What are the best ombré colors for black hair?

If you want a natural look, consider chestnut, honey, auburn, or light brown hues. For a more dramatic look, have fun with platinum, green, pink, or blue.

How can you keep your black ombré hair looking healthy?

If your hair is bleached at the ends, make sure you use a good conditioner and a heat protectant before styling to prevent split ends. If your ends have color on them, avoid using clarifying shampoos, which can strip the color and stick to color-safe shampoo and conditioner.

What is a reverse ombré ?

A reverse ombré is light at the roots and gets gradually darker, while a regular ombré has dark roots and lighter ends. Depending on your natural hair color, a reverse ombré may require more upkeep to prevent grow-out at your roots.

24 Stunning Black Ombré Hair Ideas You'll Love

Gina Rodriguez with black ombre hair — JC Olivera / Getty images

Who remembers when everywhere you turned you saw ombré hair? The color technique blew up overnight and has transcended the test of time. Since there's no better time to try out a new shade than the start of a new season—hey, fall; hey, new hair color—why not go for the ombré look that's still relevant after all these years? If you have black or otherwise very dark hair, consider yourself blessed because so many colors will look amazing coupled with your natural shade. Your laid-back dark hairstyle would look effortlessly stunning with any one of these black ombré hair ideas.

One of the best things about black ombré hair (or another type of ombré, depending on your natural hair color) is it requires very little upkeep. You don't have to rush to the salon every few weeks because the gradient is designed to look natural as it fades. It's essentially a lazy hair dream. There are several techniques for executing this color transition, so we spoke with experts for tips on exactly how to pull off this look.

Meet the Expert

Janna Velasquez is a hair stylist at Bomane Salon in Beverly Hills.
Lorena M. Valdes is a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.

"Ombré technique is a bit bolder," Velasquez told Byrdie in reference to ombré's cousin, balayage. "I tend to approach ombrés in foils using a teasing technique to ensure a really nice melt from dark to light, embracing more of a dramatic feel from roots to ends."

Black Ombré

Choosing a Shade: "The best combination for black/dark brown ombré is going from dark at the root to either a red or caramel tone towards the ends with a modern cross-over of balayage-ombré to make it even more low maintenance," Valdes advises.

Maintenance Level: "To bring the ombré back up, every three to six months for a fresh look—but it could [also] need a gloss every so often depending on the ends," Valdes explains.

Goes Great With: Those with natural black or brunette hair can easily pull off this look. If your hair is a different color naturally, the look will become higher maintenance if you choose to commit to the black roots.

Similar Shades: Brown ombré, brown balayage, purple ombré

Price: You can expect to pay at least $160 and up.

Get your color mood board started with a scroll through our 24 favorite black ombré hair ideas for all hair types. Then, call your colorist to bring these looks to life.

01 of 24

Black and Caramel

Go the classic route and dip-dye your jet-black strands with a caramel brown hue. I mean, look at how effortlessly gorgeous these wavy styles look. We may not be on a beach at all this fall, but that doesn't mean we can't pretend to be.

02 of 24

Black and Soft Red

Preeya Kalidas wears black ombre hair with auburn ends and red lipstick — Getty Images

"If your hair is naturally black/dark brown, I would highly recommend the reds and caramels to maintain the shine and integrity," Valdes says. "With more maintenance and time, you could go lighter and cooler."

03 of 24

Black and Chestnut Ombré

Gina Rodriguez wears a black to chestnut brown to dirty blonde ombre hairstyle — Getty Images

Get your strands in the fall spirit with a fade to chestnut brown, as seen here on actress Gina Rodriguez. It's a subtle yet noticeably gorgeous upgrade. It's one of the oldest ombré trends in the book that'll always be in style and loved among celebs, colorists, and models alike.

04 of 24

Black and Golden Chestnut Ombré

Side view of black to golden chestnut bronde ombre hair — @nikkilee901

For more of a sun-kissed look, lighten the ends to a golden chestnut hue. Use a curling iron to add face-framing curls. Velasquez recommends the Davines Alchemic Tonal Shampoos ($32) and Conditioners ($35) to ensure long-lasting results and to enhance your color.

05 of 24

Black and Light Chestnut Ombré

Mirrored image of Lea Michele with black to dark brown ombre wavy hair with bangs — @nikkilee901

This light chestnut hue gives the perfect natural look for those who want a more subtle take on this trend. It also grows out well, so maintenance is easy and requires less trips to the salon.

06 of 24

Black and Blonde Ombré

Sarah Jane Crawford wears black to blonde curled ombre hair — Getty Images

Whether you're going for an ashy, sandy, platinum, or vivid blonde hue, this versatile colorway, seen here on actress Sarah Jane Crawford, will surely turn heads. The options are endless when it comes to balayage blonde.

This a nice middle ground if you're not ready to go all the way blonde yet. The style illustrates how stunning these contrasting shades look together.

07 of 24

Black and Blonde Curly Ombré

Creator wears black to golden blonde ombre natural curls and warm-toned makeup — @janibellrosanne

To lighten darker hair to blonde, it does require more upkeep, according to Valdes: "They may touch up their natural with a dark base, but will be the complete opposite of low maintenance. It will need root touch-ups every four to six weeks."

08 of 24

Black and Burgundy Ombré

Vanessa Hudgens wears red ombre hair with natural dark roots — Getty Images

Burgundy ombré, seen here on Vanessa Hudgens, looks so stunning and very on-trend for fall. It's a smooth departure from standard brown or blonde hues that's still versatile and suitable for all hair types. This color does have a tendency to fade quickly, though washing the ends with a color depositing shampoo ($35) can help preserve your shade.

