1. The Color Doesn't Align With Your Undertones
When your hair color clashes with your natural undertones, it can subtly throw your entire look off balance—even if you can’t quite put your finger on why. Instead of enhancing your complexion, the wrong tone can make skin appear dull, uneven, or tired. Understanding whether your undertones lean cool, warm, or neutral is foundational, because hair color that works with that undertone will naturally brighten the face rather than compete with it. "One of the biggest signs that a hair color isn’t right is that it doesn’t align with your natural undertone,"Lawrence says. "A simple way for clients to identify this is to look at their skin in natural light. If the skin pulls more pink, red, or blue, they’re typically cool toned. If it leans yellow, golden, or peach, they’re usually warm toned. If it feels balanced between the two, they’re often neutral. When undertones are off, hair color can make the skin look dull, overly red, or sallow instead of clear and even."
2. Redness in Your Face Is More Obvious
If your hair color seems to magnify redness or make your complexion look inflamed or washed out, that’s a strong sign the tone isn’t doing you any favors. Hair color should create contrast and balance—not blend too closely with your skin or exaggerate its natural flush. Arana notes that choosing the wrong color temperature can intensify these issues: "You don’t want your hair color to blend in with your skin tone," Arana says. "If you have a pale/cool undertone to your skin, you want a bit of warmth or brightness to your hair color. You don’t want a cool ashy blonde because it will wash you out and make your face look a bit wan.On the other end, if you have red tones to your skin, you want a cooler toned hair color like a white blonde or a cool toned brunette so you don’t have a reddened face."
3. Your Eye Color Doesn't Pop
One of the most overlooked clues that a hair color is wrong is when it dulls your natural features instead of highlighting them. The right shade should enhance contrast in the face, making eyes look brighter and more defined without extra effort. When that contrast disappears, the entire look can feel flat or tired. According to Lawrence, "Another common sign is when hair color washes someone out. When that happens, the color removes contrast from the face, making features look flatter or more tired. The right hair color should bring life back into the complexion, brighten the eyes, and subtly enhance bone structure rather than mute it."
4. You Need to Wear More Makeup
If you find yourself reaching for heavier makeup just to look awake or put-together, your hair color may be working against you. A well-chosen shade should naturally complement your skin, allowing you to wear less makeup—not more. When the color is right, everything feels easier and more harmonious. "One of the biggest clues I see is when clients feel like they need more makeup just to look polished," Lawrence says. "When hair color and cut are right, they do a lot of the work for you. Skin looks brighter, features feel lifted, and the overall look feels effortless."