Updated by the AI Hairstyle team
Red Hair Try On
Red is one of the hardest colors to picture on yourself: the same red can look warm and natural on one person and loud on another. Upload a selfie and try 3 red shades on your own photo before you book a colorist. Each generation gives you 2 variations.
Try Red Hair on Your PhotoThe 3 Red Shades You Can Try
Swatches are approximate. The preview shows how each shade reads on your own hair and skin.
What Makes Hair Red?
Natural red hair gets its color from a pigment called pheomelanin. Dyed red works differently: the dye adds red tones to your own color, so the result depends a lot on how light or dark your hair is to begin with.
Deeper reds such as auburn can often be reached on brown hair, while bright, vivid reds usually show best on hair that has been lightened first. That is a good reason to compare a subtle red and a bold one on your own photo before you decide.
Before You Dye
- Your starting point: dark hair may need lightening before a vivid red will show. Ask your colorist what your hair needs for the shade you like.
- Tests: many salons do a strand test to check the shade and a skin test before using some dyes.
- A smaller step: auburn is the gentlest change from brown; copper and bright red are bigger ones.
- Going back: red can be hard to remove completely later, so ask what returning to your natural shade would involve.
Living With Red Hair
- Fading: red tones tend to fade faster than many other shades. A color-safe shampoo, cooler water and washing a little less often can help.
- Refreshing: a gloss or a color-depositing conditioner between appointments helps keep the tone bright.
- Sun and heat: heat protectant and some UV protection help the color last longer.
- Roots: deeper reds usually show regrowth less than bright ones, which affects how often you need a touch-up.
Red Hair Try On FAQs
Which red shades can I preview?
There are 3 red presets: Copper Red, Bright Red, Auburn. Each one can be paired with any hairstyle, and every generation gives you 2 variations.
Which red is the smallest change from brown hair?
Auburn, a deep red-brown, sits closest to brown. Copper and bright red are bigger changes. Preview auburn and copper side by side to see the difference on your face.
Can I try burgundy or a darker cherry red?
They are not presets. The custom color picker gives the AI the nearest of about ten color names, so in-between shades like burgundy may come out as a standard red. Strawberry blonde, a red-tinted blonde, is a preset on the blonde page.
Will the preview match my hair after a red dye?
Only roughly. The real result depends on your starting color, any dye already in your hair and the products your colorist uses. Use the preview to choose a direction, then ask your colorist what it will take.
Sources
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises doing a skin patch test every time before you dye your hair, even with a product you have used before, and following the directions on the package.
- Hair Dyes (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- Tips for healthy hair (American Academy of Dermatology)