African American Hair Color

Woman with a natural African hair color
Photo: G Allen Penton/Shutterstock
Q: I have a question about hair color. I am a dark-skinned African-American. I would like to know the best color for my hair. My natural hair color is jet black. I want something that will stand out but not be overwhelming.
 
A: Not to sound as though I'm not taking you seriously - because I am - the BEST color for your hair is your natural color. Hair color processes can be hard on the hair, especially for African-Americans whose hair is usually coarse and more porous than the hair of other ethnicities. The hazards of serious damage increase if the hair is relaxed frequently and heat processed often.
 
However, it is unrealistic and unfair to expect an entire ethnic group to forgo the variety of options available to other groups. Therefore, I always advise caution and moderation, especially when it comes to hair color.
 
Most African-Americans have the darkest possible shade of hair color naturally, and most hairdressers agree that it is unhealthy to attempt to lighten the hair more than 4 to 5 levels. Fortunately, given the darkness of the natural color, it doesn't take much to create a notable change in color.
 
I would personally recommend that you consider a color that is a few levels lighter than natural, and has a color tone appropriate to your skin color - warmer reds and cinnamon tones for more brown-toned skin, and violet and plum colors for skin that has more indigo tones.
 
Infographic - Recommended color options for African hair
 
The only time I can see attempting super-light hair colors (like blondes), is if you wear your hair very, very short. I have seen very attractive looks achieved for dark-skinned women by lightening the hair to pale blonde shades and using finger-wave styling techniques. The reason this is more acceptable from a healthy hair standpoint is that with such short hair, should the hair become damaged, it can be allowed to grow out and the damage cut away within a matter of months.
 
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See also:
 
Hair colors and our color palette
 
Are there some basic rules about the matching hair color to skin tone?
 
How does bleaching hair work?