What Do Hair Colour Levels 1 to 10 Mean?
The short answer
Levels run from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest platinum blonde), and each step is one degree of lift or deposit. Level 1 to 2 is black to very dark brown, 3 to 4 is dark brown, 5 to 6 is medium brown to dark blonde, 7 to 8 is blonde, and 9 to 10 is very light blonde.
Updated
The ten levels
| Level | Appearance | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black | Coverage and depth only, no lift |
| 2 | Very dark brown | Rich brunette, blue-black reflects |
| 3 | Dark brown | Warm or cool brunette base |
| 4 | Brown | Most common natural brunette |
| 5 | Light brown | Base for caramel and copper work |
| 6 | Dark blonde | Mousy blonde, common natural level |
| 7 | Blonde | Target for honey and beige blonde |
| 8 | Light blonde | Target for cool and ash blonde |
| 9 | Very light blonde | Balayage and foil ends |
| 10 | Lightest platinum | Pale blonde, needs real lift |
How level interacts with tone
Level tells you how much colour is present; tone tells you which way it reads. Two clients can both sit at level 7 and need completely different formulas because one has warm undertone and the other has ash.
Undertone becomes more visible at higher levels, because lifted hair leaves warmth behind that was previously covered by pigment.
Frequently asked
What level is mousy blonde?
Level 6 or 7, with a cool, slightly green cast. Clients often describe it as dirty blonde or dishwater blonde.
Can you lift more than one level with permanent colour on the scalp?
Two levels is realistic with 20 to 30 volume. Anything beyond that belongs to lightener and an off-scalp application.
Keep reading
- Which Developer Volume Lifts How Many Levels?What each volume can and cannot do, and why the standard rule breaks on resistant grey and lightened hair.
- How Does the Hair Colour Wheel Work?Opposites neutralise, neighbours reinforce — the single rule that explains every toner.
- What Formula Takes Dark Hair to Blonde Safely?Two sessions, not one: staged lift with lightener, then toning to the target shade.
- How Do I Read a Hair Colour Number?Level, primary tone, secondary tone — and why brand suffix letters change everything.
Part of Charts in the S2 Academy.