Pre-bonded hair color matching guide

Adding pre-bonded hair extensions is a great way to quickly achieve voluminous, long hair. However, to achieve a natural, seamless look, perfect color matching is crucial! Choosing the wrong color can make the extensions look like a “wig,” while choosing the right color can instantly give you hair that looks as though it were naturally yours. Don’t worry—this guide will walk you through the process of easily finding the perfect hair color for you.

Step 1: Understand your natural hair undertone

Many people only look at the surface color (tone) of their hair and overlook the more important undertone. The undertone determines the subtle sheen your hair exhibits in sunlight – whether it leans warm (golden, amber, copper) or cool (gray, blue, purple, green).

• How to determine your undertone?

1. Observe under natural light: In bright natural light (avoid fluorescent lights), take a few strands of clean, dry hair from different areas.
2. White paper comparison method: Place the hair on a pure white sheet of paper and observe. If the edges of your hair have golden, red, or orange undertones, it is a warm undertone. If the edges have gray, silver, blue, or purple undertones, it is a cool undertone. If it falls between the two or is difficult to distinguish, it may be a neutral undertone.
3. Refer to your hair dye history: If you have dyed your hair, the color of the newly grown roots best reflects your natural undertone. Dyed sections may have altered the color.

• Why is undertone so important? Pre-bonded hair extensions also have an undertone. Only when the undertone of the extensions matches your natural hair undertone will the blend be seamless and not appear unnatural in sunlight. Warm undertone hair paired with cool undertone extensions, or vice versa, will look unnatural.

Step 2: Determine your natural hair color level

The color level refers to the darkness or lightness of your hair, typically represented by numbers 1-10 (1 being the darkest, 10 being the lightest).

• How to determine it? Under natural light, observe the overall darkness of your hair. Compare it with the color swatch chart we provide and find the numerical level closest to your overall hair color. Pay attention to the color from the mid-length to the ends, as the roots may be darker.

Step 3: Choose your Sunny Extensions pre-bonded hair extension color

Now that you know your natural hair base color and main color tone, you can start selecting hair extension colors!

• Core matching principles:

1. Base color matching priority: This is the most important step! Ensure that the base color (warm, cool, or neutral) of the hair extension color you choose matches your natural hair base color.
2. Dominant Tone Matching: Choose hair extension colors that match or are very close to your natural hair’s dominant tone (lightness/darkness), with a difference of no more than 0.5-1 shade. Perfect matching typically occurs when the shades are identical.

Want a lightening effect?

• If you want the hairpiece to have a slight lightening effect, choose one that is 0.5 shades lighter than your natural hair color. Avoid choosing hairpieces that are 1.5 shades lighter or more, as the color difference will be very noticeable.

Want a darkening effect?

It is generally not recommended to choose hairpieces darker than your natural hair color, as dark colors do not blend well with lighter colors. If you need coverage, consult a professional hairstylist.

• Use our color chart:

Carefully study our detailed color chart. Each color is labeled with a main tone number and a base color description. Combine your assessment of your base color to find the corresponding base color and shade.

• Consider mixing and matching (Balayage/Highlights): If your natural hair has highlights, gradients, or multiple colors:

Match the base color area: Prioritize matching the base color and main tone of the largest or root/main section of your hair. The hairpiece must blend seamlessly with this section.

Match the light-colored area: If you want to use the hairpiece to enhance the effect of light-colored highlights, you can choose a hairpiece with a tone similar to your light-colored sections. However, this typically requires professional styling to achieve the best transition effect. The safest approach remains matching the main color/base color.

FAQs: Common Color Matching Problems