Asian woman with ash brown hair color

Ash Brown Hair Color Ideas to Elevate Your Style Game

Check out chic ways to rock this trendy hair color!

Looking for a trendy brown shade? Try dark or light ash brown hair color! It is a medium shade of brown with cool undertones of gray and silver. It’s an edgy hair color that’s subtle enough if you’re not into bold or striking hues.

If you haven’t dyed your hair before, your stylist may use bleach to give you a beautiful ash brown hair color. This is because Asian hair has naturally thick and compact cuticle cells, so it’s challenging to lighten it especially if it’s your first time coloring your hair. Without bleach, your naturally dark hair may not get light enough to achieve that ashy tone. However, if you already have light ash brown hair color (or other light hair shades), bleach may no longer be necessary.

There are several ways to pull off this ash hair color. Check out these cool ideas.

Our Favorite Ash Brown Hair Color Pegs

1. Light Ash Brown Hair Color With Blonde Streaks

Asian woman with ash brown hair color and blonde streaks
Create an exciting look with an ash brown base and blonde streaks. Credit: Natasha Estelle

Add blonde streaks to your ash brown hair to give it dimension. Choose a light ash blonde hue for your streaks so they blend seamlessly with the rest of your hair.

TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Shampoo

Editor’s tip: Preserve your bleached and ashy hair colors by using TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Shampoo in your daily wash. Its purple formula neutralizes brassy tones, so you get to enjoy your ash and blonde shades sans the discoloration.

TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Conditioner

After shampooing, use TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Blonde Brilliance Conditioner to keep your dyed hair well-moisturized. 

2. Long Light Ash Brown Hair Color With Waves

Asian woman with long ash brown hair wearing a blue-green shirt
Update your look with this trendy ash hair color. Credit: Shutterstock

Jazz up your long hair by dyeing it ask brown from the roots to the tips. To style, curl your hair from mid-lengths to the tips to give it texture and movement.

3. Ash Brown Bob

Asian woman with short ash brown hair wearing a black shirt
Turn heads with short ash brown hair. Credit: Panadda Suwanjundee

Update a classic chin-length bob by going for a trendy hue like ash brown. The result is a fresh, edgy, and super chic look.

4. Brown Ombré Hair

Asian woman with ash brown ombre hair wearing a denim jacket
Give your hair a sun-kissed effect with a seamless transition of different brown shades. Credit: Panadda Suwanjundee

Ombré has been quite around for some time, and you can jump in on this hair trend when getting ash brown hair color. You can dye your roots and the upper half of your hair dark brown, then gradually transition to other shades like light brown hair color, ash brown, and ash blonde as you approach the tips.

Tube of Dove Keratin Repair Conditioner

Editor’s tip: Coloring and bleaching your hair can cause extreme damage. Nurse your damaged strands back to their healthy-looking state by using Dove Keratin Repair 1 Minute Serum Conditioner. It has keratin-infused serum capsules that go deep into your strands to repair damage from within. It leaves your hair recovered, beautiful, and resilient in just one minute!

5. Short Ash Brown Highlights

Ash brown hair color: Asian woman with brown short hair smiling
Highlights make your simple bob more appealing. Credit: Natasha Estelle

Make your chin-length bob look fresh and youthful with ash brown highlights. They also go well with a printed headband and eyeglasses.

6. Ash Brown Balayage

Woman with long wavy ash brown balayage hair wearing a jacket and skirt ourdoors
Opt for balayage hair for a more natural look. Credit: Melodie Jeng

Make ash brown hair color part of your balayage look. This coloring technique is like hand-painting your hair. It results in natural-looking, lived-in hair because the light and dark shades are blended seamlessly.

7. Ash Brown Balayage on Short Hair

Back shot of an Asian woman with ash brown balayage short hair
If you prefer short haircuts, go for a bob or lob. Credit: Panadda Suwanjundee

You can also sport balayage hair on a bob or lob for extra dimension and depth. Add more drama by creating soft waves or curls.

