Hair Color Chart: Everything Women Must Know

Want a new hair color but don’t know where to start? Our guide to hair color chart will help you decode the color codes and find your perfect match.

Choosing a new hair color can be a daunting task. Our hair color chart guide will help you understand the basics and make an informed decision.

1. What is a hair color chart?

The hair color chart presents shades ranging from blonde to black and allows one to envision their hair with shades of interest, while also facilitating the search for that specific color. The charts are numbered or organized in a grid form, where the first number in the code of color indicates the depth, followed by a tone, denoted by the second and third numbers.

2. Key components of a hair color chart

Understanding the key components of a hair color chart is essential for achieving your desired hair color.

2.1. Color level

This refers to how light or dark a hair color is. It’s typically represented by a number, with 1 being the darkest (black) and 10 being the lightest (platinum blonde). A natural hair color level system is needed to understand the current possible color as a base for the other colors to achieve the right results.

2.2. Color tones

Color tones refer to the undertones or nuances of a professional hair chart color. These nuances drastically change the color and how it interacts with the skin tones. Tones are usually divided into three distinct types on a hair color chart:

• Warm tones include red, gold, or copper as major undertones.
• Cool tones include blue, violet, or ash as major undertones.
• Neutral tones are a mix of warm and cool tones and do not appear warm or cool. Beige blonde or neutral brown are examples of this.

Proper selection of tone adds appeal to your already beautiful face. Skin tone and undertone should be at the center of your color choice. For instance, warm skin tones are well complemented by warm hair colors while the opposite is true for cool tones.

2.3. Color families

A color family is a term that denotes a wide range of hair colors grouped according to their general aspect. These categories help narrow down the selection of the new hair color.

• Black: In black, the deep, dark colors have few undertones. It ranges from blue-black to jet-black. The undertones may vary between a hint of brown, blue, or even green depending on the color.
• Brown: It ranges from light hazel to dark chocolate and has a broad spectrum of warm to cold tones. The undertones: red, gold, ashed, or violet shades may be present.
• Blonde: it ranges from golden platinum to blonde, and consists of light, bright colors in addition to various levels of warmth or coolness. It can have ash, golden, or beige undertones.
• Red: This is made up of warm, reddish colors, and it ranges from copper to fiery red. The undertones include orange, copper, or violet.
• Other color families: black, brown, red, and blonde are the most common colors, but there are other specialized ones like ginger, gray, and brunette.

2.4. Special effects

Special effects are many different techniques used to make hair color more dimensional, interesting, and personalized. They may cross over into hair color charting, but they don’t accurately reflect the color systems to which they are applied, as they often use more than one color.
Common special effects:

• Ombre: A lighting technique where hair color is graduated from dark at the roots to light at the tips.
• Balayage: A highlighting technique where paint or lightener is applied freehand to create a natural sun-kissed effect.
• Highlights: Lighter strands of hair than the base color.

3. Several official hair color charts

Here are a few of the common hair color charts preferred by hair stylists and colorists around the world.

3.1. Wella Professionals color chart

It is perhaps the most famous name in the hair world and for good reason. Their chart is well-known in the industry. The color range is extensive and includes permanent, demi-permanent, and special effects colors. The chart is grouped into families (black, brown, blonde, red) and descriptions such as level and tone are provided.

3.2. L’oreal chart hair color

Another major player in the hair care industry And their color chart is no different. It is quite extensive. It includes all varieties of colors from natural looking to bold fashion shades. The chart is tidy and intuitive which is favorable among stylists.

3.3. Redken hair color chart

Redken has an impressive reputation for developing advanced hair colors, which is evident in the design of their hair color chart. It has a special construction for sorting colors that makes it simple to select an appropriate tone for the intended hairstyle. The compilation also shows information on special effects such as highlights, lowlights, and balayage.

3.4. Schwarzkopf hair color chart

Schwarzkopf has grown to become one of the top multinational companies in hair care products and their color chart has become an enduring feature in most beauty salons. It comes in an extremely broad spectrum, including permanent, demi-permanent, and several other special effects. The chart is user-friendly due to its less complicated nature and orderliness hence liked by many stylists and customers.

4. How to use a hair color chart

Hair color charts are essential tools for any person planning to color their hair. They serve as reference guides for varying shades and tones with special effects. Understanding how to read and use a hair color chart can help you make informed decisions about your next hair color transformation.

4.1. Understanding the basics

Hair color charts generally employ a numeric code to specify the degree of darkness/lightness and tone of a color, a system referred to as the color code. For instance, ‘5.3’ would suggest light brown with a golden undertone.
Identifying your natural color before getting hair dye, let’s say blonde, is necessary to identify the natural hair color correctly. Use the swatches on the chart to measure your hair against them to find the closest one.

4.2. Selecting a new color

Consideration of skin tone: Hair colors that are reddish, and brown look warm and are appealing for warm skin tones. While colors like brown, black, or dark ash gray are appealing for cool skin tones.
Desired level selection: You need to decide whether you want to go lighter, darker, or somewhere close to your natural color.
Special effects exploration: Consider using special effects and color treatments such as ombre, balayage, or highlights if you wish to have something more drastic.

4.3. Consulting a professional

Seek expert advice: With your hair type, skin color, and lifestyle considerations, a professional stylist can assist in choosing the perfect option for you.
Consultation: Some salons provide color consultation free as a means to showcase what they can do with your hair and attend to ration any questions.

5. Factors affecting hair color results

This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.

Here are some key factors that can affect hair color results:

• Natural hair color: This is the basis. More work is necessary on darker hair to get substantial lightening. Additionally, warm, cool, or neutral undertones on your hair will affect how the artificial color will take as well as the result. As an illustration, ash blonde over deep golden undertones may have a greenish cast.
• Hair condition: High-porosity strands can result in color floating and fading too easily, while low-porosity tresses may resist color penetration altogether. Damaged and over-processed hair can result in a lot of breakage and have little to no color retention.
• Color products: Different levels of lightening, including permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and temporary dyes will have different effectiveness and effects on the hair.
• Application technique: Capping the skills of the colorist, the technique profoundly changes the results.

Over-application may result in streaks or blotches, while sparse application will not cover the entire area intended.

Conclusion
The right hair color when applied can create a major difference in one’s image. Learning the basic principles of how to read hair color chart which show the different levels and tones, as well as special effects, makes it easy for one to choose an applicable color and have the desired style.