Half and half black and purple hair

Move over, balayage and ombré hair—there’s a not-so-new trend that's been flooding our social media feeds, and that's none other than split-dye hair color. And while you can choose whichever shades you want for this style, we're partial to half-black, half-white hair, as it's the color-blocking moment we’ve been waiting for since watching 101 Dalmatians as a kid. Popularized by the murderous, fur-loving character Cruella de Vil (who recently got her own live-action backstory starring Emma Stone), the stark contrast between black and white hair gives an edgy allure that's perfect for entering your own villain era.

If the thought of a traditional half-and-half color makes you feel too much like you're Disneybounding, we did our research and compiled 14 half-black, half-white hairstyles in all different combinations, so you can embrace the trend however you see fit. Whether you're using hair extensions, yarn, color wax, or bleach, half-black, half-white hair is a simplistic yet bold choice for anyone entering their villain era. Just leave the fur aspect to the cartoons.

Meet the Expert

• Megan Schipani is a hairstylist and photographer based in Los Angeles. She's best known for her work as a colorist, through which she plays with both natural and vivid shades in ways that bring out the best in a client's personal aesthetic.

Half-Black, Half-White Hair Color

Process: "When it comes to split dye color, especially black and white color, precision, clean sectioning, and tools are super important. Because the two colors are so contrasting and you want them both to remain separate,” LA hairstylist Megan Schipani explains. “I like to split the hair down the middle and clip away, then cover whichever section I am not working on with saran wrap to protect it while I’m coloring the other side.” Schipani also recommends washing hair carefully and separated as to avoid color bleeding. 

Maintenance level: Root growth can be annoying, so when choosing very light platinum shades, it’s important to stay on top of new hair, especially if you want to keep an even split dye. Schipani remarks, “Generally, when there is platinum involved in color, the retouch maintenance is higher, especially on natural levels five and below. You want to make sure the regrowth doesn’t get past an inch or you will start to get banding and uneven lifting.”

Similar shades: There are various shades of blonde and platinum. When choosing a shade, look towards the color wheel and your undertones. “For example, if someone has yellow undertones in their skin tone, the opposite of yellow on the color wheel is purple, so I would use a toner with violet undertones to complement the yellow undertones in their skin,” Schipani explains.

Price: Be sure to check with the salon for pricing before committing to this look. Schipani says the cost can range based on full-head bleach treatment or a true split-dye situation. Prices range from $150 to $400, but could be more.

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Black-and-White Box Braids

Who said you have to bleach your natural hair to enjoy this split color trend? Amplify your protective style by adding some color—or lack thereof—with some white hair extensions. We love how cute these box braids look in a pigtail style with face-framing tendrils.

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Cruella-Approved Cornrows

Fulani braids are checkered with platinum blonde and black hair to bring some contrast to the client's naturally dark roots. A result of the talents from Hair by Susy, this style has stunning length thanks to 18-20 inches of blended neutral realness.

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Emo Forever

If there's one person who knows how to turn out a hair look, it’s hairstylist Evanie Frausto. This spiky pop-punk style combines short bangs with long extensions for an edgy vibe that stands out among the rest. Frausto shows off his skills with an effortless transition from black roots to platinum lengths.

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Join the Band

Schipani is a true artist with a bowl of color, bleach, and paintbrush. While her page is usually flooded with vibrant shades across the rainbow, this half-black, half-white hair takes the split-dye trend to a new level with horizontal striping. A nod to the crimped color hair of the ’90s, if you’re looking to recreate this Avril Lavigne-esque color, make sure your stylist has hair foils, and patience, on hand.

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Subtle Edge

This subtle black-and-white hair moment was too good not to include. Bebe Rexha really knows how to stun, and it’s easy to see why with the respective makeup and hairstyling skills of Etienne Ortega and Cesar Deleon Ramirez. Keeping to her signature blonde hairdo, the black dipped ends are a simple addition that can be easily recreated for an added edge. 

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Best of Both Worlds

This curated peekaboo hair moment is literally the best of both worlds, upping the rockstar vibe with its shag style. Of course, Miley Cyrus casually showed off her 'do while wearing Gucci—super casual. Even in the studio, Miley knows how to look good and keep the party going.

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Crown of Contrast

A sleek ponytail is always a good choice, especially when adding in color and braids. This contrasting style blends strips of braided hair matching the client's natural dark hair with a few standout white pieces. Not a hair is out of place—keep it that way with a control mousse that won’t weigh down braids or natural hair.

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Creative Curls

Natural highlights and lowlights are always a go-to option, but why not go all-in for thick strips of color to contrast with your natural shade? We love how this looks on a naturally curly texture. Be careful with bleach, but scattered application throughout the hair works wonders to bring definition in a fun way.

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Stark and Stunning

More black-and-white braids, please. This braided look uses white acrylic yarn against the natural root color for a scene-stealing moment.

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Double Statement

You know what makes any split-dye hair color even better? Bangs! If you’re already taking that step to bleach half of your hair to nearly white, you might as well get bangs while you’re at it. Before applying any bleach or foils, it's important to triple-check your hair part to avoid color bleeding or unevenness. Because of this plus the nature of bleach, it may be best to leave this to a professional.

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Logo Locks

While this isn’t a traditional half-black, half-white hairstyle, Frausto really pushed the envelope with carefully placed dark brown color throughout the platinum blonde hair in the shape of fashion brand Barragán’s logo. Like we said, his skills are unmatched. Let this look spark many more monogrammed hairstyles—while it might be tricky to achieve, it's so worth it if you work with a stylist who's up to the task.

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Manila de Vil

Drag queen Manila Luzon has a signature hair color that could truly give Cruella de Vil a run for her money. We like to imagine that she has a whole room full of black-and-white wigs for every occasion, from updos for an epic lip sync to glamorous Hollywood waves like the style above. Almost a reverse skunk hairstyle, the front black pieces here add character that's true to the RuPaul's Drag Race star.

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Money Pieces

Original e-girl Rogue from X-Men has provided a major blueprint for the face-framing color strips that have been a major trend since 2020. We love this silky, black-and-white version by stylist Toni Jennings, who translated the villain era vibes into a “low-maintenance soft look” that's true to her technique.

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Peekaboo Platinum

We hope that peekaboo hair never goes out of style—just take this platinum white and black hair color that hairstylist Erik Pascarelli created using Bleach London products. The inverse of the mullet rockstar vibe that Miley Cyrus is rocking, Pascarelli created a bright underside in contrast to the client's natural dark strands, which gives every hair flip major main character energy.

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