Money Piece & Face-Framing Highlights in Plano, TX

What a Money Piece Is

If you've saved a hair photo in the last couple of years, there's a good chance it had a money piece. It's the pair of brighter pieces that frame the face — lighter than the rest of the hair, sitting right at the front part and along the sides. The name says it all: it's the piece that pays off, drawing light up toward your eyes, cheekbones, and smile.

What makes the money piece so popular is the ratio of effort to impact. It's a small, targeted service, but it changes how your whole look reads. At Lee Graves Salon in Plano, it's one of the most-requested color details we do — sometimes on its own, sometimes layered into a bigger highlight. Our stylist breakdown in what are money piece highlights goes even deeper on the look.

Money Piece vs. Face-Framing Highlights

These two terms overlap, and clients often mean the same thing by both — but there's a subtle distinction:

• Money piece typically means a bolder, brighter statement right at the front part and around the face. There's real contrast between the front pieces and the rest of your hair.
• Face-framing highlights can be softer and more blended, brightening the front sections gradually rather than making a hard statement.

Either way, the strategy is the same: put the brightness where it flatters your face most. Your colorist will help you decide how bold to go based on your features, your base color, and how much contrast you want. Want more? Pair a money piece with babylights for soft brightness everywhere, or with foil highlights for all-over lift plus a bright front.

Who a Money Piece Suits

One of the best things about the money piece is how universal it is. It works on:

• Every base color. Brunettes, blondes, and everyone in between — the contrast is simply tuned to your hair.
• Every length. From a bob to waist-length hair, framing the face flatters.
• Low-commitment clients. If you're curious about brighter color but not ready to highlight your whole head, the money piece is the perfect toe in the water.
• Grown-out color. Adding a fresh money piece can revive a look that's lost its brightness without a full service.

It's also a favorite for special occasions and photos, because the extra brightness around the face reads beautifully on camera.

What to Expect at Your Appointment

Like every color service at our Plano salon, a money piece starts with a consultation. Your colorist looks at your base color, your hair's condition, and — importantly — your face shape and features, since placement is what makes the money piece flatter. Bring reference photos so you can align on how bright and bold you want the front to be.

If you're getting a standalone face-framing service, it's quick and targeted — your colorist lightens just the front sections and finishes with a gloss to perfect the tone. If you're adding a money piece to a larger highlight, it's built into that service. We use Schwarzkopf's bond-protecting lightener throughout, and because only a small amount of hair is processed, it's one of the gentler ways to brighten.

Keeping Your Money Piece Fresh

There's a trade-off with the money piece: because the front pieces are your brightest, they're also the first place regrowth and tone changes show. The good news is that the front is easy and inexpensive to refresh. To keep it crisp:

• Book a maintenance toner every 6-8 weeks to keep the front cool and bright.
• Use a purple shampoo once or twice a week if your money piece is blonde.
• Ask about refreshing just the front between full highlight services to stretch your color budget.

For the complete routine, see our highlight maintenance guide and root melt and toning. Common questions are answered on our highlights FAQ.

Money Piece Pricing in Plano

A targeted face-framing service — our Illumination, which brightens the pieces around your face and includes a gloss — starts at $100 at Lee Graves Salon. If you'd rather build a money piece into a partial or full highlight, your colorist will price the whole service together. Final pricing depends on your stylist's level (1-5) and your hair. See our highlights pricing guide and the pricing page for full details.

Book Your Money Piece in Plano

Ready for the brightening detail everyone's asking for? Book online or call (972) 378-0091. We're at 6101 Chapel Hill Blvd, Suite 103 in West Plano, serving Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Richardson, and the wider DFW area. Explore all our highlight services to plan your look.

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