Different Shades of Color for Hair

Red hair color shades vary from strawberry blonde to rich dark auburn. Although traditionally, red-haired persons tended to be very fair skinned, today even women of color dye their hair red. In addition to natural hair color or chemical processes, you can consider using henna to dye your hair red. Henna is a long-lasting plant dye that coats the hair shaft for a more gentle color than chemical dyes.

Black hair color is the predominant color for two thirds of the world’s ethnicities. Persons with black hair can be found in Europe, Africa and Asia as well as Native Americans. Jet black hair is often thought of as a sign of exotic beauty. Jet black hair is also favored among punk, gothic and emo subcultures for its startling appearance when paired with streaks of wild color or pale skin.

According to the website Gene Expression, blonde hair is the current male ideal for feminine beauty. This is reflected in the saying ‘blondes have more fun.’ According to the website Female First, blonde women are perceived as being more vivacious, but are also taken less seriously than brunettes, as evidenced by the rise of the ‘dumb blonde’ joke. A popular alternative to dyeing hair completely blonde is to add blonde streaks for an overall lighter, sun-streaked look.

While brown-haired women are most typically called brunettes, the word is also used to describe any hair color that isn’t blonde or red haired. According to Female First, brunettes are often perceived as more sophisticated and exotic in their sex appeal. Yet at the same time, brunettes are also taken more seriously than lighter haired women. For this reason, some blondes dye their hair darker shades to shed the negative stereotype of not being smart.

Although once associated exclusively with punk subculture, today wilder hair colors have become a mainstream look for teens and younger adults. This is partially due to the flexibility provided by clip-in hair extensions. A hair extension in pink, red or purple can be tucked under layers of short hair for a fun and exotic look for a night on the town or a party. Blondes can wear lighter colors streaks, like hot pink, while brunettes and people with jet black hair will need to wear bolder colors that will show up in their darker hair.