How to Make Hair Look Longer With Photoshop

Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
Get longer hair with a couple of clicks in Photoshop.

Your hair grows about half an inch per month, according to the Long Locks website. If that's not fast enough to fill a ponytail or give you the flowing style you crave, you can speed up the process virtually using a graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop. Give your hair an electronic makeover using Photoshop's tools, which will increase the length of your hair far faster than any growth-inspiring shampoo or follicle-stimulation program. Try on a new look in minutes, not months, with Photoshop.

Advertisement

Step 1

Open Photoshop, click the "File" menu and click "Open." Browse to a photo with the hair you want to extend and double-click the file name. The picture opens in the Photoshop workspace.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Click the "Magnify" tool, which looks like a magnifying glass and is located at the bottom of the "Tools" palette. Zoom in on a section of hair to extend, such as a lock of hair falling right below your ear.

Advertisement

Step 3

Click the "Lasso" tool on the "Tools" palette and draw an outline around the hair, capturing as little of the background, your face or clothes as possible. When you see the blinking dotted lines, right-click inside them and select "Layer via Copy."

Step 4

Pull down the "Window" menu and click "Layers" to open the "Layers" palette on the right side of the screen. Notice two layers: a "Background" layer, with your full picture, and a "Layer 1," with a small section of hair. The Layer 1 is highlighted in blue.

Advertisement

Step 5

Click the "Move" tool, which looks like a black arrowhead and cross, at the top of the "Tools" palette and drag your cursor. The copied area of hair moves; position it at the bottom of the existing hair, matching your strands, waves, highlights or color as well as possible.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Step 6

Right-click the Layer 1 line in the "Layers" palette. Select "Duplicate Layer" and click "OK." A Layer 1 copy appears in the palette list. Click the "Move" tool and drag the new section of hair into place. Continue duplicating the layer until that section of your hair is as long as desired.

Advertisement

Step 7

Click the Background layer, which takes you back to the original picture. Repeat the "Lasso" and "Layer via Copy" process on the other side of your hair. Duplicate and move layers as desired to extend the length of your hair.

Step 8

Click the small lines icon at the top right of the "Layers" palette and select "Flatten Image." The layers collapse into the single Background layer. Click the "File" menu, click "Save As" and rename the photo, then save it to your computer.

Video of the Day

Advertisement

Advertisement

references