The 13 Best Hair Colors for Black Hair in 2024

The allure of switching your hair color after seeing the same black strands over and over again in the mirror can be practically irresistible. But which color is right for you? Don’t worry — we’ve rounded up the 13 best hair colors for black hair below.

The Best Black Hair Colors

Black hair can be difficult to dye. It’s much easier to have light hair and darken it than to have dark hair and lighten it. If you’re someone with black hair, don’t fret.

These colors are among the best for dark hair:

• Soft Purple 
• Burgundy
• Golden Brown
• Soft Red
• Jet Blue

The 13 Best Hair Colors for Black Hair (in Detail)

Single-tone hair can appear monotonous, especially in an era when people are willing to experiment with coloring their hair. No doubt, black hair is beautiful. However, it might be time to change some things.

The hardest thing for black-haired people is finding a color that blends well with their hair. Whether you want highlights or want to color your entire head of hair, you can’t go wrong with one of the colors below.

1. Dirty Blonde

It’s an edgy, attractive color that’s irresistible to look at, especially when you have curly black hair. This color is excellent for highlights and perfect for different hair textures. A dirty blonde is a unique hair color that brings you a little drama and attracts the right attention.

2. Subtle Brown

It’s a type of brown that resembles chocolate milk. Blend this with your black hair, and you’ll have a magical transformation with a mane that glistens in the sun, enough to turn many heads.

3. Soft Purple

Unlike a bright purple that would require you to bleach your hair, soft purple dyes create a hue in your hair that’s super attractive. This soft purple is perfect for bangs, highlights, or complete hair coloring.

Purple is a color most people associate with class and elegance. It’s sophisticated enough to make you stand out wherever you are among friends or colleagues.

4. Coffee Brown

Dark unique shades like coffee brown seamlessly complement your dark strands for an exquisite appearance. Coffee brown is a shade that will add confidence and transform your look from boring to fascinating. It’s undoubtedly the color you should go for if you’re looking for a change that doesn’t seem too drastic for your hair.

5. Burgundy

It takes a daring, bold personality to pull off burgundy highlights, especially for black-haired people. It’s an intense color that oozes confidence and communicates your straightforwardness to everyone around. This reddish brown shade on black hair creates an ecstatic transformation that no other color can compete with.

6. Chestnut Brown

Finding the right brown for you can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Choose a chestnut brown hair dye if you want to play it safe. This color is not only perfect for highlights for people with black hair, but also helps define your curls for a refined, refreshed appearance.

7. Caramel Brown

This shade of brown doesn’t stray too far away from the chestnut brown listed above but has a niche of its own among brown shades.

For added depth, consider creating an ombre effect with part of your hair dyed caramel, as the rest of your hair remains black as you get closer to the roots or ends. Caramel brown has tints of orange, yellow, and brown that match well with people of different skin tones and ethnicities.

8. Golden Brown

It’s also known as the golden glow. Just what you need when you have a special event or are bored with your usual look and crave something different.

No need to bleach your tresses to get a solid shade of golden brown—there are more than enough no-bleach golden brown hair dyes that will help add dimension to your hair

9. Posh Brunette

Unless you have a good hair stylist, pulling off a deep brunette on black hair can be challenging. brunette isn’t the first color you’d pick as a black-haired person looking to dye their hair.

But, if you want to stray from the standard colors, a deep brunette is the best hair color to make you feel expensive and attractive.

10. Soft Red

The color red gives your hair a soft and shiny effect complementing your gorgeous dark hair with red-colored highlights. A faint red looks terrific on straight black hair and gives you a vigorous shake from your usual appearance.

11. Mahogany

Imagine what mahogany would look like on your hair. It’s a warm yet rich color that would flatter your black hair and go well with any skin color. Consider playing around with mahogany by installing mahogany highlights or roots.

12. Jet Blue

Jet blue is an unusual color that many don’t think about but could turn out amazing on your hair. This dark blue is barely visible in the dark but comes alive in the light.

It’s an excellent choice if you have a laid-back personality and are looking for a slight change that’s neither too dramatic nor won’t attract too much attention.

13. Dark Auburn

At this point, you understand that when you are unsure what color to choose for your hair, stick to the dark tones, and you’ll be safe.

