Black hair with red highlights is a dark hair color with shades of red streaks painted on the strands. If you’re one of those gals who’s down to spice up your mane, this fits the bill!
We have a wide range of highlight options that flatter different skin tones and eye colors. A pop of a vibrant hue exists such as rose and bright crimson, plus some deep, warm shades like wine and burgundy.
The tricky part here is deciding how you’ll apply these streaks on your tresses. Would you choose full highlights for extra depth and dimension? Or, would you opt for the partial ones to accentuate and brighten up your facial features?
Oakland-based pro hair colorist Nikki Foster shares her golden rule about this craze. “A balayage technique would be a perfect way to start,” she states. “That way, it creates a soft hairstyle and will help keep the warm tones as an excellent base to add the red to.”
“Refresh the color every four weeks to keep its richness and vibrancy,” says Foster. She also suggests using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner with UV protection. Red pigment quickly fades when exposed to any heat, which is inevitable.
Above all these things, be smart enough to ensure that the integrity of your locks is there. Foster wants you to check whether your hair is strong enough to achieve the look you’re going for.
Before your next hair color appointment, check out these photos of the most popular styles and ideas on how to flaunt black hair with red highlights.
#1: Red Peekaboo Highlights
A red peekaboo adds a bright, edgy, and colorful pop to subtle dark red hair. Vibrant, cherry red tones stand out beautifully against black hair. If a bold underlayer of red isn’t your thing, try adding finely weaved red highlights underneath your hair to shake up your hair color.
#2: Mahogany Red Highlights
Tired of blonde highlights? Try mahogany red highlights! Mahogany is a fabulous color choice for women with an olive complexion, but honestly, it looks great on everybody. Keep those warm tones looking great longer by using a red-colored conditioner like Aveda’s ‘Madder Root’ conditioner.
#3: Maroon Red on Black Hair
Try maroon red on black hair if you want a subtle but beautiful hair transformation. A dark base will blend seamlessly into the maroon red color. Adding warm tones will add dimension and shine to your hair!
#4: Subtle Dark Red Balayage Highlights
Try subtle dark red balayage highlights if you want contrast on your brunette hair. The ribbons of red will add depth and dimension to your locks! Style your hair with waves to show off your new hair hue.
#5: Bright Burgundy Hair Highlights
Consider bright burgundy hair highlights if you want to stand out! Highlights of a rich burgundy will pair perfectly with a deep dark base. If you have a warm skin complexion, this hairstyle is perfect for you.
#6: Deep Red on Black Hair
A deep red on black hair is ideal for women with tan skin tones. A deep red balayage on black hair will instantly give a glowing complexion. Try Alchemy by Davines for copper hair to maintain these rich red tones as a home treatment between salon visits.
#7: Mix of Red and Blue Accents on Medium-Length Mane
If ever your medium-length black locks need vibrancy, a mix of red and blue hues can do magic. Not too bright like blonde hair, but the streaks are sure to add liveliness to your look. Highlighted hair like this appears prettier with added volume, so opt for a layered chop, styled with waves.
#8: Dark Burgundy Highlights
Burgundy highlights look beautiful over dark hair. The combination of burgundy and black hair appears vibrant under the sun and looks more subtle indoors. The red color is known to fade out quickly so make sure to use color-safe, sulfate-free products like Simply Organic’s hair care products.
#9: Wine Red Highlights for a Dark-Haired Girl
Wine red highlights on dark brunette hair are on the cusp of going bold yet still toned down. They work great on skin tones that are both warm and cool. With a naturally dark base, the grow-out will easily be hidden. However, with a lighter base, you will need to do touchups every 6 weeks to keep the red hair color.
#10: Cherry Red Hair Highlights
Cherry red hair highlights can make an ombré pop even more. Ask your stylist to use red all over your hair to create a cherry tint over your dark base. This hair dye idea is a fun color you can keep up at home using oVertone haircare products for your weekly or bi-weekly washes.
#11: Copper Highlights on Black Hair Color
Copper red hair highlights give warm brightness to a dark base and are sure to flatter women with brown eyes. Copper is easily the most low-maintenance color in the family of reds. On dark hair, you can do some easy lights or foliage to diffuse the base color and create a seamless grow-out.
#12: Subtle Red Highlights on Short Black Bob Hairstyle
Black hair with subtle red highlights works beautifully with warmer skin tones. With this type of highlights, you can still maintain professionalism with a hint of fun color. You may still be able to achieve a subtle red with no bleach depending on your natural color level or if your hair has been previously colored or not. And hey, these partial red highlights would look awesome on a short bob cut!
#13: Black Hair with Red Highlights Underneath
Opt for red highlights on black hair because a red tint underneath can have a beautiful effect yet be somewhat subtle. Getting a peekaboo highlight will help you achieve this. It will require some bleach and tone coloring but overall this hue is low-maintenance.
#14: Black and Bright Red Ombre for Long Hair
A black and bright red ombre works great with naturally dark hair. You will more than likely need to bleach out the ends or find a great red high lift meant for dark hair to get those ends bright red. You can use a red-enhancing conditioner or shampoo to keep the vibrancy of the red. If you’re naturally lighter or have grey hair, you will need to do root touch-ups.
#15: Ideal On Jet Black Hair
Ideal on long jet black hair are red highlights that add an easy-maintenance, fun flair to any woman’s look. It’s perfect for a virgin mane as it won’t need to be lifted to a damaging level.
For these highlights, colorist Laura Wojcik of Pennsylvania did a chunky weaved balayage. “I wanted to create a ribbon-like dimension while leaving most of the dark base there. Using a slight tease, the highlights are feathered up to the roots, leaving the blend seamless,” states Wojcik.
#16: Light Red Streaks
Light red streaks on dark tresses create a funky and fresh tone, perfect for fearless ladies. Stylist Samantha Bujarski of Ohio is great at creating hair color ideas such as this one.
She notes, “I did a partial highlight with four hair sections for this color. I also did a root touch-up for maximum coverage and a refresh of the existing color throughout the ends.”
To maintain her bright red, Bujarski used the Pulp Riots Fireball.
#17: Purple and Red Highlights
Purple and red hues are best worn around the face. These colors create a natural blush on the face because they’re both warm colors. This colored hair was created using a color melt technique, according to stylist Boonhan Yap of Malaysia.
He notes, “This color is ideal for ladies who have darker hair, as it doesn’t require extreme pre-lightening.”
Color-care regimens are recommended to boost up the tone’s shine. Yap explains, “So, you might have nice and fresh pink hair at the end of the journey.”
#18: Auburn Strands on Dark Tresses
Auburn strands on dark hair are low-maintenance that allow for a natural grow-out. Stylist Madeline Qi from Oregon created this reddish shade.
She explains, “I used a freehand balayage technique on natural hair where I fully saturated the ends and teased the top area for a seamless blend. I used framar film to keep the hair insulated until I lifted it to a level 8 to achieve this auburn color.”
#19: Red and Blonde on Natural Curls
Red and blonde on curly hair are great for women who want to flirt with a luscious copper shade before making a full-on commitment. Consider strawberry blonde as an in-between tone. This tone will enhance tan and pale complexions. To enhance the hue and manage the curls, use a moisturizing mask such as the Olaplex no. 8 as a weekly at-home treatment.