Face framing highlights are a popular hair coloring technique designed to brighten and accentuate your facial features. It’s a strategic placement of lighter strands around the face, mimicking the natural way the sun lightens hair, creating a luminous and youthful glow. This technique can instantly lift your complexion, define your cheekbones, and bring out your eyes, making it a sought-after choice for those seeking a subtle yet impactful change to their hairstyle.
Understanding the Basics of Face Framing Highlights
At its core, face framing highlights involve coloring the strands of hair closest to your face a few shades lighter than your base color. The aim is not to create a stark contrast, but rather a soft and gradual transition that complements your skin tone. The color used for face framing highlights can range from warm honey blondes to cool ash tones, depending on your existing hair color and desired aesthetic.
This technique is highly customizable. You can opt for bold, chunky highlights for a more dramatic effect, or subtle, baby lights for a natural sun-kissed look. The placement, tone, and thickness of the highlights all play a role in achieving the desired outcome. A skilled colorist will consider your face shape, hair texture, and personal style to create face framing highlights that are uniquely flattering to you.
The Difference Between Face Framing Highlights and Other Highlighting Techniques
It’s important to distinguish face framing highlights from other highlighting methods like balayage, ombre, and traditional foil highlights. While all these techniques aim to add dimension and lightness to the hair, they differ in their application and overall effect.
Balayage involves hand-painting highlights throughout the hair, creating a soft and blended effect. Ombre is a gradual transition from dark roots to lighter ends. Traditional foil highlights typically involve sectioning the hair and applying color from root to tip, resulting in a more uniform and defined look.
Face framing highlights, on the other hand, are specifically focused on brightening the area around the face. They can be combined with other highlighting techniques to create a more multi-dimensional look, but their primary purpose is to enhance your facial features.
Benefits of Choosing Face Framing Highlights
There are numerous reasons why face framing highlights have become a go-to choice for those looking to refresh their look.
- Instant Brightening: They instantly brighten your complexion, making you look more awake and radiant.
- Enhanced Facial Features: They accentuate your best features, such as your cheekbones and eyes.
- Youthful Appearance: The lighter strands around the face can create a more youthful and fresh appearance.
- Low Maintenance: Face framing highlights are relatively low maintenance, as they don’t require frequent touch-ups.
- Customizable: They can be customized to suit any hair color, skin tone, and personal style.
- Versatile: They work well with a variety of hairstyles, from short bobs to long layers.
Choosing the Right Shade for Your Skin Tone
Selecting the right shade for your face framing highlights is crucial for achieving a flattering and natural-looking result. The ideal color should complement your skin tone and enhance your overall complexion.
For warm skin tones, shades like honey blonde, caramel, and golden copper work beautifully. These warm tones will bring out the warmth in your skin and create a sun-kissed glow.
For cool skin tones, shades like ash blonde, platinum blonde, and icy silver are a great choice. These cool tones will neutralize any redness in your skin and create a sophisticated and chic look.
For neutral skin tones, you have more flexibility and can experiment with both warm and cool tones. Beige blonde, sandy blonde, and neutral brown shades are often a good starting point.
It’s always best to consult with a professional colorist who can assess your skin tone and recommend the most flattering shades for your face framing highlights. They can also take into account your existing hair color and desired level of contrast to create a customized color plan.
Factors to Consider Beyond Skin Tone
While skin tone is a primary consideration, there are other factors that can influence your choice of highlight shade.
Your natural hair color plays a significant role. You’ll want to choose a shade that complements your base color and creates a harmonious blend. For example, if you have dark brown hair, you might opt for caramel or chocolate brown highlights. If you have blonde hair, you could go for lighter blonde or platinum highlights.
Your hair texture can also impact the way highlights appear. Fine hair tends to absorb color more quickly, so you might want to choose a lighter shade. Coarse hair can handle bolder highlights without looking too harsh.
Finally, your personal style should also be taken into account. If you prefer a natural and understated look, you might opt for subtle, baby lights. If you’re more adventurous, you could go for bolder, chunky highlights.
The Importance of a Strand Test
Before committing to full-fledged face framing highlights, it’s always a good idea to perform a strand test. This involves applying the chosen color to a small, inconspicuous section of your hair to see how it reacts and how it looks against your skin tone.
