What is level 5 hair color

Do you ever wonder what the numbers mean on a hair color tube? When your stylist refers to numbers, she’s referring to the level system.

What does the level system mean?

The level system is a universal system that determines the lightness or darkness of your hair color. These numbers are generally from 1-10, but I have seen some color lines go up to 12.

Not all brands will translate evenly across the board either. In one product line you may be a 5, but in another that could translate to a 7! So it’s very important to trust your hair stylist if she is using a number on you that may sound too light or dark compared to what another stylist may have used.

What are the numbers in the hair color level system?

In the typical level system, 1 is black and 10 or 12 is the lightest blonde that the hair color line has. A good rule of thumb is as follows:

1 – Black

2 – Darkest brown

3 – Dark brown

4 – Brown

5 – Light brown

6 – Dark blonde

7 – Blonde

8 – Light blonde

9 – Very light blonde

10 – Ultra light blonde

What do the letters mean in hair color?

The letters in hair color refer to the tone of the color. So 5R means level 5, red.

Some color lines do not use letters, they use numbers instead. While at first this can appear confusing, once you learn all the numbers it is very helpful for learning multiple brands color lines.

This number system was originally created for lines that want to translate to different languages so that it’s universal and not confusing for some.

In these lines 5R would be 5.6. So the number that comes before the point is the level which is 5, and the second number 6 behind the point refers to the tone of the color. 6 equals red.

I’m not going to go super in depth on the tones of the hair in this post, but you can learn more about the tones and the color wheel in this post.

Why is the level system important in hair color?

In hair color, the level system is literally EVERYTHING! Before I do any color service, the first thing I do is check the level of the natural hair color. This tells me what I need to do to get you to your desired level.

The level of your hair color also determines what tone your hair is capable of being. You can’t have platinum silver hair with a level of 3. The hair would have to be lifted to a 10 in order to take on that tone.

What is underlining pigment in the hair?

Underlining pigment is what warmth lies in each level of hair color. So if you take a level 5 and try to lighten it, the hair would first turn orange.

The same is true when darkening a hair color; the orange must be replaced if you wish to become a level 5 brown from a blonde. This process is called “filling” the hair, and I’ll talk more about it below with going down in hair color levels.

Here you’ll find a chart that is on the back of my Pravana color book. This helps to show you what is underneath each level. Don’t pay attention to the corrective base right now, as that is covered in my post on the color wheel.

1-3 – Red

4 – Red/Orange

5 – Orange

6 – Orange/Yellow

7 – Yellow/Orange

8 – Yellow

9 – Light yellow

10 – Pale yellow

Going up the hair color level system

Going up in hair color levels means that the hair is being lightened. You could also say that the color is being stripped from the hair. If your hair is virgin, this is doable with permanent hair color, up to a few levels (each line is slightly different).

But hair that has been previously colored cannot be lifted AT ALL with permanent hair color. Bleach (lightener) must be used. (This is why it is EXTREMELY important that you are honest to your stylist about having previous color on your hair). Otherwise you’ll apply the color and it will stay the exact same.

You also cannot get a very high level of lift with permanent hair color, typically 1-3 levels. High-lift hair color is the next step, which will do 3-5, and lightener must be used if you want to lift 5 or more levels and remove the underlining warmth.

Going down the hair color level system

Going down in hair color levels means that the hair is being darkened. While this may appear to be easy, this is where many problems can arise due to inexperience.

If you want to color your hair a level 3 dark brown from a level 10 platinum blonde, you CANNOT just throw a level 3 brown on the blonde.

The hair would turn a muddy greenish color and it would fade extremely fast to an even more unpleasant color.

Filling

Instead of just throwing on the level 3 brown, the hair must be filled first with the correct underlining pigment for a level 3. This is basically a toner that is applied to the hair BEFORE the level 3 brown is applied. I typically use a filler anytime I am dropping 4 or more levels.

Check the chart above in the underlining pigment section to see what you would need to use. In this case if you were a level 10 and wanted to go to a level 3, the hair must be filled with red first.

Depending on the desired tone of the level 3, I would apply a level 5-7 red, red-copper, or red-violet on the hair. Once that is applied, processed, and rinsed off, then you can apply your level 3 brown.

If you are only looking to darken slightly, it is possible to add the filler to the brown formula. But you need to be careful when doing this to not add too much filler to avoid altering the desired tone of the hair color. This is why experience is important to make sure you’re formulating correctly.

There’s a lot more to hair color than you thought, right?! This is yet another reason why we are required to have a license to do your hair. And also why you shouldn’t attempt to color it yourself at home!

Last edited 04/25/2022

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