How do you care for dyed red hair?

Forgo shampoo and conditioner for two days after your dye session and be gentle with you hair. Try using cold water when you do wash your hair (heat will open the hair shaft and could cause you to lose some dye in the shower).

What color cancels out red hair dye?

Green is opposite red on the color wheel, and serves as a way to neutralize red tones in the hair. The blue-green shade in ash toning shampoos will work to tone down red that's just a little too rich.

What color eyebrows go best with red hair?

A lot of those on our list above match their brows to their hair, but a contrast is fun, too. Look at Lily Collins, who rocks her signature jet black brows with a red head, or try using a pencil to tone darker brows a more chocolate hue.

29 Stunning Dark Red Hair Colors We're Tempted to Try

red — @micaelaverrelien | Design by Zackary Angeline.

Red hair seems like it's so tough to pull off, but the truth is, it's totally attainable. While most of us might think of bright, fire-engine hues, red can run the gamut from having dark brown undertones to auburn highlights. In other words, there's a range.

This is fortunate for us, because not only do we love dark red hair colors, but the sheer variety of shades means there's something for every skin tone. This shade is super complementary and usually comes down to personal preference.

Meet the Expert

Chelsey Pickthorn is a stylist and colorist with offices in New York and California.
Angelica Triana is a hairstylist who specializes in natural color, vivid colors, color corrections, and creative cuts.

We rounded up a handful of our favorite shades, in case you're thinking about a deep yet subtle hair change. Keep scrolling for all the dark red hair inspiration, including maintenance tips from the pro.

Dark Red Hair

Choosing a Shade: The shade should be tailored to you and is not usually recommended for people with naturally light hair. Dark reds or burgundy are more of a free for all, Triana says, but talk to your stylist about creating a color that's complementary to your specific tones.

Maintenance Level: Depending on what the natural base is, this can be a high-maintenance color. Six to 10 weeks between touch-ups is usually recommended.

Similar Shades: Copper, pumpkin spice, red ombré

Price: Usually, $200 is the base point, though it can vary depending on where you're starting from as well as the result you're going for. Work with your stylist to figure out what plan makes sense for your budget and ideal look.

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Rich Chesnut Red

Sophie Turner with long red-brown hair — @sophiet / Instagram

We love Sophie Turner's take on red, which veers darker. "Dark red hair is different from copper and other red tones as it is on the deeper side of the spectrum," stylist Chelsey Pickthorn says, "Depending on what your natural color is, generally deeper reds show more in the light and have a reflection that reads red. Many times the undertones are red-orange or red-violet."

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Reddish-Brown Ends

Halle Bailey's deep red hue is concentrated on the ends of her hair, for a dip-dyed effect. Before you schedule an appointment, know that as with any red color, deep red is, "the hardest to keep up and the hardest to get rid of," Pickthorn says. This is due to the amount of pigment, and the special mixing that goes into creating 'your perfect red' Pickthron says.

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Gradient Red Stripes

FKA Twigs with gradient red hair — @fkatwigs / Instagram

FKA Twigs takes red in an avant-garde direction, with gradient red stripes paired with darker, almost jet-black hair. Colorist Angelica Triana notes that every hair type needs different amounts of saturation, so make sure to discuss the finer details with your chosen stylist before committing to a look like this one.

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Allover Red

Isla Fisher with muted red hair — Desiree Navarro/Contributor/Getty

We love Isla Fisher's all-over reddish-brown shade, which has just a touch of highlights framing her face. Keep in mind that, while celebrities are good starting points when it comes to inspiration, Pickthorn says it's important to go with what works for you, and tailors her work based on each individual's unique qualities, taking hair texture, base color, and natural undertones into consideration.

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Classic Scarlet

Emma Roberts with red hair — Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Emma Roberts' hue straddles the line between blonde-red and brown-red, but the pop of bright red lip really picks up the shade.

