Red Hair Dark Skin

source: Kandi Burruss for Essence

A couple of readers have been inspired by Rihanna's red hair, but wanted to know if a bold red color would work on darker skin tones.

Dark skin looks great with all hair colors. The shade of red you choose should reflect your personality. Red is an edgy color to use on dark skin, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, go for it. Above you see Kandi Burruss' red hair. She looks edgy, but polished.

You'll remember Kelly Rowland did red a few years ago. She did some chunking with black. It was a bold move. Fantasia did it too. Her's was a brighter red, think Ronald McDonald. She also played with a deeper red. Of course the incomparable Chaka Khan, red is her signature hair color as of late.

If you're conservative, you might choose a subtle more natural looking red. You should look at swatches with a hair stylist and perhaps go to a store that sells hair and play with the different shades against your skin tone. Before you make a commitment to color, it might be a good idea for you to use hair augmentations to test drive a color or you might actually just want to wear hair augmentations to avoid coloring your hair altogether. Chemically dying your hair is very risky. If you're looking for a change, temporary hair pieces are a healthier option. Just be sure that you're taking care of your hair underneath and that you're avoiding too-tight-braiding practices.

Kelis may be a little darker than Rihanna. You can see the red working for her skin tone and curly hair.
source: bvhairtalk