How to change hair colour in a photo and keep it looking real
Published
Open Change hair colourOpen Change hair colour in a photo, choose a portrait and tap a colour. The hair is found on your device, and the new colour keeps the shine and shadow of the hair you already have. Set Strength, then download.
Steps
- Open Change hair colour in a photo and choose a portrait. In the Photo editor, the same tool is Hair colour in the tool list.
- Wait a moment while Finding the hair, on this device shows. The first time, a small model downloads once.
- Tap a shade under Colour, or choose the plus swatch for any colour. You can also type a hex code.
- Move Strength. Around 60 to 80 reads as a fresh dye; 100 is the full colour.
- For two colours, choose Ombre and pick a colour under Tips.
- Download. Undo takes back any step, and Remove hair colour takes it all off.
Choosing a colour that suits the photo
The shade you pick is the middle tone of the new hair. Lighter strands come out lighter than it and shadowed ones darker, so a swatch looks deeper on the photo than on its own.
| From | To | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Light or brown | Black, brown, auburn | The most natural change; strength 80 to 100 |
| Brown | Red, copper, blonde | Natural, with highlights turning paler as dyed hair does |
| Very dark | Blonde, platinum, pastel | The hardest change. Dark hair holds little light and shade, so try strength 60 to 80 |
| Any | Pink, blue, purple, green | Reads as dyed fashion colour; an ombre into a lighter tip is a common look |
How the ombre is laid out
Ombre keeps the root colour through the top third of the hair, blends over the middle, and reaches the tip colour near the ends. It follows the height of the hair in the photo, so short and long hair both get the whole blend. Pick a darker root and a lighter tip for the classic look.
When the hair is not found well
The model that finds the hair is made for one person facing the camera with the hair in view. It can miss or mistake:
- Hats, hoods and hands over the hair.
- Very thin braids and loose strands against a busy background.
- Dark clothes the same colour as long dark hair, or a face side in deep shadow.
Lowering Strength makes a small slip much less visible. If the photo has several people, the tool colours whatever hair it finds, so crop to one person first if you want only theirs changed.
Questions
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The hair is found by a small model running in your browser, and the colour is changed on your device.
Does it change my eyebrows too?
Usually not. The model is made for the hair on the head, so eyebrows keep their own colour.
Can I save the photo at full size?
Yes. The download keeps the photo's full size, with the new colour in its pixels.
Can I add a filter after changing the colour?
Yes. Open Filters in the tool list; looks go over the new hair colour.
Change hair colour
Try blonde, red, pink or any colour on your hair, with an ombre and a strength slider.
Open Change hair colourRelated tools
- Add makeup to photo: Lipstick, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, brows and eye colour, each on its own slider.
- Photo filters: Film, old-camera, glitch and dither looks, with a strength slider.