The term tone refers to:

Tone in hair coloring refers to the balance of color in a particular shade. It describes the warmth or coolness of a color. For example, a tone can be categorized as either warm, with shades like golds and reds, or cool, with shades such as ashes or violets. Understanding tone is crucial for colorists when creating a desired look, as it helps them to mix colors properly and achieve the intended result on a client's hair.

Brightness of color pertains more to the intensity or vibrancy of a shade rather than the balance of hues within that shade. Texture of hair relates to the feel and structure of the hair strands, while length of hair deals solely with how long the hair is, not affecting color balance. Therefore, the emphasis on tone as it relates to color balance makes it a key concept in color theory for hairstylists.