A strand test allows you to:
- Assess the color’s true tone and intensity.
- Determine how well the color takes to your hair.
- Identify any potential allergic reactions.
- Adjust the color formula if needed.
Performing a strand test can save you from potential color disasters and ensure that you’re happy with the final result.
Different Techniques for Applying Face Framing Highlights
There are several techniques that colorists use to apply face framing highlights, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. The choice of technique will depend on the desired effect, hair type, and skill of the colorist.
- Foil Highlights: This is a classic technique that involves sectioning the hair and applying color to individual strands using foil. Foil highlights can create a precise and controlled look, allowing for even color distribution and maximum lift.
- Balayage: This hand-painting technique creates a soft and blended effect. Balayage is ideal for achieving a natural sun-kissed look with seamless transitions. It’s particularly well-suited for creating face framing highlights that are subtle and effortless.
- Babylights: These are very fine and delicate highlights that mimic the natural way the sun lightens hair. Babylights are perfect for adding subtle dimension and brightness to the face.
- Chunky Highlights: These are thicker and bolder highlights that create a more dramatic and statement-making effect. Chunky highlights can be used to frame the face and add a touch of edginess to your hairstyle.
The choice of technique should be made in consultation with a professional colorist who can assess your hair and recommend the best approach for achieving your desired look.
Maintaining Your Face Framing Highlights
Once you’ve achieved your perfect face framing highlights, it’s important to take steps to maintain their color and vibrancy. Proper care will help prevent fading, brassiness, and damage.
- Use Color-Safe Shampoo and Conditioner: These products are formulated to protect your color-treated hair and prevent fading. Look for shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate-free and contain UV filters.
- Avoid Excessive Heat Styling: Heat styling tools can damage your hair and cause your color to fade more quickly. Minimize your use of heat styling tools and always use a heat protectant spray when you do.
- Protect Your Hair from the Sun: The sun can fade your hair color and cause damage. Wear a hat or use a hair product with UV protection when you’re spending time outdoors.
- Get Regular Touch-Ups: Depending on how quickly your hair grows and how dramatic your highlights are, you’ll need to get regular touch-ups to maintain your desired look. A colorist can reapply the highlights to your roots and refresh the color.
- Consider a Toner: Toners can help neutralize unwanted brassy tones and keep your highlights looking fresh and vibrant. Ask your colorist about using a toner between appointments.
Potential Challenges and How to Avoid Them
While face framing highlights can be a fantastic way to enhance your features, there are some potential challenges to be aware of.
- Brassiness: Highlights can sometimes turn brassy over time, especially if you have dark hair. Using a purple shampoo can help neutralize these unwanted yellow tones.
- Damage: Highlights can be damaging to the hair, especially if you’re using bleach. Be sure to use a deep conditioner regularly and avoid over-processing your hair.
- Uneven Application: If the highlights are not applied evenly, they can look patchy or streaky. It’s important to go to a skilled colorist who has experience with face framing highlights.
- Unflattering Color: Choosing the wrong shade of highlight can actually make your complexion look dull or washed out. Consulting with a professional colorist is essential for selecting the most flattering colors.
- Regrowth: As your hair grows, the highlights will move away from your face, creating a noticeable line of demarcation. Regular touch-ups are necessary to maintain the look.
By being aware of these potential challenges and taking the necessary precautions, you can ensure that your face framing highlights look beautiful and healthy.
Finding a Qualified Hair Colorist
The success of your face framing highlights largely depends on the skill and expertise of your hair colorist. It’s important to find someone who is experienced in this technique and who understands how to customize it to your individual needs.
- Ask for Recommendations: Ask friends, family, or colleagues who have beautiful highlights for recommendations.
- Read Online Reviews: Check online reviews and ratings of local salons and colorists.
- Look at Before-and-After Photos: Ask to see before-and-after photos of the colorist’s work, especially photos of face framing highlights.
- Schedule a Consultation: Schedule a consultation with the colorist to discuss your goals and expectations.
- Ask About Their Experience: Ask the colorist about their experience with face framing highlights and their preferred techniques.
Choosing a qualified and experienced hair colorist is an investment in your hair and your overall appearance. It’s worth taking the time to do your research and find someone you trust to create the perfect face framing highlights for you. Remember to communicate clearly with your stylist about your desired outcome and be open to their professional advice. With the right colorist, you can achieve stunning face framing highlights that enhance your natural beauty and boost your confidence.
