Blue Hair Color

Manic Panic hair dye is gentle and if you don't bleach first, subtle. It is semi permanent and will not damage your hair. There are many different shades to choose from. You could put some on the grey strands underneath your hair as a test to see how it looks before you do it all over. I also like it because you don't have to mix anything and can reuse it once it has been opened. Just make sure to buy a dye brush and gloves too. I just did my little ones' hair a pink ombre last night with it for summer!

Your question made me think of the blue haired ladies from the south. The older women would use a rinse in their white or greying hair that gave it a blue hue.

I don't know what they used, but it was not like the bright blues you see today.

Have you ever done blue-black before? I ask because my college roommate colored her hair (which was similar to your natural color, minus the gray) to blue black and it looked unnatural with her skin tone. Quite harsh and strange. In itself, it was a pretty color-- deep black that reflected blue in the light.

She used henna and the process was really simple. I'm not certain you can use that color of henna with gray hair, though.

I did automatically think of the "blue haired" ladies. I had blue black hair when I was in high school. Fun stuff, but my very dark hair still looked harsh. You are going to end up with the goth look. Will that work in your subtle office setting?

If the office won't notice the blue tint in your hair, they wont notice the blue lipstick either.

Yes, get this done in the salon and your stylist will know what you are asking for when you say what you said to us. Your stylist will also be able to best answer your sealing questions, although I don't believe that is something that will work. It will not stain your sheets if you do the full process, if you go to Ulta and pick up some do it yourself tint off the shelf, it may end up on your linens, couch, and office chair.

Splat hair color works well and is avaiable at Target, Walgreens, and the like.
For the subtle look you're trying to achieve, bleaching isn't necessary, but there's no guarantee how it will actually look doing blue on top of your natural hair color. I would do a strand test on a chunk of hair from the back and underside of your hair, where it won't be noticeable if it looks terrible. That way you'll know what you're getting into before you do your whole head.

my blonde kids loved manic panic, and dyed their hair all colors of the rainbow. for my older's prom we splurged and had his professionally colored a glorious deep blue. it lasted for a couple of months!
in your case, since it's important to be on the conservative side, i'd definitely consult with a good colorist beforehand. i'm sure it's harder with dark hair.
wish we could share pics here! i'd love to see your finished product!
khairete
S.

Since your hair is dark, you'll need to bleach it first, so it's going to be at least a two step process, more if you want to do a test area (which I recommend!)
Talk to your hair person, so much depends on your color and texture and how well the color adheres.

Your hair sounds lik my shirt color. I've never done blue, but I did do pink and purple. We had to lighten my hair first or the color would fade within a week.

Punky Color Atlantic Blue is what I used.

However, with dark hair, if you want any color to show up well, you must first bleach or lighten it. I used regular hair dye (I was in college) and ended up with blonde at the root and orange at the tips. My hair ultimately turned teal, faded to nearly black. I am not sure how well it will cover gray, but worth a try.

The color is not permanent, and did wash out regularly in the shower. I think it may also have stained towels. If you are worried, I'd go professional.

My daughter and granddaughter have dark hair. My granddaughter's hair sounds like the color of yours. It's nearly black. It only looks somewhat brown in the sun. She colored her hair at a salon twice. The color didn't show up on her dark hair the first time.The next time she went to a different salon. They bleached out parts of her hair first. The bleached out hairs colored fine. The rest was a very faint blue, hardly noticeable. My granddaughter now colors her own. She bleaches a few sections first. The part she doesn't bleach remains her natural color.

My daughter's hair looks dark brown. She colors her hair at a salon. Her hair has a reddish tint. The parts she bleached are more red. All of her hair is a subtle red and is natural looking. Once she tried coloring at home, didn't like the results. She colored her hair with a home product back close to her natural color. She waited until the color was mostly gone to go back to read salon for coloring it red once again.

When my hair had noticeable gray, I had it frosted in a salon. No bleaching. It looked great. In my job hair had to be a natural color. This was acceptable. Eventually, I colored it myself, using an inexpensive frosting kit.

I suggest you go to a beauty supply store such as Sally's and ask for advice. Their clerks are trained beauticians. If your hair has just a few grey hairs the color may not show up. A beautician could look and feel of your hair to tell you.

I think it's best to have coloring done by a professional because I can see how they do it.