What is Gray Hair Blending: Expert Q&A with Karla Osborne

In this comprehensive interview, I had the chance to sit down with London-based gray hair blending specialist Karla Osborne to discuss everything you need to know about transitioning to your natural gray hair through professional blending techniques.

Karla graciously answered all of your questions and mine about a truly beautiful way to embrace your grays. If you are on the fence about becoming silver, maybe you don’t want the harsh demarcation line, you don’t want to bleach your hair to the brink of destruction, or you just can’t stand the idea of chopping off all your hair; this is a post you do not want to skip.

Honestly, if I could have found someone as talented as Karla, this would have been the way I embraced my grays, if you listen to the interview you will find out I did try to do gray blending…but hey, I’m here now and I wouldn’t go back. If you find this is what you want to do, take it to your stylist, if they know about it, great! If they don’t, they can always check out Karla’s amazing content to understand the process.

Let’s dive in:

If you would like to watch the full interview you can see it on YouTube:

What is gray blending exactly?

Gray blending as defined by Karla: is a low-maintenance hair coloring technique that strategically integrates gray hair with highlights and lowlights to create a gradual, natural-looking transition. This customized process softens the contrast between natural gray and artificial color, eliminating harsh regrowth lines and reducing the need for frequent salon visits.

Rather than a quick fix, it’s a multi-phase approach that allows hair to grow out beautifully with minimal upkeep, suitable for all hair colors and textures. It’s designed for those who are tired of the constant cycle of root touch-ups but are ready to slowly embrace their natural gray – offering freedom from frequent salon appointments while maintaining a polished, dimensional look that feels authentically you.

This is a step away from harsh permanent dye, a step into embracing your natural color with a little help until you grow it completely out or you can choose to do this gray blending for a longer period of time until you’re ready to go all gray.

Karla explains in the interview: Gray blending is about moving away from heavy artificial hair color into something more natural, blended, and softer. When your white hair comes through at the root and you’ve been coloring your hair dark, there’s a stark contrast – it’s dark and light coming together.

I want to break that line by mimicking the white hair that’s naturally coming in at the root and placing those strands down into the lengths. You can still have colored, polished-looking hair without going completely gray. It’s about fighting that root problem and line of demarcation so when your white root does come through, it’s already a natural looking blend.

How did you get into gray hair blending?

Karla: Initially it started selfishly – to combat my own white hair! I was working independently, touching up my roots between clients, and I thought, “I don’t want to get stuck like my grandma who’s still box dyeing her hair at 83.” I started experimenting and researching, discovering this whole gray blending world.

Many of my clients were also struggling with white hair becoming a problem for them. It was a conversation I was constantly having, and I knew I didn’t have the capacity to keep doing their roots every 3 weeks. I needed to find ways to help them go longer between appointments while still tending to my other clients.

This was a few years ago and it just started there. That’s how I started exploring demi-permanents, different methods, and techniques to blend in that white hair.

What’s the process – is it highlights, lowlights, or both?

Karla: It’s a combination, and it depends on each person’s white pattern. Most people’s gray comes in differently – some have blocks of white at the hairline but are still very dark underneath.

If someone is under 50% white hair, I’ll do highlights where they have more white, then use a demi-permanent between the highlights to put depth back in. If they’re over 50% white, I’ll do baby lowlights instead – subtle ones that blend with the other colors. You might only do lowlights for a few appointments until more white hair comes through, then we start dropping them out to embrace your natural color.

How long does the gray blending process take?

Karla: I work over a 6-9 month journey. My clients pay one fee for everything – cuts, colors, smoothing blow-dry treatments. Some people need 3 appointments, others might need 10. You’re paying for the result, not per appointment. I’m solving the problem that you have and I’m providing the solution to get you to a gray blend, which means going longer between your appointments.

We work step by step – do a couple of big appointments, see how they grow out and fade. We continue until we reach a stage where we can go 10-12 weeks before needing anything – maybe just a toner or some lowlights.

How is this different from overnight gray transitions?