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Rich Red Curls

Dark Red Hair Colors Rihanna — Getty Images

We're forever living for Rihanna's hair transformations. These auburn ringlets she wore at the 2010 American Music Awards looked absolutely stunning with her matching gown.

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Deep Red Braids

Dark Red Hair Colors Braids Keke Palmer — @keke / Instagram

Braids are always a good idea—but Keke Palmer proved that burgundy braids are even better. Feed-in braids pulled back into a high ponytail make such an effortlessly gorgeous, protective style.

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Reddish-Brown Long Waves

woman with long, merlot-colored dark brown red hair — @kristin_ess / Instagram

A hair master herself, Kristin Ess is known for her work on major celebs, but her own hair is our source of inspiration when it comes to getting a deep red hue.

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Deep Hue

Dark Red Hair Colors Auburn Lana Del Rey — Getty Images

We loved Lana Del Rey's brunette 'do with hints of auburn, which she wore at the 2012 Met Gala. We don't know what's better: her romantic curls or her sultry berry-stained lips. Good thing we don't have to choose.

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Wine-Toned Curls

These ruby-red curls are on another level. Dark red hair totally suits these springy ringlets. Plus, a touch of warmth will go a long way.

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Vibrant Red-Brown Color

Dark Red Hair Colors Ali Larter — Getty Images

The cool red tone of Ali Larter's locks is so eye-catching. With a color that pops as much as this, a simple middle part is a perfect choice.

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Red Velvet Hair

Dark Red Hair Colors — @overtonecolor / Instagram

Hairstylist Frances Brittnie Garcia, who goes by both Frances and Brittnie, used Overtone and Pravana for this incredible red velvet melt.

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Red Undertones

Dark Red Hair Colors Drew Barrymore — Getty Images

Drew Barrymore always has luscious hair, and these face-framing, dark feathered curls are a favorite moment of ours.

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Reddish Spiral Curls

Dark Red Hair Colors Tyra Banks — Getty Images

Tyra Banks has served lots of iconic hair moments over the years, but there's something about this color and those spiral curls that makes a perfect match.

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Fire-Red With Black Undertones

Dark Red Hair Colors Bob Lily Collins — Getty Images

Is it just me, or is the contrast between Lily Collins's fiery bob and her dark brows everything? The soft bend in her waves adds texture to this cool style.

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Classic Reddish Brown

Dark Red Hair Color Zoey Deutch — Getty Images

Deutch's sleek bob—by hairstylist Tracey Cunningham—emulates old-Hollywood glamour, but we can't take our eyes off her eye-popping deep auburn hue.

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Going Red on Brunette

Dark Red Hair Colors Brunette — @overtonecolor / Instagram

Looking for something not as permanent as a full dye? Overtone makes a great Red For Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner for a low-commitment look that lasts for a few washes. While this particular set is often on backorder, the Red for Brown Hair Daily Conditioner ($18) is also available to help maintain any existing color.

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Red Velvet Bob

Dark Red Hair Colors Kehlani — Getty Images

Kehlani found the perfect shade of red velvet. Plus, her tousled bob is another win in our book.

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Toned Down Red

Dark Red Hair Colors Julianne Moore — Getty Images

Julianne Moore stunned on the 2013 SAG Awards red carpet in this sleek, side-swept look. Known for creating iconic hair colors, stylist Serge Normant works on the likes of Moore and Julia Roberts. Moore regularly rocks a toned-down dark red color we'll be emulating ASAP.

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Deep Red Curls

woman with curly red hair — @marcelcurlsyouon / Instagram

I mean, these curls are almost impossibly beautiful, plus the dark red color has us even more in love. To keep hair moisturized, apply an at-home treatment mask once a week.

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Merlot Waves

Defined waves on a bright lob? We're so in. Stylist Jessica Celona used a blend of Arctic Fox Hair Color dyes to get this vibrant balayage look.

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Velvety Waves

Dark Red Hair Colors Madeline Brewer — Getty Images

The Handmaid's Tale actress Madeline Brewer has rocked some seriously covetable velvety red hair. For a darker red like this, Pickthorn notes, "As long as the color is custom mixed for you personally, most people can pull off a deeper red."

