Get the photo ready
Use a well-lit image with your current hair visible and in focus. Even lighting helps the tool distinguish hair from the background. If your hair blends into a dark wall or is hidden beneath a hat, the color mask may not follow the hairline cleanly.
Natural, unfiltered photos are best for comparing tones. Strong warm lighting can make cool colors look warmer, while shadows can make darker shades appear heavier than they will in daylight.
- Keep hair and background visually distinct where possible.
- Avoid heavy filters that shift skin or hair color.
- Use a photo with enough resolution to see the hair.
Explore color without overcorrecting
Select a hairstyle or use the color controls to compare available shades. Start near your current color, then move toward a lighter, deeper, warmer, or cooler direction. If the tool offers a custom color picker, small hue changes are often more informative than jumping straight to a very different shade.
Color intensity affects how strongly the selected shade appears over the original hair. A lower intensity can preserve more of the source image; a higher setting makes the new color easier to compare. Look at the result on the whole photo, not only in the hair close-up.
Understand lighting and color limits
A screen preview cannot account for your exact starting level, previous color, porosity, or the products and technique a colorist might use. Bright blondes, vivid fashion shades, and large lightening changes are especially difficult to predict from one image.
The preview is also affected by screen brightness and color calibration. If you like a shade, save the image and show it to a professional colorist. Ask what is achievable in one appointment, how much upkeep it needs, and how to protect your hair.
Questions people ask
Will the tool tell me what dye to buy?
No. It previews visual color ideas and does not calculate a salon formula or recommend a specific chemical process.
Why does color appear on the background or miss some strands?
Hair segmentation is an estimate from the photo. Fine flyaways, low contrast, blur, and strong shadows can make the boundary less precise.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
The studio processes the selected photo in your browser for this experience. Review the site privacy notice for details about analytics and browser storage.
This guide is for general styling and product exploration. Skin-related estimates are not medical advice, and digital previews cannot guarantee a real-world result.