Face Form Finder
Hair Color Chart
This is a reading aid for common level language, not a universal colour code. A level only makes sense inside the chart made by the brand you are using; the number alone cannot promise a particular colour after colouring.
| Common reference level | Approximate depth description | How to read the level | Common direction to discuss | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Deepest black or near-black | On many brand charts, the lowest number marks the deepest end of that brand’s scale. | Discuss whether you mean a visually very deep base or a specific brand’s named shade. | Another brand can label a deep shade differently. Check its own swatch and wording rather than transferring this number across. |
| Level 2 | Very dark brown or soft black-brown | This commonly sits one step above the deepest reference level on charts that use a numbered depth scale. | Describe the target as very dark with visible brown only in brighter light, if that is what you mean. | Lighting can make this level read black in one room and brown in another; a photo is not a substitute for the brand chart. |
| Level 3 | Dark brown | Read it as a depth position, not as a guarantee of warmth, ashiness, or any particular reflection. | Separate the depth request from the tone request: dark brown is the level language; the tonal family is a second choice. | The starting base can make the same named shade show a different visible cast. |
| Level 4 | Medium-dark brown | Many charts place this in the brown range between dark and medium-looking brown. | Use it to start a conversation about depth, then point to the brand’s own tone letters or shade description. | Do not expect the chart position to describe the finished tone by itself. |
| Level 5 | Medium brown | Often a middle brown reference on a brand scale that runs from deepest to lightest. | Say whether your goal is to stay around a medium brown depth or move toward it from your present base. | Porosity, previous colour, and the starting depth can all change how much depth is visible after colouring. |
| Level 6 | Light brown or dark blonde | This is a transition area on many charts, where brand names may switch from brown language to blonde language. | Use both a written brand shade name and a swatch viewed in person when possible. | Names are especially inconsistent here; do not rely on the word “blonde” or “brown” alone. |
| Level 7 | Medium blonde or dark blonde | Many scales place it on the blonde side of the transition, but the exact label belongs to each brand. | Describe the depth separately from whether you want a warmer, cooler, or more neutral-looking direction. | A phone image can shift this level strongly with exposure and white balance. |
| Level 8 | Light blonde | Commonly used as a lighter blonde reference on numbered brand charts. | Ask to compare the intended reference with your starting base under ordinary light before deciding on a formula. | Lift, existing colour, texture, and application process affect what becomes visible; a level is not an outcome guarantee. |
| Level 9 | Very light blonde | On many scales this sits near the light end, above light blonde references. | Use the number only with the exact brand chart in front of you, plus a clear description of the visible tone you are comparing. | Highly light-looking images are sensitive to camera exposure, screen brightness, and the underlying base. |
| Level 10 | Lightest blonde reference | Many common ten-level charts use this as the lightest numbered reference; other brand charts can extend, compress, or rename their scales. | Check whether the specific brand uses ten levels at all before repeating this number as a request. | It is not a global ceiling and it does not predict what a process will produce on any individual starting base. |
How to use this with a brand chart
- Start with your current visible base in even light, not a filtered or heavily backlit photo.
- Open the exact brand chart that belongs to the colour system being discussed. Confirm what that chart calls its deepest and lightest levels before treating a number as meaningful.
- Read depth and tone as separate pieces of information. The level usually describes depth; any letter, slash, or extra naming convention must be read from that same brand’s key.
- Compare a physical swatch or an in-person chart where possible. Use a photograph as a reference for direction only, not as a colour match or a prediction.
- State the starting base, the brand chart being read, the desired depth range, and the visible tonal direction separately. That makes the conversation clearer without claiming a guaranteed result.
Why the real colour and the photo can disagree
Direct sun, warm lamps, cool lamps, coloured walls, phone exposure, automatic white balance, screen calibration, and editing can each alter the apparent depth or cast of hair in an image. A bright screen can make a darker base appear lighter; a warm room can make a neutral-looking result appear more golden; strong backlight can remove the detail needed to read depth at all.
The starting base matters too. Existing colour, uneven previous colour, porosity, texture, and the way colour is applied can affect the visible result. This chart therefore explains how level language is commonly read. It does not predict, prescribe, or promise a finished colour.
Where this chart stops
Numbered hair-colour levels are industry and consumer conventions, not an official or authority-issued standard. There is no authority-backed global table that makes Level 6, Level 8, or any other label identical across every brand.
Use a number only inside the chart supplied by the relevant brand. If two charts disagree, record the brand’s own shade name and swatch rather than forcing them into a shared code. If a real-life observation and a photograph disagree, treat the photograph as incomplete evidence, not a correction to the real view.
Related Face Form Finder pages
Face shape detector tool · Different face shapes index · Hair types chart for natural pattern · Hair texture chart for strand thickness and density · Hair length chart with personal measurement conversion · Hairstyle chart for common haircut names · Haircut number chart for clipper guards