Hair color correction is one of the most essential editing techniques every photographer and retoucher should master. Not everyone realizes how color impacts the overall quality of a photo — especially hair tones. The proper color correction can make your model look radiant and natural, while an incorrect shade can make the entire photo appear dull or unbalanced.
Don’t worry — we’ve done the research to show you exactly how to perform hair color correction properly, both physically and digitally. Keep scrolling to learn how to achieve perfect results easily!
What Is Hair Color Correction?
As the name suggests, hair color correction is about correcting or fixing the unwanted result of a color job gone wrong, or touching up to make the hair color appear more vibrant. You can correct your hair color in several ways. For instance, toning out unwanted brassiness, dying your hair a darker shade, or lightening it to achieve the desired effect.
You may ask, How long does it take for your hair color correction?
The process may take some time, depending on the extent of your hair damage and the desired results. It may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks or even months. Additionally, you will need a professional hair stylist, as the correction process can be challenging. Also, the harsh chemicals used will need extra supervision.
Factors that affect the length of the color correction hair process include hair type, texture, porosity, condition, and the effectiveness of each hair care product. That is what makes the color correcting process such a lengthy and expensive journey. Is there any other solution?
Hair Color Correction in Photos
Yes, you do not misread. You can correct hair color in photos with the help of a photo editing application, such as Photoshop! With a digital process, you can easily and safely change your hair’s highlights and color.
It is undoubtedly helpful for you who work in the fashion and photography business. Digitization makes things easier, so you can focus on sales promotions and business processes.
Step-by-Step Hair Color Correction
To keep it short and precise, here are the touch-up steps to correct the hair color in your photo using Photoshop.
1. Open your photo in Photoshop and then duplicate the layer
You always have to keep a copy of the original photo. If you need it back for re-editing or other things at any time, you will have no trouble finding it again. Additionally, the original image is used to compare the original hair color with the edited one.
2. Choose the hair you want to correct
The next step in doing your hair makeover is to choose the section of hair that you want to correct. Luckily, in the latest version of Photoshop, you can automatically select hair from photos. Thus, you can press the “Quick Selection Tool” to make hair selection easier.
After that, you can use “Refine Selection” to fade the hairline so that your edits look more realistic. Alternatively, you can use a brush tool and select a brush size, then manually select the area with hair.
When the pop-up window appears, select the “On White” option to see your hair color selection clearly. You can adjust the “Smart Radius” to adjust the transparency around the edges of the selected hair. Take note! You should set a number between 1.5 and 2.5.
Afterwards, go to “Output” and select “New Layer with Layer Mask”, then press the “OK” button. If you only want to see the hair you have chosen, click the eye icon to hide and unhide the original layer.
When you want to dye your hair lighter, you need the right mask to achieve a uniform effect throughout the hair, without any gaps or holes. However, if you want to make your hair darker, you can use the soft mask to get realistic results.
3. Apply the color
Once you’ve successfully selected the hair area, it’s time to change the color. First, click on the “New Adjustment Layer” icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. Then, select “Hue/Saturation”.
Next, simultaneously press the Ctrl + Alt + G keys on your keyboard to apply the color only to the selected hair. If you do it manually (by clicking on the colorize option in the pop-up window, your photo’s tone will turn red), you’ll need to take additional steps to achieve the hair color correction you want.
The next step will be when a pop-up window appears. You can slide the slider right and left to adjust the “Hue”, “Saturation”, and “Lightness”. To change your hair color, select a color from the palette icons at the bottom and click on the desired color.
Need another option? You can use the Color Balance option. First, ensure that the Layer Mask is always active, and then press Ctrl+click on the Layer Mask thumbnail to select the hair.
Create a new adjustment layer by clicking “Adjustment Layers” at the bottom of the layers palette. Now you can play with the colors, highlights, and tones in the Color Balance pop-up menu.
4. Edit it to be more realistic
You can play with the opacity and blend to make the edits more realistic. Your energy and results will vary depending on the finish you want. For example, you can set the blending mode with 75% opacity for a metallic color. Editing will be much easier if your desired hair color is a natural shade.
Applications for Hair Color Correction
If you encounter any issues using Photoshop, consider these simple alternatives.
- Hair Color Changer
- Youcam Makeup
- Hair Color Dye
- Hair Color Studio
- Hairstyle Makeover
- Modiface Hair Color
- Hair Color Changer
- Fabby Look
- Hair Color Changer Salon Booth
- Hair Color Booth
With the help of AI (Artificial Intelligence), you can change your hair color easily. However, it comes with consequences: the editing results cannot be as detailed as those achieved with Photoshop. However, you can still consider the application as an alternative option.
Do You Need Photo or Hair Color Correction Service?
Correcting hair may look easy, but it takes strong editing skills to catch the realism of the edits. By performing hair color correction, your model in the photo will appear more vibrant and stunning.
If you still face trouble editing photos, it is always recommended to try our photo color correction service from Dropicts! Please get in touch with us to discover the best service for your photography needs.
