Highlighting your hair is a fantastic way to add dimension, brightness, and personality to your overall look. From subtle sun-kissed strands to bold, contrasting colors, the possibilities are endless. But what happens when you only want to brighten your face, specifically? You might be wondering, what are highlights just in the front called? Let’s dive into the world of face-framing highlights and explore the different techniques, terminology, and considerations involved in achieving the perfect look.
Understanding Face-Framing Highlights
When highlights are strategically placed around the face to illuminate and accentuate your features, they are generally referred to as face-framing highlights. This technique focuses on adding lightness and dimension to the hair that directly borders your face, creating a halo effect of brightness. While there isn’t one single, universally accepted name for this specific placement, several terms are commonly used and often interchangeably.
Popular Terms and Techniques
Several terms are used to describe highlights concentrated around the face, each sometimes referring to subtle variations in application and desired effect. Understanding these terms can help you communicate effectively with your stylist and achieve your dream hair.
Money Piece Highlights
Perhaps the most popular and trending term, money piece highlights refer to bold, noticeable highlights that frame the face. These are typically thicker and brighter than other highlights, designed to make a statement and immediately draw attention to the face. The term emphasizes the impact these highlights have on enhancing your overall appearance, making you look instantly more polished and put-together.
Face Frame
The term “face frame” itself is a broad term encompassing any highlighting or coloring technique that emphasizes the hair directly surrounding the face. It’s a general descriptor and doesn’t necessarily specify the intensity or thickness of the highlights.
Front Highlights
“Front highlights” is a straightforward and simple way to describe highlights placed at the front of your hair, near your face. This term is clear and easily understood, making it a good choice when communicating with your stylist if you want to be direct about your desired placement.
Halo Highlights
Although less common, “halo highlights” evokes the image of a soft, luminous glow surrounding the face. This term suggests a more subtle and blended application of highlights, creating a gentle brightening effect rather than a bold contrast.
Key Considerations for Face-Framing Highlights
Achieving the perfect face-framing highlights requires careful planning and consideration of several factors. These factors include your skin tone, hair color, hair texture, and desired level of maintenance. A consultation with a skilled colorist is crucial to determine the best approach for your individual needs.
Skin Tone and Undertones
Your skin tone plays a significant role in determining the ideal shade for your face-framing highlights. Warmer skin tones typically benefit from golden, caramel, or honey blonde highlights, while cooler skin tones look stunning with ash blonde, platinum, or icy highlights. It’s equally important to consider your skin’s undertones – warm, cool, or neutral – to ensure the highlights complement your complexion and enhance your natural radiance.
Hair Color and Contrast
The contrast between your base hair color and the highlights is another important factor to consider. A high contrast can create a dramatic and bold look, while a low contrast results in a more subtle and blended effect. For example, dark brown hair can look stunning with caramel or chocolate brown highlights, while blonde hair can be enhanced with lighter blonde or platinum highlights.
Hair Texture and Thickness
The texture and thickness of your hair can also influence the placement and intensity of your face-framing highlights. Fine hair may require more delicate and subtle highlights to avoid overwhelming the hair, while thick hair can handle bolder and more pronounced highlights. Your stylist will also consider how your hair naturally falls and parts to ensure the highlights are strategically placed to maximize their impact.
Maintenance and Upkeep
Face-framing highlights, like any hair color treatment, require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best. The frequency of touch-ups will depend on the contrast between your base color and the highlights, as well as how quickly your hair grows. Root touch-ups are typically needed every 6-8 weeks to maintain the brightness and prevent a harsh line of demarcation.
Techniques for Achieving Face-Framing Highlights
Several techniques can be used to create face-framing highlights, each offering different levels of precision and control. Your stylist will choose the technique that best suits your hair type, desired look, and budget.
Foil Highlights
Foil highlights are a classic and versatile technique that involves separating strands of hair and encasing them in foil with hair dye. This method allows for precise placement of highlights and is ideal for achieving a variety of effects, from subtle and blended to bold and contrasting. Foils also provide good insulation, allowing the dye to process effectively and achieve the desired level of lightness.