8. Ash Brown Lob in Pigtails

Asian woman with bangs and hair in low pigtails
This hairstyle works on second-day hair, too. Credit: Shutterstock

If you want to tie your medium or long bob but your hair is not yet long enough for a ponytail, try putting it in low pigtails. With ash brown hair color, you can make your pigtails look grownup, updated, and sophisticated.

9. Milk Tea Latte

Asian woman with milk tea latte ashy hairstyle
This light, creamy brown color will make you a head-turner. Credit: Shutterstock

Milk tea hair colors are combinations of brown and blonde shades with ashy undertones. They come in different shades, and milk tea latte is among those that lean toward brown. Wear this color on short or medium-length hair for a fresh, youthful look.

Cream Silk Triple Keratin Rescue Ultimate Color Revive Ultra Conditioner

Editor’s tip: Give your hair the benefits of three keratin products in one. Try Cream Silk Triple Keratin Rescue Ultimate Color Revive Ultra Conditioner. It has keratin relaxers to tame frizz, keratin serum to revive your hair from intense damage, and keratin essence to restore shine to extremely dull hair. 

10. Dark Ash Brown Hair Color

Asian woman with dark ash brown hair color
Add see-through bangs to your dark ash brown hair to create a Korean-inspired look. Credit: Hariono Halim

Subtle ashy undertones make this rich, dark brown color look posh. Try this if you want an ash hair color but don’t want to lighten your hair too much.

11. Dark Ash Brown Hair With Golden Highlights

Asian woman with milk tea latte ashy hairstyle
Add streaks to your bangs for a completely different look. Credit: Pexels

Place splashes of golden brown on your dark hair to create a bold but beautiful contrast. Complete the look with a blunt fringe for an edgy vibe.

12. Shadow Roots + Light Ash Brown Hair Color Combo

Asian woman with colored hairstyle and bangs
Shadow roots create a chic but low-maintenance look. Credit: Shutterstock

Leave your roots untouched to create a low-maintenance look. They’re great if you can’t commit to frequent salon trips for color touch-ups. Shadow roots also give your ash brown hair depth, keeping it from looking plain.

13. Light Ash Brown Hair Color Highlights on Dark Hair

Asian woman using laptop
For a sophisticated blend, consider light ash brown highlights on dark hair, subtly elevating your natural hue while adding both depth and dimension. Credit: Dean Drobot from Canva

It’s time to spruce up those dark locks with some light ash brown highlights. Want to know a secret? Adding these subtle highlights not only adds depth and dimension, but also takes your hair game from cute to ‘hello gorgeous’ in no time.

14. Ash Brown With Subtle Ash Gray Highlights

Asian woman with gray hairstyle
Keep that ash brown hair healthy and radiant with color-friendly hair products. Credit: Chandri Anggara from Pexels

This is the ultimate color cocktail for an edgy yet feminine look. The fusion of these hues creates a unique balance that adds volume and intrigue to your tresses.

Tub of Vitakeratin Treatment Color Shine

Editor’s Tip: To maintain that gorgeous color and shine, indulge in regular deep conditioning treatments like the Vitakeratin Treatment Color Shine, choose a sulfate-free shampoo, and never skip heat protection when styling. Your lush locks will thank you!

15. Classic Ash Brown

Asian woman with a simple hairstyle
Let your ash brown hair do the talking – less is more when your locks are this lusciously luxe! Credit: Hải Nguyễn

Embrace simplicity with ash brown hair – it’s the low-maintenance look that’s high on the style quotient. Sometimes, the elegance lies in allowing your classic ash brown tresses to be the star, and that requires nothing more than a basic care routine and your confidence!

With these ideas, are you ready to rock the dark or light ash brown hair color? To which we say, go ahead! Don’t forget to snap a selfie because we’re sure your look will be Insta-worthy.