15 Impressive Underdye Hair Trends: Underneath Hair Color Ideas to Try Now (Women’s Style Guide)

The 2000s featured great music, fashion, and hairstyle trends that continue to take the stage today. Underdye hair was big back then, with Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie rocking stunning peekaboo hairstyles in the heyday of alt looks.

As hair coloring techniques and methods improve, we are seeing a resurgence of women’s colored hairstyles that we thought were lost in the maze of upcoming hairdos. We are in 2023, and underdye hair is back, bigger and better.

It’s less trashy and classier with a striking modern twist. So, what is underdye hair? It is a hair color applied to the underside layer of the hair rather than the top one.

Also referred to sometimes as peekaboo hair color, underdye hair color is usually applied to a small section of hair closest to the neckline. The variations are many, with the different applications doing a fantastic job of enhancing one’s overall look.

Underdye hair color can vary in depth, placement, color and length. Underdyed color might be applied to a section closest to the neckline, although in some instances, it is done closer to the surface, so the colored sections peek through a bit more.

Regarding placement, you may apply the color to the entire layer of the hair or symmetrical. One might use peekaboo color with lowlights or highlights under the top layer.

At the same time, the color may be applied to specific sections of the hair, like on one side or the bangs. A popular look is a shaved undercut dyed differently to make it stand out more.

When it comes to the length, if you have a short hairstyle like a pixie cut or bob, it may change how the underdyed sections look.

In this case, the underdye will always be visible, unlike when you have longer hair and the color is hidden underneath and only visible when one pulls the hair up in a ponytail or parts it.

You can use any color to achieve the underdyed effect. The traditional colors are brunette, red, blonde or black. Modern variations are seeing more vivid and vibrant colors that draw attention to one’s hair.

You can try as many looks as you want with all these variations. We will, later on, look at factors you should consider when choosing an underdye color.

15 Most Popular Underdye Hair Ideas

Dyeing only the underside of your hair is an excellent way to try a new hair color without committing to full dyeing.

It also allows you to create cool effects by pairing different contrasting colors, like adding a bright pop of a rainbow shade or coloring the underside of your platinum blonde hair black.

We’ll now look at some of the most popular underdye hair ideas for a hairstyle that brings out your playful side.

Platinum Layer Over the Rainbow

If you want something bold that will draw attention to your hair immediately:

• Try a blend of high-saturation pastels and a platinum layer.
• Combine pinks, purples, and blues to bring life to the underside of your hair. You can pin the platinum blonde top back or up to show off your rainbow hues.
• Add curls to create an exquisite finishing touch to ensure you are the center of attention.

Magenta Underdyed Fringe

If you want a cool yet punky hairstyle, try a magenta shade underdyed fringe. Ensure you keep the color vibrant on a small section of your hair, like the bangs. This gives the color an excellent effect, not to mention it’s a unique way to wear the trend.

Red Hair Color Over Underdye

Split hair color is great when you don’t want to color your red tresses fully. However, remember that red isn’t the most subtle hue, so ensure you pick the right shades to pair it with. This is something a professional hair colorist will be able to help you with.

Natural Tresses With an Underdye

Under colors also look great on natural hair. There are no limits to the options. For instance, you can add some gentle lilacs or a vibrant neon hue; either outcome is stunning.

Ultraviolet With Mulberry Underdye

Thanks to the stunning layers, shaggy is one of the best hairstyles when you want your peekaboo colors to show.

Consider a vibrant ultraviolet color that grabs attention and will seem to be “shadowed” by the stunning mulberry color that pops out at the ends.

Peek-Through Pastel Blue

The hair color option features a bubblegum pink color at the top, gradually giving way to a pastel peek-through blue color underneath. If you really want the underdye to shine, ask for large barrel curls.

Dark Base With Vibrant Underdye

Geode hair color ideas remind us of geodes and crystals, with a natural beauty that is truly mesmerizing. This new hair trend is already taking over the world.

If you’ve always wanted to try geode hair color ideas, but want something low-key, try a neon green or purple underdye that you can hide under your naturally dark tresses.

Electric Blue Multi-Colored Underdye

If you are all for experimenting with vibrant colors, try an electric blue and add other vivid colors underneath, like green, yellow or pink. This is one of the best ways to highlight a bold, vibrant color like blue. You will only get the full effect when you pull the hair up.

Long With Dyed Undercut

If you are all about long locks, try a detailed undercut design that will be the centerpiece of your long hairstyle. Add an orange or green underdye to complete the look.

Since the hair remains long, the peekaboo highlights will only show when you want them to.

