If you’ve never considered getting an ash brown hair color, the time has come to try it. While it reads cooler than the browns most women wear, this color is bound to turn some heads your way.
The deep brown hues complement the ashy locks. This shade can easily be called one of the most striking ones available to women today.
Another wonderful advantage of this color is that it feels distinctive. Not every woman is ready to go for it since it may seem slightly grayish.
Women of any age can take advantage of it whenever they feel it’s time for a change.
Ash Brown Hair Colors You Ought To Try
Once you get up from a stylist’s chair, you’ll be swept off your feet by how this shade looks. This color is an all-purpose choice and can suit virtually any skin color, including dark ones. It appears wonderful on long and short hair and can be used as part of an ombre.
We came up with the 15 most popular ash-brown hair color shades for you to browse and enjoy.
1. Sleek Ash-Brown Lob
This soft and natural dark ash brown hair color is perfect for women who want to refresh their mane but don’t feel like going too far away from their natural shade. Taking care of such color is fairly easy as long as you follow the tips.
2. Side-Parted Ash-Brown Hair
If you have fine hair, ash brown is a wonderful choice since it can make your locks look thicker. Consider going more on the ashy side but don’t forget about the brown hues. The ashy and brownish mix can visually add to your hair some volume, even if it’s straight.
3. Smoky Brown Ombre
Using ash brown color for an ombre works best on naturally darker bases, ideally level 6 and below, where it reads most natural; on a lighter starting point the ash can turn muddy rather than dimensional. The dark brown on top and ashy middle coupled with a light bottom can create a truly stunning hairstyle. Get ready to be awed!
4. Dark Ash-Brown Layers
Dark ashy brown is a perfect choice for girls, who don’t feel like showing off too much ash but still need it to make the color soft and sweet. This particular shade is a good option for older women who want to hide their gray hair.
5. Ashy Balayage
This ashy balayage with elements of brown can sweep anyone off his or her feet. The darker hair on top allows you to reduce the touch-ups on your naturally dark hair. The platinum or bleached blond bottom amazingly complements the image.
6. Ash Brown and Blonde
Ash brown hair color is often hard to create if your own hair is dark, and a blonde base brings its own trap: over blonde, ash slides green or gray very easily, so the hair is usually filled with warmth first and then balanced to tone. Consider leaving some blonde strands for a more exquisite appearance.
7. Ash and Golden Brown
Different shades of brown will look amazing if you can mix them together. Ash brown on top and golden brown on the bottom will make a great ombre. The warm and cool mix is amazing.
8. Multi-Tonal Brown Curls
When you are going for highlights, there is no reason to stop at 2 or 3 colors. Choose the shades of brown you love best and mix them any way you like. You will get a unique look you’ll appreciate.
9. Ash brown highlights
Ash brown hair color might look too outrageous for some, while simple highlighting will subtly incorporate this shade to make your mane beautiful and very natural.
10. Center-Parted Bronde Hair
Ash brown hair color stands apart from the usual warm browns. So it reads noticeably cooler than the browns most people wear. Consider leaving a few strands your natural color since a head full of ash brown hair might not be what you need.
11. Light Ash-Brown Layers
Freshen up your image by turning your old blonde locks into beautiful ash-brown tresses. The change is not too harsh, but you will gain an absolutely new style. Ask for a touch of warmth in the formula, though: ash straight over blonde can land flat and hollow, and a little warmth keeps the color alive.
12. Keep them neat
If you are opting for ash brown highlights, you need to keep your straight hair neat in order to be able to tell them apart. If you are mixing blond and ash brown, resist adding extra ash to the mix; with blonde in the picture, too much ash tips the result green or gray.
13. Fine Ash-Blonde Highlights
If you are thinking about which color to dye your long hair and are leaning towards ash brown hair color, think again. Ash brown looks great when thrown into the mix but using it alone might be dull.
14. Ash creativity
You can diversify your brown locks with an ash brown shade. Don’t be afraid to use subtle highlights to give your hair a unique appearance that will keep the heads turning.
15. Ash-Brown Ombre Ponytail
This ash brown ombre is a very bold choice that can completely overhaul your image. So think twice before making this decision.
Wanna learn how to do it? Watch this brilliant video tutorial by Soonsiki hair:
How to Care for Ash Brown Hair
Ash brown hair color looks fantastic but needs special care to maintain its shine and luster. Whether you are going for the light or dark hue and regardless of what color you started with, you need to be ready for some serious hair care.
Why does this shade slip so fast? Senior stylist Emma Baxendale has watched it happen for years:
Ash pigments like blue, green, and violet wash out fastest in any hair color, so ash brown never holds as long as something warmer, and most of us naturally carry warm pigment that keeps pulling through.
Blue shampoos and cool-toned depositing conditioners stretch the cool, but as with blondes, you will likely need an in-salon toner between appointments to truly put ash back. Overdo it, though, and the color lands green-toned and flat instead of that cool brunette you wanted.
The below tips can help you get the most out of this color and reduce the number of touch-ups.
Use Silver Shampoo
You might have never noticed the silver shampoo on the store shelves. Meanwhile, it’s always there. It’s created to keep the ashy tone of your ash-brown hair more pronounced and keep it from fading.
The shampoo has a purple color. Don’t be discouraged by that fact. This color helps neutralize yellowish pigments in lighter ash brown hair and bring the ashy luster forward. If your shade is a deeper brown, a blue shampoo is the better pick, since brown hair fades orange rather than yellow.
- You don’t have to use it straight up. If the toning feels too strong, mix the silver shampoo with your regular shampoo for colored hair, and follow the label’s directions.
- Use the silver shampoo as a rinse-out toning mask about once a week. Don’t allow the shampoo to stay on your hair longer than 15 minutes.
Forget About the Heat
If you want to keep your ash brown hair looking beautiful longer, forget about the heat. We are not just talking about hair dryers and curling wands/irons. Keep the locks out of the sun. Hats and kerchiefs should become your best friends when you walk out the door. Try to stay in the shade.
Wash Your Hair Less Often
Add one day to the break between washing your hair. If you used to wash it every day, wash it every other day and so forth. Dyeing usually dries out your locks, so they may not get dirty and oily as quickly. Take advantage of this fact and change your washing routine!
We are very excited about these ash brown hair colors and we hope we helped you see the true advantage of these shades. If you are still wondering whether this color is right for you, don’t hesitate. Give it a try!
