How to Edit Hair in Photoshop

Changing a hairstyle -- even just a little bit off the top -- can be a nerve-wracking undertaking for some and an everyday activity for others. Before committing to a color, clip or trend, try out a virtual hair makeover using Adobe Photoshop. By editing hair in Photoshop, you're able to play around with new colors, styles and looks as well as touch up your appearance by removing grays and flyaways. With Photoshop, you're in and out and back to your old self again -- no salon visits or products required.

Instructions

1. Open Photoshop. Click the "File" menu followed by "Open." Locate the picture with the hair to edit, and then double-click the image name. The picture opens in the Photoshop workspace.

2. Click the "Lasso" tool on the "Tools" pane. Draw an outline around the hair only, trying to get as little of the face and head as possible. Pull down the "Image" menu. Click "Adjustments" followed by "Hue/Saturation." Move the "Hue" slider bar to the left or right to edit the hair color. Note that Photoshop has no concept of natural hair colors, so depending on the way you slide, your color may end up green, pink or purple. Click "OK" when satisfied.

3. Click the "Lasso" tool again. Draw an outline around a lock of hair, such as one falling over the face as bangs. When the blinking dotted lines appear, press the "Ctrl" and "C" keys to copy the section of hair. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys to paste the copy, and then press the right or left arrows to move the new lock of hair into place.

4. Click the "Clone Stamp" tool in the middle of the "Tools" pane. Hover the cursor over an area of space near a section to correct, such as a piece of cheek next to where a strand of hair has blown. Press the "Alt" key and click the mouse. Move the cursor directly over the problem spot and click the mouse again, depositing the copied "good" area over the bad. Repeat to cover up more flyaways or to clone colored hair and deposit it over gray hair.

5. Click the "Lasso" tool and draw an outline of part of the background near the person's shoulders or the lowest part of her hair. Press the "Ctrl" and "C" keys to copy the background.

6. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys to deposit the copied area. Click the "Move" tool to gently guide the copied area up and over the hair, making it look as if the hair is shorter. Click the "Edit" menu followed by "Transform" and "Scale" to resize the background pasted area to fit over the original.

7. Click the "File" menu followed by "Save As." Type a new name for the picture to preserve the original, and then click the "Save" button.

References

• University of Washington: Photoshop Selections