Synthetic Hair Color Prefix Guide
Ever wonder what those letters at the front of some hair colors mean? We've got ya covered!
Below, you'll find explanations of some common prefixes that are on the packaging for products that we carry. Please note that while these prefixes are used industry-wide, they're not set in stone, so we can't guarantee that other brands that we don't carry all follow the same naming conventions.
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B
The "B" stands for "blend" or "blended." RastAfri adds it to some of their blended colors, but not all of them. Some brands don't use any letter to denote blends, so for example, "B44" and "44" usually mean the same thing. |
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F
The "F" means "frosted." Colors with "F" at the beginning are a chunky mix of two or more colors. Some brands use "FS" to mean the same thing. |
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FS
The "FS" means "frosted." Colors with "FS" at the beginning are a chunky mix of two or more colors. Some brands just use "F" to mean the same thing. |
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Example: Malibu Afro Kinky marley braid in HM30/144 |
HM
HM colors are a mix of two of more colors, usually with one color being more prominent and the other[s] serving as highlights. The first color listed is usually the more prominent of the two, so for example in HM30/144, 30 Light Auburn is the main color, and it's got streaks of 144 Gold running throughout. |
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M
The "M" stands for "mix" or "mixed." RastAfri adds it to some of their blended colors, but not all of them. Many brands don't use any letter to denote blends, so for example, "M51" and "51" usually mean the same thing. |
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T
The "T" stands for "tipped." Colors with a "T" at the beginning are a blend of two or more shades at the top with a solid color down at the ends. |
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BT
RastAfri sometimes adds a "B" to the beginning of their tipped colors to denote that the top portion is blended. It means the same thing as a "T" on its own, so for example, "T1B/30" and "BT1B/30" are the same color. |
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GT
RastAfri puts a "G" at the beginning of their tipped colors that are multicolored rather than blended. For example, Highlight Braid in GT1B/Blue is solid 1B Off Black at the top and transitions down into solid Navy Blue at the ends, while Malibu Afro Kinky marley braid in T1B/Blue is a blend of 1B Off Black and Navy Blue at the top with solid Navy Blue down at the ends. |
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GSF
"GSF" colors are chunky mixes of 3 or more natural colors. They are the same as "F" or "FS" style colors, but RastAfri uses the "GSF" prefix for some of their Freed'm Silky colors. |
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GSRB
"GSRB" colors are a chunky mix of an orange/gold blend plus one other color. For example, GSRB1B is a mix of the orange/gold blend and 1B Off Black. These colors are similar to "F," "FS," and "GSF," but they consistently have the orange/gold blend as one of the component colors. Black N Gold makes similar colors, and uses "R6" to mean the same thing. |
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3T or 4T
For multicolored hair that has more than two colors in it, many brands put a number at the front. This can be used for hair that's actually multicolored as well as ombré blends. It's important to check photos and read product descriptions to know what 3T or 4T means for a specific color. For example, Highlight Braid in 3T1B/Green (Limelight) is black at the top, dark green in the middle, and bright green at the ends. Each strand of hair has all three colors in it. In contrast, Amazon 3X in 3T/Waterslide is a blend of Electric Blue, Light Pink, and Sky Blue at the top, just the Light Pink and Sky Blue blend in the middle, and solid Light Pink down at the ends. All three component colors are solid; none of the individual strands of hair are multicolored. |
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P or Piano
This is commonly used for chunky blends where “F” or “FS” would also work, but it’s mostly used for human weaving hair. We don’t carry weaving hair anymore; the example photo is of a human hair piano mix of 1B Off Black and 350 Rusty Red. |
