How to remove a background around hair in Photoshop

1. Check the source and the new background

Look at the hair before making a selection. Are fine strands sharp? Is there a bright rim from the lighting? Is the old background visible through curls? These are different problems and should not receive the same treatment.

Place the intended new background below a copy of the portrait. A cutout made on white may look very different on dark blue. Keep the original layer untouched so you can restore strands if you remove too much.

2. Make and refine a starting selection

Use Select Subject to get a starting outline. Open Select and Mask, then try Refine Hair. Inspect the preview around the hairline, loose strands and gaps between curls.

Use the Refine Edge Brush only where a soft, complex boundary needs help. Keep clear clothing edges separate from fuzzy hair. Avoid treating a large area of background as hair: it can leave a cloudy edge instead of a clean transition.

Read more: Adobe: Improve hair selections with Refine Hair · Adobe: Refine selections and remove color fringes

3. Keep the result editable

Choose New Layer with Layer Mask as the output. The mask lets you show or hide parts later. It does not erase the portrait. White shows the layer. Black hides it. Gray lets some of the background show through.

Click the mask thumbnail before painting. Use small corrections for missed gaps or unwanted background patches. Do not paint every flyaway hair solid white. You can often see some background through fine hair. Keep that look in the new scene.

Read more: Adobe: Refine selections and remove color fringes · Adobe: Paint on an existing layer mask

4. Find out why a halo remains

If the mask includes a strip of old background, refine that boundary. If the hair itself has the old background color, a smaller mask may just cut the hair away. Check which problem you have before changing more settings.

Select and Mask offers Decontaminate Colors for color fringes. It changes colors along the edge. Put the result on a new layer and compare it carefully. A strong setting can also change real hair color. A bright rim caused by actual lighting may belong in the photo.

Read more: Adobe: Refine selections and remove color fringes

5. Test the finished edge in context

Try a light, a dark and the intended background. Look for clipped curls, gray haze and solid-looking wisps. Judge the edge at 100%, then at the final image size. A mask can look rough when magnified far beyond normal use.

For example, blonde hair photographed against white may contain very little separation. A darker replacement can expose that limit. Try a background that fits better or edit the edge by hand. One automatic setting cannot bring back the exact missing hairs. Save the layered cutout for revisions.