Balayage
Balayage is a freehand painting technique that involves applying hair dye directly to the hair, without the use of foils. This method creates a more natural and blended effect, with soft transitions and seamless integration with the base color. Balayage is particularly well-suited for creating sun-kissed highlights and a lived-in look. For face-framing highlights, balayage can be used to gently brighten the hair around the face, creating a soft and subtle glow.
Teasy Lights
Teasy lights involve backcombing sections of hair before applying the highlighting product. This technique helps to create a more diffused and blended effect, with less defined lines. Teasy lights are a great option for achieving subtle, natural-looking highlights that grow out seamlessly.
Slicing
Slicing involves taking thin, even sections of hair and applying the highlight color to the entire section. This method creates a more uniform and defined highlight, and is often used for achieving bold, chunky highlights.
Benefits of Face-Framing Highlights
Face-framing highlights offer a multitude of benefits, making them a popular choice for those looking to enhance their appearance and boost their confidence.
Illuminates the Face
One of the primary benefits of face-framing highlights is their ability to illuminate the face. By strategically placing lighter strands around the face, they reflect light and create a brightening effect, making your complexion appear more radiant and youthful.
Accentuates Facial Features
Face-framing highlights can also be used to accentuate your best facial features. By placing highlights near your eyes, cheekbones, or jawline, you can draw attention to these areas and enhance your natural beauty.
Adds Dimension and Depth
Highlights, in general, add dimension and depth to your hair, preventing it from looking flat and one-dimensional. Face-framing highlights can be particularly effective at adding dimension around the face, creating a more dynamic and interesting look.
Low Commitment Option
Compared to all-over hair color, face-framing highlights are a relatively low-commitment option. They require less maintenance and are less likely to cause damage to your hair. This makes them a great choice for those who are new to hair color or who want a subtle change without a significant investment.
Customizable and Versatile
Face-framing highlights can be customized to suit your individual preferences and style. You can choose the shade, intensity, and placement of the highlights to create a look that is uniquely yours. They are also versatile enough to work with a variety of hairstyles and hair lengths.
Maintaining Your Face-Framing Highlights
Proper maintenance is essential to keep your face-framing highlights looking their best. Here are some tips for maintaining your color and keeping your hair healthy:
Use Color-Safe Shampoo and Conditioner
Invest in a high-quality shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for color-treated hair. These products are designed to gently cleanse and hydrate your hair without stripping the color.
Limit Heat Styling
Excessive heat styling can damage your hair and cause your color to fade. Try to limit your use of heat styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers. When you do use heat, be sure to apply a heat protectant spray to shield your hair from damage.
Use a Toner
Over time, your highlights may develop unwanted brassy or yellow tones. A toner can help to neutralize these tones and keep your highlights looking fresh and vibrant.
Schedule Regular Touch-Ups
As mentioned earlier, regular root touch-ups are necessary to maintain the brightness and prevent a harsh line of demarcation. Schedule appointments with your stylist every 6-8 weeks, or as needed, to keep your face-framing highlights looking their best.
Choosing the Right Stylist
Finding a skilled and experienced stylist is crucial for achieving the perfect face-framing highlights. Here are some tips for choosing the right stylist:
Look at Their Portfolio
Before booking an appointment, ask to see the stylist’s portfolio of work. This will give you an idea of their skill level and their ability to create the look you want.
Read Online Reviews
Check online reviews to see what other clients have to say about their experience with the stylist. Pay attention to reviews that mention color services, specifically highlights.
Schedule a Consultation
Schedule a consultation with the stylist to discuss your desired look and ask any questions you may have. This is a great opportunity to get a feel for their expertise and their communication style.
Trust Your Instincts
Ultimately, the best way to choose a stylist is to trust your instincts. Choose someone who you feel comfortable with and who you believe understands your vision.
In conclusion, while there isn’t one specific, official name for highlights placed solely around the face, terms like money piece highlights, face frame, and front highlights are commonly used and understood. Understanding these terms, considering your individual features and preferences, and working with a skilled stylist are all essential for achieving beautiful, face-framing highlights that enhance your natural beauty.