Dark auburn has the deepest shades of red that will look incredible on your dark mane. It gives you a fresh, youthful appearance that makes your hair look smooth, shiny, and healthy.

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• Trendy Blue Black Hair Color Ideas

Safe Alternatives to Hair Dyes

Packaged and branded hair dyes are awash in the market. However, if you value hair health and don’t want to risk damaging your lustrous hair, several hair-friendly alternatives can be used to change the color of your hair. They include:

Coffee

Coffee is the best color for black hair because it tints your hair without straying too far from your natural shade. Soak ground coffee in boiling water for about 30 minutes to make coffee hair dye.

Sieve the water to remove the coffee grounds, and use the coffee-colored water to rinse your hair. Allow it to air dry, and voila!

Henna

The best thing about using henna to color your hair is that it comes in different shades and can be used on dark hair of any texture. You can use henna to add a red, burgundy, or brown tint to black hair.

Henna is perfect for hair because it will alter your hair’s natural shade while simultaneously conditioning and softening it. Henna can tint your hair permanently or semi-permanently.

Black Walnuts

You probably have walnuts in your pantry but dying your hair is not why you bought them in the first place. However, a well-hidden secret for avid hair enthusiasts is that you can use black walnuts to darken your hair, especially when you have plenty of gray hairs.

Peel the husks of black walnuts and boil them in water for about an hour. After that, turn off the heat and let the husks simmer for about twenty minutes. Strain the water, add your favorite essential oil and apply the mixture generously to your hair.

Beet and Carrot Juice

Mix three parts of beet juice with one part of carrot juice to make the perfect natural red hair dye. Pour this mixture on your hair and let it sit for an hour or longer before rinsing it using a mild shampoo.

Types of Hair Dyes

Whether you’re changing your hair dye temporarily or are looking for something more permanent to last for months, there are different types of hair dyes in the market that can offer you the best results. The best types of hair dyes include:

Temporary Hair Dye

Temporary hair dyes look like petroleum jelly and come in different shades. These are the best to use when you don’t want to keep the hair color on your hair for long or want to switch colors daily. Temporary hair colors only stay on the surface of your strands and are easy to wash off.

Permanent Hair Dye

Permanent hair dye has strong chemicals that keep the dye intact despite many washes. Most permanent hair dyes need to combine with peroxide to penetrate the hair shaft to color the hair. They do well on any hair shade and texture and last 8 to 10 weeks.

Semi-permanent Hair Dye

Semi-permanent hair dyes are your safest option when you don’t want to alter your natural hair color but still want to color it topically. This type of dye can last up to six weeks, after which you can re-apply to replenish the shade or keep it for longer.

Ammonia-free Hair Dye

Monoethanolamine is the main base in ammonia-free hair dyes. Ammonia-free hair dyes are effective at coloring your hair and are far less damaging than Permanent hair dyes.

It’s essential to have an experienced hair stylist dye your hair because too much use of ammonia on your hair can cause significant damage to your hair.

Bleaching Dyes

Bleaching black hair requires you to undergo a rigorous process to lighten your hair’s natural shade. Instead of coating your hair strands, bleaching dyes remove your natural hair color through oxidation. The result is a hair color that appears yellow or white, depending on how far you take it.

Things to Consider

Beyond the drastic visual effect, you get after coloring your hair, there are many other benefits you stand to gain. They include:

Your hair will gain volume

If you are on a quest to increase volume, dying your hair is the best way to start building your way up to a bulky healthy mane. Hair dye can plump thinning hair and make it look like you have more hair.  

Dye adds shine and dimension

Colored hair reflects light differently. If you struggle with frizz, coloring and conditioning your hair will add weight and help keep your hair composed and smooth. 

Colored hair can improve confidence

Colored hair makes you appear more intriguing. Many cannot help but stare at your hair; some will even ask questions and complement your look. Coloring your hair improves your self-image, which ultimately boosts your confidence. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the commonly asked questions concerning the best hair color for black hair.

So, What Are the Best Hair Colors for Black Hair?

Are you thinking of dying your hair? Pick one of the 13 best hair colors for black hair and you’ll be golden! The only problem you’ll have is finding the right one for your new look!