09 of 24

Black and Copper Ombré

Teyana Taylor wears black to copper ombre natural curls with layered necklaces — Getty Images

Copper hues work well on those with warm skin tones. This color blends amazingly with dark hair, adding dimension and movement.

10 of 24

Black and Ginger Ombré

Black to medium brown ombre hair, red tones on left and cool tones on right — @hairbyrav

Ginger hues add more of a red tone to your hair, versus copper. Make sure you wash with a shampoo made for color-treated hair to preserve your ginger shade. One great option that won't break the bank is the sulfate-free Hair Food Color Protect Shampoo ($10).

11 of 24

Black and Gray Ombré

Side-back view of black to gray-brown ombre curled hair — @hairbyrav

Black and gray just go together. This chic hair color trend blew up a few years ago and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. This elegant transition from black to gray can read silver, ashy, pearly, and more—this one adds a grayish tone to the classic medium brown. It's up to you and the route you want to go. So long to the days gray was associated with age.

12 of 24

Black and Blue Ombré

Ariel Winter wears black to light blue ombre curled hair — Getty Images

Liven up your hair with pastel blue lowlights. It's fun, unexpected, and out-of-the-box, which is what experimenting with hair colors is all about.

13 of 24

Black and Purple Ombré

Back view of black to purple ombrÃ© curled hair — @unfadehairstudio

Purple pairs so well with black hair. We're into moody beauty choices, and these deep lavender lowlights give off that vibe. A pop of purple on your ends will add an element of surprise to your strands.

14 of 24

Black and Pink Ombré

Samantha Pauly wears black to pink curled ombrÃ© hair and a sparkly pink top — Getty Images

For those who want to make a statement, black and pink is a surefire way to turn some heads.

To preserve the color, wash only a few times a week in cold water with a color-protecting shampoo.

15 of 24

Black and Auburn Ombré

Bella Thorne wears wavy black ombrÃ© hair with auburn ends and red lipstick — Getty Images

Bella Thorne's black and auburn ombré is edgy and totally versatile, and we love how she paired the look with coral lipstick and winged eyeliner. To protect your hair from dryness and frizz after coloring, Velasquez recommends Davines' nourishing Oi Hair Milk ($38) and Oil ($48).

16 of 24

Black and Green Ombré

Melanie Winiger wears tousled black ombrÃ© hair with emerald green ends — Getty Images

Black and green is bold, yet with a deep emerald shade it can also feel a little more subtle than pink. It is important to know, however, that green hair color doesn't wash out easily. To get rid of the green, you'll likely either need to color your entire hair black or get a haircut.

17 of 24

Black and Honey Ombré

Laura Govan wears black ombrÃ© hair with honey balayage ends — Getty Images

This black and honey moment is a warmer take on the black and blonde ombré trend. Lightening your hair generally requires using bleach, so make sure you invest in a good conditioner to keep your ends healthy.

18 of 24

Black to Rainbow Ombré

Back view of Cardi B with long, black to green to yellow ombre hair — Getty Images

Cardi B gets in on the rainbow trend with this out-of-this-world look. On naturally dark hair, rainbow ombré will require bleach, followed by the colors. "My absolutely favorite is to do it as a bleach and tone to clean out the hair from roots to ends, then adding the fashion colors over top," Valdes says.

19 of 24

Reverse Black Ombré

Back view of curled white blonde to black ombre hair — @foilingbeautiful

You can also try out this trend in reverse, with blonde at the roots and a black ombré at the ends. Depending on your natural hair color, this look may require more trips to the salon to keep your roots from growing out. Alternatively, this is an easier way to try black ombré hair if you're a natural blonde.

20 of 24

Neon Black Ombré

Billie Eilish wears black ombrÃ© hair with neon green roots and orange sunglasses — Getty Images

Leave it to Billie Eilish to put her own cool spin on the black ombré trend. She does a bit of the reverse look, with neon green at the crown transitioning to black at the ends.

21 of 24

Black Ombré Locs

Megan Thee Stallion wears long, black to copper ombre locs — @theestallion

Megan Thee Stallion showed off her long ombré locs, which are black at the crown and transition to copper ends. Locs are considered a protective hairstyle, but you should note that the ends can get dry and damaged, especially if you color them. Use a product like Lion Locs ($24) to protect the ends from drying out and help control frizz.

22 of 24

Silver Ombré Curls

Silver is making a comeback in a big way, and it's not just for the older crowd. This shimmery gray color draws attention to the face-framing curls. If you have naturally black hair, maintenance will be a breeze for this style.

23 of 24

Oil Slick

Oil slick hair is all over Instagram, as it's a more subtle take on the rainbow hair trend. Black roots transition to a jewel-toned ombré, which shimmers in the light like an oil slick. Work in a shine boosting serum, such as Color Wow's Pop + Lock Frizz Control + Glossing Serum ($20), to make your colors really stand out.

24 of 24

Black to Platinum Ombré

Side view of woman with curled black to platinum blonde balayage ombre hair — @korgeoushair

Dark roots transition to a white blonde in this chic ombré look. You can choose an ashy, golden, or platinum shade depending on your skin tone and the effect you want.

40 Dreamy Brown Hair Color Ideas to Try, Stat

FAQ

What are the best ombré colors for black hair?

If you want a natural look, consider chestnut, honey, auburn, or light brown hues. For a more dramatic look, have fun with platinum, green, pink, or blue.
How can you keep your black ombré hair looking healthy?

If your hair is bleached at the ends, make sure you use a good conditioner and a heat protectant before styling to prevent split ends. If your ends have color on them, avoid using clarifying shampoos, which can strip the color and stick to color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
What is a reverse ombré ?

A reverse ombré is light at the roots and gets gradually darker, while a regular ombré has dark roots and lighter ends. Depending on your natural hair color, a reverse ombré may require more upkeep to prevent grow-out at your roots.