Black With Blonde Underdye

Pairing a light-hearted blonde with a dramatic blonde is the best choice when you want all eyes on you. Ask your stylist to bleach blonde the face-framing section of hair on the underside for a beautiful contrast that shows when you tuck your hair behind your ears.

Designed and Dyed Undercut

If you like bold hairstyle choices and don’t mind taking big risks, try the designed and dyed undercut. The high undercut shaved into the back is brought to life by the vibrant blue and purple hues beneath a pretty platinum blonde.

Brunette With Peekaboo Warm Blonde

If you want an edgy hairstyle but one that allows you to keep things professional, opt for hidden underdye.

With this hairstyle, only the sections that fall behind the ears to the neckline are bleached, creating a beautiful contrast that only shows when you pull up the hair. Don’t forget to make bleached hair silky using the right haircare products like coconut or olive oil.

Royal Purple Under Vibrant Copper

The hairstyle features a deep purple that gives off a magical vibe from the underside and fiery copper and pink hues on top. With this underdyed hairstyle, you can still see the longest layers of purple tones when the hair is flat.

Colors of the Rainbow Underdye

If you want something fun and unique, try the peekaboo rainbow color. And don’t worry, the light blonde on top won’t take any attention away from the vibrant colors that shine out from underneath.

Caramel Strawberry Blonde Over Black

A strawberry-caramel blonde is enough to turn heads wherever you go. However, it is the dramatic depth of black that peeks out from underneath that brings out the true beauty of the hairdo.

If you would rather have something “light,” go for black or brunette lowlights underneath.

How to Style and Maintain Under-Colored Hair

With so many underdye hair options, how do you choose a suitable style, and what steps should you take to maintain it?

Keep reading to find out.

Step 1 – Choose the right one

There are a few considerations to make when picking out an underdyed hairstyle. For one, you must realize that the color will wash out soon, but this will depend on the initial coloring process.

For instance, while there is nothing wrong with dyeing your wet hair, the resulting color is less vibrant and doesn’t last as long. At the same time, it will be more uneven than if you had colored the hair while dry.

You must also choose a style that suits you regarding your work or other commitments. Different organizations have different rules regarding hair colors.

Lastly, consider the cost and upkeep of maintaining underdye hair. Depending on your monthly hair growth rate, you may need touch-up appointments every few weeks, costing you between $30 to $60.

Lastly, choose complementary colors as they work best. Choose a warm-toned color for the underneath sections if your hair is warmer, like caramel blonde or copper red.

Step 2 – Crucial styling tips

There are several ways to style your chosen underdye hairstyle. You can go for a full-block color underneath that shows through the colored layers on top or a few pieces of a complementary color that peak out for a subtle look.

You can also go all the way and pick any variation of color, like pastel, neon, glittery or metallic hues. Think pink ombre underneath a vibrant electric blue or an orange-streaked blonde with bright green ends on top.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to peekaboo hair colors.

Tip: Since hair coloring can damage your strands over time, consider hair lightening without bleach from time to time.

Step 3 – Maintain your chosen style

When maintaining any colored hair, including peekaboo hair, the secret lies in using the right shampoo and conditioner. That means a color-protectant shampoo and conditioner to help keep the color vibrant for longer.

When it comes to retouching your color, buy a suitable hair dye. Salon-grade dye is the best. One question always arises regarding hair dyes – can hair dye expire?

And the answer is yes. Hair dye eventually expires, so keep that in mind when buying hair dye to be coloring your hair at home.

Step 4 – Best products to use

The best products to use when you have colored hair, no matter how subtle the coloring, are color-protectant shampoo and conditioner. These products are specifically meant for colored hair since they lack harsh chemicals that can strip the color away.

You must also get some quality styling products to eliminate flyaways when styling your hair.

FAQ

Is underdyed hair high maintenance?

Underdyed hair is low-maintenance since the highlight placement is partially hidden so that you can do touch-ups at leisure and less frequently.

Can you do an underdye hairstyle at home?

Applying underdye isn’t as complex as dyeing your entire hair, so you can comfortably do it at home. All it takes are the right products.

How long do underdye hairstyles last?

How long your underdyed hairstyle will last sorely depends on the type of color you use. Reds and pinks fade faster than blues and greens. However, it will also depend on how well you maintain your hair. Use the right products and avoid heat-styling your hair too much.

Are underdye hairstyles expensive?

Typically, underdye hairstyles aren’t costly since the highlights are barely there. However, if you have a short hairstyle, the regular trims to maintain the shape and length can make maintenance more costly.

Will underdye hair suit me?

Underdye works for long hair, short hair, curly hair, and whether you have bangs or not. So, yes, the hairstyle will suit you no matter what. The coloring is usually done with permanent or semi-permanent hair color to create a show-stopping contrast.