What is the most common name for highlights just in the front of the hair?
The most common name for highlights placed specifically around the front of the face is “face-framing highlights.” This term accurately describes the purpose of the highlights, which is to draw attention to and accentuate the facial features. They’re designed to brighten the complexion and add dimension around the face, often mimicking the natural lightening effects of the sun.
Other, less common but still relevant terms you might hear include “money piece,” which often refers to thicker, bolder highlights in the front, and “contouring highlights,” which suggests a more strategic placement to sculpt and define the face. Regardless of the specific name used, the concept remains the same: strategically placed highlights around the face to enhance its appearance.
How are face-framing highlights different from traditional highlights?
Traditional highlights typically involve coloring strands of hair throughout the entire head or a significant portion of it. The goal is often to add overall brightness, dimension, and texture to the hair. They can range from subtle, natural-looking enhancements to more dramatic, contrasting shades.
In contrast, face-framing highlights are much more focused and localized. They are exclusively placed around the face, usually from the temples down to the chin. The primary objective is to brighten the complexion, enhance facial features, and add a touch of radiance where it will have the most impact. They require less processing time and can be a lower-maintenance option than full head highlights.
What face shapes do face-framing highlights suit best?
Face-framing highlights are incredibly versatile and can be adapted to suit a wide range of face shapes. They can be particularly flattering on round faces, as the vertical placement can create the illusion of length. They can also soften the angles of square faces and add dimension to oval faces.
The key is to customize the placement and intensity of the highlights to complement the specific features of each individual. For example, longer face shapes might benefit from highlights placed slightly lower to add width, while heart-shaped faces might look best with highlights concentrated around the chin to balance the wider forehead.
What are the different techniques used to achieve face-framing highlights?
Several techniques can be used to achieve face-framing highlights, each offering a slightly different result. Balayage, a freehand painting technique, allows for a soft, natural-looking blend. Foiling is another common method, providing more precise and controlled placement, which can be ideal for achieving bolder, more defined highlights.
Another technique is slicing, which involves taking thin sections of hair and applying color to them. The chosen technique depends on the desired effect and the skill of the colorist. A thorough consultation with a stylist is crucial to determine the most suitable technique for achieving the desired look and maintaining hair health.
How can I maintain my face-framing highlights and keep them looking fresh?
Maintaining face-framing highlights involves several key steps to prevent fading and keep your hair healthy. Using color-safe shampoo and conditioner is crucial, as these products are specifically formulated to protect the vibrancy of colored hair. Regularly using a hair mask or deep conditioner will also help to hydrate and nourish the hair, preventing dryness and breakage.
Additionally, limiting exposure to direct sunlight and heat styling can help to prolong the life of your highlights. When heat styling is necessary, always use a heat protectant spray. Depending on the speed of your hair growth and the difference in color between your highlights and your base color, you may need to visit your stylist for a touch-up every 6-8 weeks to keep them looking their best.
What are some popular color choices for face-framing highlights?
The most popular color choices for face-framing highlights often depend on the individual’s base hair color and skin tone. Warm tones, such as golden blonde, caramel, and honey, are popular choices for those with warmer complexions and darker hair, as they add a touch of radiance and warmth to the face.
For cooler skin tones and lighter hair, cooler blonde shades like platinum, ash blonde, and icy blonde are often preferred. These colors can create a striking contrast and brighten the complexion without adding unwanted warmth. Ultimately, the best color choice is one that complements your individual features and enhances your overall look.
Can I achieve face-framing highlights at home, or is it best to go to a professional?
While it’s technically possible to achieve face-framing highlights at home with DIY kits, it’s generally recommended to go to a professional colorist. Achieving a seamless blend and avoiding damage can be challenging without the proper training and experience. Professionals have a better understanding of color theory and can customize the placement and intensity of the highlights to best suit your face shape and hair type.
Furthermore, a professional colorist can ensure that the right products and techniques are used to minimize damage and maintain the health of your hair. Incorrectly applied bleach or hair dye can lead to breakage, uneven color, and other undesirable results. Investing in a professional service can ultimately save you time, money, and potential hair disasters in the long run.