How To Choose The Right Hair Color For Indian Skin Tones?

The key to great hair color is knowing your exact undertone — cool, warm, or neutral.

Reviewed by Madison Dufour, Barber & Cosmetologist
Written by Jyotsana Rao, BE
Edited by Subhrojyoti Mukherjee, MA (English)
Fact-checked by Anu Pallavi, BA  • 

Hair color is a terrific way to modify your entire image. With a little effort, the correct hair color can add to your beauty and make you look fantastic! But it is important that you choose the right hair color for Indian complexion and the matching skin tones. Hair color for Indian skin tones can be more difficult to figure out than other skin tones. Women are unaware that what works on Western hair may not work on Indian skin tones. How many times have you seen that blonde aunty strolling down the street and gasped in surprise? Another issue that Indian women face is their hesitation to experiment with hair color due to societal expectations.

Anyway, here’s a quick guide to picking the finest hair colors for Indian women to help all those perplexed ladies with drab locks get on the road to fabulous hair! When you can figure out the right cosmetics for your skin tone, you can do the same with your hair! Take a look at these Indian women’s hair color options.

Anyway here’s a little guide on the best hair color for Indian skin women, to give all those confused ladies with blah hair, a ticket to amazing hair! No matter what your skin tone! If you can get your skin tone right for your makeup, you can get it right for your hair too! You should always visit a salon to get a consultation with a professional before experimenting with any DIY coloring to avoid any regrets later on. Check out these hair color ideas for Indian women.

How To Know Your Skin Tone And Undertone

Knowing your skin tone can help you determine the right hair color for you. Here is how you determine your skin tone:

1. White Fabric Test

Hold a white cloth near your face, if your skin looks yellowish, you have a warm skin tone. But if it looks pinkish or a little blue, you have a cool skin tone.

Apart from your skin tone, your skin undertone also plays a key role in choosing the right hair color. Here is how you can determine your undertone.

2. Vein Test

Examine the veins on your wrist. Green veins normally suggest a warm undertone, while blue veins indicate a cool undertone.

3. Jewelry Test

Wear some gold jewelry first. If that perfectly complements your skin tone, then you have a warm undertone. Whereas, if silver jewelry complements your skin, then you have a cool undertone.

Choosing The Right Hair Color For Indian Skin Tone

First things first, you have to know your skin tone. Is it warm or cool? If you turn red and burn in the sun as opposed to tan, you’re probably a cool. If you tan, you’re a warm. Sometimes, figuring out your skin tone can be overwhelming, and you need a professional to help determine it. A hairdresser, a MAC makeup artist or even a BFF with a good eye for color can help!

1. Natural Color

The right hair color for Indian skin tone
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Image: Getty

When it comes to natural colors, browns, reds and burgundy is favored for Indians. The undertone of the skin is very important when you choose a color. If you’re very yellow, you don’t want an ashy brown or gold, you will look jaundiced. Same goes for beauties that tend to go very red, if you choose red hair, you may look like a tomato! Definitely not a good look! The best hair color shades for Indian skin is one that doesn’t work against their skin tone.

protip_icon Quick Tip
For colors like brown, burgundy, and auburn, you do not need to bleach your hair. For red, golden, purple, and other uncommon colors, you may need to bleach your hair.

2. Brown

Brown is probably the safest color you can go for. Again, go according to your skin. If you’re cooler, go for colors like mahogany. For warm skin, go for ash brown.

3. Burgundy

Burgundy hair color for Indian skin tone
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Image: Shutterstock

A very popular color that will look best on olive and yellow skin tones. It will suit darker girls.

4. Red

Red is tricky, there are a lot of shades in just red! If you’re fair go for a lighter red or copper. Not orange! Olive girls will look best with blue based reds which are darker. If you have very red skin, try to stay away from red hair colors, as it will be an overdose of ruddiness.

protip_icon Fun Fact
Bollywood celebrity Tapsee Pannu colored her hair in a vibrant shade of red to show off the rebellious streak of her character in the movie Manmarziyaan.

5. Golden

A full head of blonde is not a winning look; it can make dusky women as well as olive skin toned ladies look very pale and sickly, even if they are fair. Cool skinned fair girls can pull it off, but it requires a lot and isn’t something that can be easily done at home! The best way to wear golden is with some brown tones and usually in streaks or highlights. Don’t go full gold. Not only is the gold “color” not flattering, but it is also mostly bleach and very harmful for hair.

6. Black :

Pure black is a no-no. Black makes your features appear harder and more haggard. It will look like a wig. Go for a dark brown instead.

Lowlights And Highlights For Indian Black Hair

If you go for all over hair color, do consider highlights or lowlights. Not more than one or two shades lighter/ darker than your color. They add realism and dimension to the hair. Our hair is actually made of many different pigments, if you hold up your natural hair against the sun; you’ll see what I mean. Hair color removes this “natural look” by adding one solid pigment. If you add a blend of highlights/ lowlights can add softness and dimension to your hair.

Unnatural colors

Unnatural colors have not been embraced by Indians as such, and thin streaks here and there may be your best bet. Purples, plums, fiery reds, vibrant oranges, and pastel pink are some of the good hair colors for Indian skin that you could try on.

Satshya, an Indian content creator and lifestyle blogger, has tried multiple hair colors at different points in her life and writes, “It’s so much fun experimenting with different colors, and I whole-heartedly encourage anyone who wants to do it. It’s hair – it grows, it fades, it falls. Make it colorful while it lasts (i).”

Infographic: Most Suitable Natural And Unnatural Hair Colors For Indian Skin Tones

Rosemary is a famous plant. We all are familiar with its culinary, aromatic, and esthetic importance. But did you know that this sweet-smelling and gorgeous-looking plant is available in over 100 varieties? In the infographic below, we list 8 of those varieties that are popular globally. Take a look.

most suitable natural and unnatural hair colors for indian skin tone(infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Most people think that Indian skin color is just one shade: dark. Indians have olive, fair, medium, and dark skin. Picking a hair color for Indian skin may seem tough, but with a little help, it can be easy to figure out. You need to think about your surface skin tone and your undertone. Remember that warmer colors suit warm undertones, like golden, honey, light browns, and pinks. And, likewise, cooler colors work better with cool undertones, such as deep browns, ashy and deep blondes, purples, and blues. If there is a particular color you like, talk to a hair colorist as they can help you find a warmer or cooler alternative. You can experiment with subtle or contrast colors. Keep this hair color guide handy the next time you want to color your hair.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is global hair color?

Global hair color is a hair coloring method where you dye all your hair a particular color from the roots to the tips uniformly.

Does artificial hair color damage hair?

Yes. The chemicals present in hair dyes damage the natural protein and lipids present in the hair strands. It also alters the hair cuticle’s structure.

Which hair color is best for the first time?

Choose a hair color that is 1-2 shades lighter than your natural hair color so as to minimize hair damage.

Key Takeaways

  • Choosing the right hair color for Indian skin tones can be challenging as a wide spectrum of skin shades are involved.
  • It is important to know your own skin tone to determine the suitability of hair colors. The white fabric test, the vein test, or the jewelry test can help you with it.
  • The undertone of Indian skin tones may be warm or cool. Natural hair colors with undertones that match those of your skin tone are ideal.
  • If you wish to go for an experimental hair color, opting for highlights or lowlights instead of a hair color for your full head of hair may be your best bet.


Discover the best hair color shades for Indian skin tones and pull together a flawless look! Learn how to choose the perfect color for your hair.

Personal Experience: Source

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