Karla: Overnight transitions, like the 12-hour appointments some stylists do, use a lot of lightener and are quite aggressive to the hair. If someone has been artificially coloring for 15-20+ years, that’s a huge shock psychologically and physically. Your hair feels different, your scalp is tender, and there’s usually fade afterward. There is also the management of the damaged hair, the toning to keep it from being yellow and so forth.

Joli: If you’re not used to rapid appearance changes, overnight transitions can be psychologically detrimental. You wake up looking completely different, which can put you in shock.

Who is gray blending good for?

Karla: It’s perfect for someone who feels too young to go gray or isn’t ready for it, but equally doesn’t want monthly hair color maintenance. Gray blending is middle ground – a compromise that creates longevity between appointments while helping you become comfortable seeing white hair.

It’s also great for major life changes: having kids and not being able to afford salon visits every 3-4 weeks, going through divorce, retirement, or when you’re forward-planning what you want your future to look like.

Joli: That’s something I wish I could have done because, like I said, I was using permanent box dye and I just got sick of it. It was so flat – no dimension, no depth.

Even though I wasn’t ready to go fully gray, I kept going through this cycle: I’d dye my hair, grow it out a little to see where I was, then go right back to dyeing it. During that indecisive phase, gray blending would have been so much easier. I would have been far less wishy-washy about my hair color and how I was dealing with the whole dyeing process.

Having helped thousands of people transition at this point, I think gray blending is an incredibly smart solution if you’re just not sure but don’t want to keep dyeing your hair constantly. It’s honestly a great option for that in-between stage.

How do you know when you’re ready for gray blending?

Karla: If you’re only enjoying your hair color for 10 days before reaching for root spray or hair makeup to cover regrowth for the next 3 weeks until your appointment – that’s a sign. Or if you won’t go on holiday, to parties, or celebrations unless you’ve had your roots done first. I don’t think we should live life like that.

Joli: Another sign is when your hair becomes dye-resistant. I could see white hair within 3 days of permanent dye because it was resistant. That 10-day satisfaction period gets shorter and shorter.

What if you don’t like the results?

Karla: Put some lipstick on, right? Doesn’t that solve everybody’s problems? 

Worst case scenario, you go back to color. Or you work out your pain points and try to enhance where you’re at. I still avoid permanent hair dye because it puts you back in the cycle, but you can use demi-permanent for soft, sheer, translucent coverage.

There are many low-maintenance methods for adding dimension to already-transitioned gray hair. It’s about product choice and placement – adding depth where hair would naturally be darker, not creating artificial stripes.

Does bleaching help with yellowing gray hair?

Karla: No – it would make your hair feel very dry. Bleach breaks down pigment, but white hair has already lost its pigment. While bleach does have some effect and might tone slightly with toners, you can’t actually lift anything because there’s nothing to lift out. It will look different.

Joli: There’s a trend in the US of bleaching yellowing white hair, but this makes it MORE yellow, not whiter. It’s not clarifying and won’t remove oxidative stress – it actually makes it worse.

Karla: I would use clarifying products instead. Yellowing tends to be on the most fragile ends, and I wouldn’t go in with lightener on compromised hair.

How do toners work on bleached hair during gray blending?

Karla: The generic answer is 20 minutes development time, which gives you about 20 shampoos of longevity. People used to be terrified of toners and would put them on for just 30 seconds, but you actually need to do a full development. When I talk about toners, I’m referring to demi-permanent products.

Toners are used to enhance your hair color. With bleach highlights, you lift the hair, and it always lifts to yellow – everyone’s hair goes through an orange-yellow stage on the lightening curve. Depending on what level of lift you achieve – level 7, 8, or 10 – you then use a toner to enhance, subdue, or neutralize.

When I do gray blending, I analyze their skin color and think, “How are we going to complement this person’s skin with this new hair color?” I don’t want to wash them out. If someone has autumn skin tones and I use a winter-type toner or icy platinum, that won’t sit nicely against their skin. Toners work to our advantage as hairdressers – they sit underneath the cuticle and stain the bleached hair. I even use a demi toner on my own hair.

Can toners be used on naturally gray hair?

Karla: Yes, toners can neutralize yellow on naturally gray hair, but they don’t lift as well as permanent color would. You have different types of toners – alkaline and acidic. An alkaline toner has the ability to shift color, so if the yellowing is from product buildup, it won’t lift that out but might neutralize to clean it up.

