How to Make Hair Look Longer With Photoshop

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Get longer hair with a couple of clicks in Photoshop.

Your hair grows about half an inch per month, according to the Long Locks website. If that's not fast enough to fill a ponytail or give you the flowing style you crave, you can speed up the process virtually using a graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop. Give your hair an electronic makeover using Photoshop's tools, which will increase the length of your hair far faster than any growth-inspiring shampoo or follicle-stimulation program. Try on a new look in minutes, not months, with Photoshop.

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Step 1

Open Photoshop, click the "File" menu and click "Open." Browse to a photo with the hair you want to extend and double-click the file name. The picture opens in the Photoshop workspace.

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Step 2

Click the "Magnify" tool, which looks like a magnifying glass and is located at the bottom of the "Tools" palette. Zoom in on a section of hair to extend, such as a lock of hair falling right below your ear.

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Step 3

Click the "Lasso" tool on the "Tools" palette and draw an outline around the hair, capturing as little of the background, your face or clothes as possible. When you see the blinking dotted lines, right-click inside them and select "Layer via Copy."

Step 4

Pull down the "Window" menu and click "Layers" to open the "Layers" palette on the right side of the screen. Notice two layers: a "Background" layer, with your full picture, and a "Layer 1," with a small section of hair. The Layer 1 is highlighted in blue.

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Step 5

Click the "Move" tool, which looks like a black arrowhead and cross, at the top of the "Tools" palette and drag your cursor. The copied area of hair moves; position it at the bottom of the existing hair, matching your strands, waves, highlights or color as well as possible.

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Step 6

Right-click the Layer 1 line in the "Layers" palette. Select "Duplicate Layer" and click "OK." A Layer 1 copy appears in the palette list. Click the "Move" tool and drag the new section of hair into place. Continue duplicating the layer until that section of your hair is as long as desired.

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Step 7

Click the Background layer, which takes you back to the original picture. Repeat the "Lasso" and "Layer via Copy" process on the other side of your hair. Duplicate and move layers as desired to extend the length of your hair.

Step 8

Click the small lines icon at the top right of the "Layers" palette and select "Flatten Image." The layers collapse into the single Background layer. Click the "File" menu, click "Save As" and rename the photo, then save it to your computer.

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