour of their hair.
This zero-lift demi-permanent colour by Osmo Ikon is extremely popular in salons at the moment. Available in 26 colours, Glossy Gloss can be used on any hair type and has ultra nourishing ingredients to lock in moisture and give a mirror-like shine.
It can be mixed with a lower developer to act as a toner or with a slightly higher percentage developer for grey blending, which makes it a great all-rounder to have stocked in the salon.
Shinefinity is available in 40 shades and is a product which provides a more long-lasting colour which is perfect for those clients who want a low-maintenance colour and fewer visits to the salon. Shinefinity is a zero-lift product which means zero damage to the hair, giving a more natural healthy appearance to the hair.
Not only is this demi-permanent colour ideal for grey-blending, but it can also be used to perfect the tone of blonde hair, from Vanilla Glaze, Platinum Opal and many more.
Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vibrance
This demi-permanent colour provides 70% grey coverage and can be used on those clients who want to see their greys a little less for a little longer. Igora Vibrance can last up to 25 washes and comes in over 50 shades: perfect for precision toning and natural colour matching.
This colour range also has the benefit of having rapid development time at a maximum of 20 minutes for those clients who are always on the go, which frees up more time for you in the salon whilst maintaining a premium service.
Whatever your client requires, Cool Blades offers a range of potential options for colouring for all hair types – whether it’s blending bold greys or colouring virgin hair. Need to stock up on colouring utensils? Cool Blades own brand ranges, Kobe and Kumi have everything from tint bowls and brushes, foil, gloves and hairdressing gowns, so whatever you need we’ve got you covered.