26 Trendy Ways to Pair Red Hair with Highlights (Photos)

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Cindy Marcus
Cindy Marcus Hairstylist, Editor-in-Chief

Red hair with highlights is any color in the spectrum of red paired with light or dark highlights. Many see it as a bold color to wear.

Wearing red hair is the ideal choice if you are aiming for an eye-catching appearance. Now, if you want to spice things a bit more, try accessorizing your red hair with some highlights. They add flattering dimensions to the crispiness of your ruby red hair.

Maintaining your red hair with the added highlights requires a high level of care. Xanthi Diamond, a stylist, and a color specialist from Tennessee says, “I educate them on the effects on the integrity of their hair.”

A hair care product that Diamond recommends is a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo. These shampoos prevent hair color from fading too fast and locks moisture in. Leaving you with not only healthy hair but also a vibrant and glossier one.

For choosing a color combination, Diamond doesn’t recommend deep red hair with light highlights. “I’m not a big fan of the dramatic red and blonde,” she says. Choosing a subtle color for your highlights blends the hues without the contrast.

Before your next hair appointment, check out these trendy photos of red hair with highlights!

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#1: Fire Engine Red Hair with Blonde Highlights

This is the fire engine red hair with blonde highlights that brings out a dimension at its finest! Style your medium-length tresses with waves to boost the blazing effect it gives.

Dark Red Hair with a Bright Orange Money Piece Highlights
Instagram @hairbykysa

#2: Dark Red Hair with a Bright Orange Money Piece

One of my favorite looks is adding a bright orange money piece to a dark red base color. This look is perfect if you want to experiment with color without being too drastic. Have your stylist add subtle highlights that blend naturally into the base color. Dyeing your hair with vibrant colors and red shades do require consistent upkeep. In-between appointments, aim to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. This keeps colored hair looking healthy for longer periods of time.

Ginger Red Hair With Pink Highlights
Instagram @scissor.d

#3: Ginger Red Hair with Pink Highlights

Ginger red hair with pink highlights rocks! The accentuating colors create a chic and sassy outcome that’s truly out of this world. Do it on your mid-length, wavy locks for a striking hair transformation.

#4: Sexy Red Hair with Lowlights and Highlights

Red hair with lowlights and highlights is for women who want dimensional red tones on their tresses. To get this color, ask your colorist for a dimensional balayage with red tones.

#5: Vibrant Red-Blonde Hair with Highlights

Red-blonde hair with highlights is a bold color choice and works best for women who are okay with getting their hair done every 4-5 weeks. Red tones along with blonde highlights both fade very fast. It is extremely important to have the proper products readily available at home. Color-treated hair shampoo and conditioner is an absolute must, as well as a heat protectant as heat also strips the color out of the hair.

Black hair with chunky red highlights
Instagram @studiovforhair

#6: Black Hair with Chunky Red Highlights

Black hair with red highlights is great for women who want to get red but can’t fully commit to a full redhead. To get this color, ask your colorist to give you some chunky red highlights so that you could see more pops of red.

Bold Red hair with red lowlights
Instagram @rae_cutz

#7: Bold Red Hair with Red Lowlights

Consider red hair with red lowlights if you want to spice things up! Dare to be different with this fiery red and copper combination. Your stylist will have fun creating this look on you.

Red and dark brown hair with highlights
Instagram @brysglam

#8: Red and Dark Brown Hair with Highlights

A red and dark brown hair with highlights is always a go-to color if you have warmer skin tones. The stunning red and copper color tones will fit any season. Your hair will look fabulous straight or with curls. You will not be disappointed!

#9: Alluring Bright Red Hair with Purple Highlights

Glam up your hairstyle by pulling off this bright red hair with purple highlights! The vibrant hues will add a sense of finesse to your typical mid-length, straight locks.

Short Striking Red Bob Hair With Caramel Highlights
Instagram @katia_baker

#10: Short Red Bob Hair with Caramel Highlights

What’s not to love in this red bob on short hair with caramel highlights? The balayage highlights finish is straight-up classy, looking smooth on a wavy neck-length cut.

#11: Shoulder-Length Red Auburn Hair with Highlights

If you’re the sweet and brave kind, nothing’s better than this hairstyle for you. Time to revamp your look with this shoulder-length red auburn hair color with highlights. The combination of gradual and different shades and loose waves form a calming aura.

#12: Brownish-Red Curly Hair with Highlights

Imagine having a stunning hairstyle like this one; you’ll always get a vibrant feeling. This brownish-red curly hair with highlights appears so bouncy and youthful, and the movement is thousand times attractive. The bright copper hair streaks really work on dark hair.

#13: Wine-Inspired Pixie with Highlights

A wine-inspired pixie with highlights is a short-length cut with hints of red. It benefits women looking for a big change or a lower-maintenance style. I used Paul Mitchell’s The Color XG 3VR with 20 volume and Brazilian bond builder on the roots. Then, used a 4VR with 30 volume and Brazilian bond builder on the ends. For the chop, I did the scissor-over comb technique, then added graduation.

