Why Red Is The Easiest Colour To Rock If Your Hair Is Natural

Keeping up with hair colour trends can be a thankless task. One day neons greens and pastel pinks are all the rage and the next a new blonde or brunette highlighting technique pops up. Red, however, is one colour that isn't new to being trendy — especially on the heads of women of colour.

Back in the day, different shades of burgundy and red were very common to see on women of colour, whether their hair was permed or natural. Many of them achieved the colour with at-home box dyes or temporary colour rinses. According to Mezei Jefferson, director of multicultural education at L'Oreal, Dark & Lovely's third bestselling shade of all time is — you guessed it — Vivacious Red.

The crimson trend is still alive and well in the natural hair community, though it goes beyond just being a flattering tone on deeper complexions. "When most women with natural hair come into the salon for colour, their biggest concern is not damaging their curls," says Jaxcee, colour director at Hair Rules. "Dyeing your hair red is easy because it's one of the only dramatic shades that picks up on dark hair without bleach, per se. Because of this, those burgundy and red tones are easier to achieve, especially if you're colouring your hair at home because lightener is hardly ever involved."

If you've been holding off on having fun with your natural hair colour out of fear of permanently ruining your curls, consider going red. It's an easy way to transform your curls without compromising the health of your hair. From red velvet tint, mulled wine, to copper, there's a million different ways to embrace the shade. Find some of our favourite ways to rock it, ahead.