What exactly are face framing highlights?
Face framing highlights are strategically placed strands of color that brighten and accentuate your facial features. They typically surround the face, starting from the hairline and extending down to the cheekbones or jawline. The goal is to add dimension, warmth, and overall radiance to the complexion by drawing attention to the eyes and highlighting your best assets.
These highlights are customized to suit individual face shapes, skin tones, and hair textures. By carefully selecting the placement and tone of the highlights, a skilled stylist can create a personalized look that enhances your natural beauty and complements your existing hair color. They can be subtle and natural or bold and dramatic, depending on your desired outcome and personal style.
How are face framing highlights different from traditional highlights?
Traditional highlights often encompass a larger portion of the hair and are applied more evenly throughout the head. While they add overall lightness and dimension, they may not specifically focus on accentuating the face. The aim is more to brighten the entire head of hair rather than strategically illuminating key facial features.
Face framing highlights, on the other hand, are precisely placed around the face to create a halo effect. They’re designed to draw attention to the eyes, cheekbones, and jawline, shaping and defining the face. This technique prioritizes targeted brightness and dimension, making it a more impactful way to enhance your natural beauty.
What face shapes benefit most from face framing highlights?
Almost every face shape can benefit from face framing highlights, but the specific placement and tone will vary depending on the shape. For round faces, highlights near the cheekbones and temples can create the illusion of more definition and angles. This strategic placement helps to visually slim and elongate the face.
For square faces, softer, blended highlights around the jawline can help soften the angular features. Oval faces are the most versatile and can wear almost any style of face framing highlights. Heart-shaped faces can benefit from highlights around the chin area to balance out a wider forehead. Consulting with a stylist is key to determining the ideal placement for your unique face shape.
What hair colors work best with face framing highlights?
Face framing highlights work beautifully with a wide range of hair colors, from light blonde to dark brunette. The key is to choose a highlight shade that complements your base color and skin tone. For blondes, lighter, brighter highlights can enhance the overall luminosity.
For brunettes, caramel, honey, or even copper highlights can add warmth and dimension. Redheads can opt for strawberry blonde or golden highlights to create a sun-kissed effect. The contrast between your base color and the highlights should be subtle enough to look natural but noticeable enough to create dimension and visual interest. A stylist can help you choose the perfect shades for a harmonious blend.
How do I maintain my face framing highlights at home?
Maintaining your face framing highlights involves using color-safe shampoo and conditioner to prevent fading and brassiness. Investing in a good quality purple shampoo can help neutralize any unwanted yellow tones, especially for blonde highlights. This helps keep the highlights looking fresh and vibrant for longer.
Regular deep conditioning treatments can also help keep your hair healthy and hydrated, preventing breakage and frizz. Avoid over-washing your hair, as this can strip away natural oils and cause the color to fade faster. It’s also important to minimize heat styling and use heat protectant products when using styling tools to prevent damage and maintain the integrity of the color.
How often should I get my face framing highlights touched up?
The frequency of touch-ups depends on how quickly your hair grows and how noticeable your roots are. Typically, face framing highlights need to be touched up every 6-8 weeks to maintain their vibrancy and prevent a harsh line of demarcation. This timeframe also ensures the integrity of the hair isn’t compromised by frequent bleaching or coloring.
If you prefer a more subtle, grown-out look, you can extend the time between touch-ups to 8-12 weeks. However, be mindful that the highlights may start to lose their definition and brightness over time. Regular gloss treatments in between highlight appointments can help refresh the color and add shine.
Can I do face framing highlights at home?
While it’s technically possible to do face framing highlights at home, it’s generally recommended to have them done professionally. Achieving the perfect placement and tone requires skill and experience, and DIY attempts can sometimes result in uneven color or damage to the hair. This is especially true if you’re significantly lightening your hair or have a complex color.
If you’re determined to try it yourself, do thorough research, watch tutorials, and choose a high-quality highlighting kit specifically designed for face framing. Always perform a strand test before applying the color to your entire head and be very careful to follow the instructions precisely. However, for the best and most predictable results, consulting a professional stylist is always the safest and most effective option.