#14: Trendsetting Blonde with Red Highlights

Blonde with red highlights make a combination of hair color with a unique dimension. This trend is perfect for two kinds of ladies—those who want to try red for the first time and those who have natural red hair but want to go blonde. The technique I used is called the progressive half-head highlights. As for the upkeep, ladies will have to commit to salon appointments every 6-8 weeks.

Layered Copper Red Hair Color With Rose Gold Highlights
Instagram @megan.e.grimm

#15: Layered Copper Red Hair Color with Rose Gold Highlights

Consider a combination of rose gold and ginger hues on a medium-length cut with layers. These layered highlights also encourage the eye to frame the face and draw the eye upward towards the eyes and brows balancing out the shorter length at her front.

Stunning Dark Red Hair with Peekaboo Highlights
Instagram @k_ham_hair

#16: Stunning Dark Red Hair with Peekaboo Highlights

Mid-length dark red hair with peekaboo highlights will grant you effortless elegance. Considering its length, you can do so much with it like a half updo or a sweet and simple wavy look.

#17: Rich Red Hair with Subtle Highlights

Brunette color can certainly uplift some dimension to your shoulder-length bob. Aim for this rich red hair with subtle highlights as you style it with texture and waves. That’s how you outperform other ladies’ hairstyles.

Beautiful Burgundy Red Hair With Blonde Highlights
Instagram @jlucywoods

#18: Beautiful Burgundy Red Hair with Blonde Highlights

Add accentuating colors to your shadow roots to achieve this stylish mid-length hairstyle. A burgundy red hair with blonde highlights like this is a true masterpiece. Packed with depth and dimension, this is the look that you must finish off with waves.

#19: Natural Red Hair with Blonde Highlights and Lowlights

A warm tone of red hair color for your new look! Wear medium-length natural red hair with blonde highlights and lowlights now. You’ll look unbeatable once you pull it off with voluminous curls.

Ombre Style Red Hair With Highlights
Instagram @desiree_styles

#20: Ombre Style Red-Brown Hair with Highlights

A lovely ombre style red-brown hair with highlights like this will state your great sense of fashion. Express how stylish you are with this red ombre that will make your usual wavy and balayage locks stand out.

Long Dark Cherry Red Hair With Black Highlights
Instagram @coresalonnj

#21: Long Dark Cherry Red Hair with Black Lowlights

This hue is dimensional, rich, cherry-cola color. It’s a great way to be a redhead with a little pop without being light and bright. Professional hair care products are a must! A red-pigmented shampoo and conditioner will help to maintain this awesome black cherry-cola color until you’re ready to refresh.

#22: Strawberry Red Hair with Light Blonde Highlights

A dark shadow of colors cascades into the light strawberry blonde, creating a soft dimension. This helps to highlight the A-line angles of the haircut which is similar to the effect of a waterfall.

When considering a short, vibrant haircut and color, it’s best to keep in mind the amount of upkeep and maintenance this type of color will need. Red tones tend to fade out quickly, so it will require touching up a minimum every 6 weeks.

Red Violet Hair With Blonde Highlights
Instagram @colorubold

#23: Red-Violet Hair with Blonde Highlights

Red-violet hair with blonde chunky highlights is a bold choice. I did light blonde pieces and a graduated bob that’s shorter in the back that’s slightly getting longer on the sides. I love to do these tones they really pop with the light platinum blonde pieces! I love that it’s so vibrant and different but normal also – not so out there so she can be able to feel fun without it being too much.

Deep Red Hair With Red Highlights
Instagram @morgan.dziomba

#24: Deep Red Hair with Red Highlights

Pair a shattered bob with deep red highlights for a perfect fall color. If you want to add some waves to the bob, have some kind of texture added to the short red hair to hold the curl. It could be a texture spray (like a sea salt spray) or a light-hold hair spray.

#25: Sexy Light Red Hair with Balayage Highlights

Long hair with a mixture of contrasting colors creates a noticeable dimension. Ask your colorist for a bold high and low mix with blondes and deep red. Then, make sure they add that money piece to your face! If wanting this pretty look, you need to take into consideration the texture, length, and thickness of your hair. It will really look best on someone who has thicker hair, so you can create those bold lines.

Related: Best balayage highlights hair ideas.

Medium Length Orange Red Hair with silver highlights
Instagram @hairbybri907

#26: Medium-Length Orange Red Hair with Silver Highlights

If looking for a hair color that offers a unique dimensional finish, give this a go! Opt for a medium-length orange-red hair with silver highlights and get that sassy vibe. Good news—the chicness it provides will reduce your time and effort when styling.


Posted In: Hair Colors Hair Highlights Red Hair