Hair color has the power to elevate your entire look—or work against it. The right shade doesn’t just follow trends; it works in harmony with your skin tone and undertone, enhancing your natural features and bringing balance to your overall appearance. When the color is spot-on, your skin looks brighter, eyes appear more defined, and everything feels effortlessly on the same page.
But veer even slightly in the wrong direction, and the effect can be the opposite. A mismatched hue can leave skin looking sallow, drain warmth from the complexion, and throw your features off balance, making you appear washed out or tired. To help you avoid these pitfalls, Van Hong, a celebrity hairstylist, co-founder of Mint Tools, and owner of a professional hairstyling school, breaks down five of the most common hair color mistakes that can dull your glow and how to spot them before they sabotage your look.
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1) Overdoing Blonde Highlights
Overdoing blonde highlights is one of the most common mistakes Hong says he sees in the salon, especially when clients chase lighter and brighter results too frequently. He emphasizes that pushing hair too far can compromise its health and ultimately make it look older, not fresher. As Hong explains, “Blonde highlights can become a bit addictive similar to tanning and over time the hair can be pushed too light. When hair is over-lightened, it becomes fragile and starts to break. Those short, broken pieces create a fizzy, frizzy look that makes hair appear dry and unhealthy, even when it’s styled. Softer, well-placed highlights with breaks between lightening sessions keep hair looking fuller, shinier, and much more youthful.” His advice underscores that restraint and strategic placement are key to maintaining both hair integrity and a youthful appearance.
2) Going Too Cool or Ashy With Blonde
According to Hong, choosing the wrong blonde tone can be just as aging as over-lightening. While icy, ashy blondes are trendy, they don’t always flatter the complexion, especially as skin matures. Hong notes, “Choosing a blonde that’s too cool or heavy in ash tones can actually work against you. These shades tend to highlight fine lines and shadows in the face, making the skin look more tired or weathered. While cool tones can look beautiful, most people benefit from a touch of warmth, which reflects light and softens the overall appearance. The goal is a blonde that brightens the face, not one that drains it.” A hint of warmth can make all the difference in keeping blonde hair fresh and luminous rather than flat.
3) Covering Greys by Going Too Dark
When it comes to covering greys, Hong cautions against going too dark, a move he says often backfires. Instead of restoring youthfulness, darker shades can create a harsh contrast against the skin and make regrowth more noticeable. As he explains, “When covering grey hair, many women make the mistake of going back to or darker than their original natural color. This often looks harsh and can age the face. Instead, going slightly lighter than your old natural shade blends greys more naturally and keeps the result softer. Dark, solid color tends to emphasize regrowth and can give a heavy or brassy look that doesn’t match the skin anymore.” Softer color choices help hair look more natural and forgiving over time.
4) Not Keeping the Front Lighter for a Brighter Face
Strategic placement is just as important as color choice, and Hong stresses the importance of keeping the front pieces lighter. He explains that brightness around the face acts almost like a built-in beauty filter. “Any time you’re adding dimension with foils or balayage, the front of the hair should stay lighter," he says. "Lighter pieces around the face act like natural lighting they reflect brightness upward, soften shadows, and help reduce the appearance of dark lines or strong features. This simple placement choice can make the face look more refreshed without changing the overall color.” This technique delivers maximum impact with minimal commitment.
5) Not Keeping Contrast Subtle When Using Multiple Colors
When working with multiple shades, Hong advises keeping contrast understated for the most flattering result. Extreme light-and-dark combinations can look severe unless the goal is a bold, fashion-forward statement. As Hong explains, “When adding more than one color, subtle contrast is usually the most flattering. High contrast very light against very dark can look harsh unless you’re working with bold, fashion shades like vivid or rainbow colors. For everyday hair, staying within one to two shades of difference keeps the color soft and blended. If you want more dimension without going dramatic, pairing warm and cool tones creates the look of contrast while still keeping everything smooth and natural.” This approach creates depth and movement while maintaining an effortless, natural finish.