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Light Reddish Brown

Dark Red Hair Color Emma Stone — Getty Images

Besides the fact that this tousled bob done by celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak is one of our all-time favorite cuts on Emma Stone, this hair color she donned at the 72nd annual Golden Globes is picture-perfect. Pickthorn recommends non-natural redheads such as Stone use a custom mixed color conditioner once a week to help keep vibrancy and rich color around for longer.

Byrdie Tip

Reds do fade quickly, so using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner is extremely important. Pickthorn has been on an Iles Formula kick for the past year, noting, "It keeps the integrity of the hair intact, so in turn, your color holds up and looks fresh with every wash."

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Deep Auburn

Dark Red Hair Colors Auburn Brittany Snow — @brittanysnow / Instagram

Brittany Snow is not a natural redhead, though a quick scroll through her Instagram might convince you otherwise. Though she now rocks a more copper-toned look, this deep auburn shade is so amazing and really brings out her eyes.

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Reddish-Brown Waves

Dark Red Hair Color Ayesha Curry — @ayeshacurry / Instagram

Ayesha Curry has been known to rock many cool styles and shades, but this toned-down take on dark red may be our favorite.

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Sleek and Straight Red-Brown

Dark Red Hair Colors Kaitlyn Dever — Getty Images

Like with Booksmart actress Kaitlyn Dever, Pickthorn likes to encourage people to enhance what they are given, noting, if they want red and are on the lighter side, she would lead them to color that would not scream artificial hair color. Though the actress borders on brunette at first glance, her hair actually features some incredible red undertones.

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Half Berry, Half Wine

Dark Red Hair Colors Half and Half — @arcticfoxhaircolor / Instagram

Talk about going for it all—this split dye style incorporates the deep berry we love as well as a great fiery red.

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Wine with Sparkle

Dark Red Hair Colors Accessorized — @overtonecolor / Instagram

Go all in with accessories if you want to. Nicole Romero at One to One Salon in Orange County added some sparkly gems to this mulled wine-inspired hue.

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Toned Down Red

Dark Red Hair Colors Toned Down Zendaya — Getty Images

The best thing about this shade is it doesn't have to stick to one particular color. Zendaya has tried a toned-down, but equally stunning take on the dark red hair trend, proving it can work for everyone as it's tailored specifically to you.

FAQ

How do you care for dyed red hair?

Forgo shampoo and conditioner for two days after your dye session and be gentle with you hair. Try using cold water when you do wash your hair (heat will open the hair shaft and could cause you to lose some dye in the shower).
What color cancels out red hair dye?

Green is opposite red on the color wheel, and serves as a way to neutralize red tones in the hair. The blue-green shade in ash toning shampoos will work to tone down red that's just a little too rich.
What color eyebrows go best with red hair?

A lot of those on our list above match their brows to their hair, but a contrast is fun, too. Look at Lily Collins, who rocks her signature jet black brows with a red head, or try using a pencil to tone darker brows a more chocolate hue.

36 Ways To Wear Red Hair Color

29 Stunning Dark Red Hair Colors We're Tempted to Try

Rich Chesnut Red

Reddish-Brown Ends

Gradient Red Stripes

Allover Red

Classic Scarlet

Rich Red Curls

Deep Red Braids

Reddish-Brown Long Waves

Deep Hue

Wine-Toned Curls

Vibrant Red-Brown Color

Red Velvet Hair

Red Undertones

Reddish Spiral Curls

Fire-Red With Black Undertones

Classic Reddish Brown

Going Red on Brunette

Red Velvet Bob

Toned Down Red

Deep Red Curls

Merlot Waves

Velvety Waves

Light Reddish Brown

Deep Auburn

Reddish-Brown Waves

Sleek and Straight Red-Brown

Half Berry, Half Wine

Wine with Sparkle

Toned Down Red

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