For naturally gray hair with yellowing issues, I would be more inclined to use purple masks or toning masks instead of salon toners.

What about purple shampoo?

Karla: I’m not a fan because it’s aggressive. Most people who need purple shampoo have lightened hair that’s already fragile and porous. Purple shampoo is a detergent that makes hair rough and can over-deposit, leaving you with flat, murky-looking hair.

I steer clients toward toning masks instead – silver or purple for white/blonde hair, blue for brunettes struggling with brassy tones.

Joli: We agree on that one. Many purple shampoos are very drying, creating a vicious cycle where you get more yellowing from the product meant to treat yellowing. I often recommend purple conditioner instead – because there is no soap, the toner can sit on hair for 5-10 minutes during your shower. Your results are more even too since it stays on your hair longer than shampoo does.

What toning products do you recommend?

Karla:

• Goldwell Dualsenses Silver 60Sec Treatment Neutralizes unwanted yellow tones on color treated hair. Great for white and blonde hair, silver is gentler than purple
• Matrix Brass Off Ideal for brunettes struggling with orange/brassy tones.
• You don’t always need purple or blue Evo Fabuloso Platinum Blonde – Color Toning Conditioner for color treated hair or EVO Fabuloso Light Beige – Color Boosting Conditioner for color treated hair

Always get professional guidance on which tone to use for your specific situation.

Is gray blending something you can do at home, or do you need a professional?

Karla: It would be beneficial if your hairdresser guides you on which tone to use – professional opinion should definitely guide that decision.

Joli: A professional is your best advocate because a lot of this isn’t something you can do at home on your own, especially when it comes to baby lowlights and baby highlights, the proper sequence of products and toning, and spacing it all out. I would want a salon specialist to do it for me.

Karla: You need someone to hold your hand through the process and answer questions. A lot of my clients have the privilege of having me on WhatsApp – like I’m in their pocket if they have a concern, worry, or are just having a bit of a wobble and feeling anxious. I’m always available to chat with them.

Joli: That’s really special, Karla, because there are a lot of people who wouldn’t make themselves available for that. It takes a really special person to literally hold your hand through the process because it’s tough. This isn’t an easy process – there are social norms you’re going against and cultural aspects depending on where you live, who you live with, your religion, your job, or whatever that can make it extraordinarily difficult. If you feel like you’ve been set adrift by yourself, it makes it even harder. It’s really great that you’re there for them that much.

Can gray blending work as a long-term solution?

Karla: Absolutely – it’s future-proofing, it is what I am doing with my own hair. If you’re struggling with a little white hair now, you know genetically you’ll probably develop more. Even if you don’t have enough white hair for full gray blending yet, you can switch to acidic demi-permanent products that create a fade-out rather than a solid line.

The key is making sure the products being used aren’t setting you up for that permanent color cycle.

Gray Blending Before and After Photos 

What’s your hack for caring for gray/silver/white hair?

Karla: Don’t use water that’s too hot. Hot water swells the cuticle, and anything in your water – metals, minerals from hard water – grabs onto the hair as it trickles through, usually on the ends.

Also, always put a barrier on your hair against UV damage. White hair is more susceptible to UV ray damage. I like leave-in conditioners, or you can mix conditioner and water in a spray bottle.

Joli: Make sure any leave-in you use has UV protection. Anything coating the hair provides some protection, but specific UV-filtering ingredients are best. Don’t wear your hair “raw” – always have some kind of barrier against environmental damage.

I hope you found this post and the interview on The Silver Thread helpful on your journey to silver. A very special thank you to Karla for being willing to share her expertise with us. If I had met her ten years ago my grow out process would have been so much easier.

For more information about gray blending consultations, visit Karla’s Website or find her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok by searching “Karla Osborne Hair.” 

If you want to learn more about the different ways to transition to gray you can head over to How to Transition from Dyed Hair to Natural Gray Hair

If you would like to understand dyes and how they work please head over to What Hair Dyes Do to Gray Hair: The Ultimate Guide!

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I hope you found this post educational and helpful.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share.

As always it is about so much more than the hair.

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