Copper Hair Color: What to Know Before Trying

Your first question should most definitely be: will I look good with copper hair? The answer, according to Howard, is yes — and it may come down to tweaking the shade to complement your unique eye color and skin-tone combination.

“Due to copper being a warm tone, I believe that pale skin with eyes that aren’t too blue work beautifully for the Titian-strawberry coppers,” he said. “Additionally, I love it on light-skinned Afro-Caribbean women and golden Caucasian skin. In my opinion, deeper coppers suit dark skin tones.” However, Howard said that, really, you can choose any color you like.

How to Get Copper Hair

“If you have virgin hair (natural and uncolored), it’s 100 percent easier to go copper, as the whole process is much simpler as you only need a tint,” Howard says. “If you have colored your hair darker or blonder, it will be a lengthy process and will definitely require a consultation with your colorist. It all depends on how long you want to spend in the salon, as the further away you go from your natural color, the more often you’ll be visiting.”

If you’re nervous about going full copper, you can always dip your toe in the trend with a few strategically placed slivers or an allover glaze. “Copper glazes and copper pieces are great for someone who doesn’t want to go fully copper but may want to experiment to see if it suits them,” says Howard. “Glazes and pieces also mean lower commitment, so they’re suitable for people who may not want to spend a lot of time in the salon.”

Keep reading to see a step-by-step process for dyeing hair copper.