19 salons terms you need to know, from balayage to butterfly haircut
Have you ever felt confused about hairdressing terms used on social media or in the salon?
With new cut and colour trends emerging all the time, and a huge range of techniques used by stylists, it’s not surprising if you’re confused by all the jargon of the hair world - but we’re here to help.
“Hairdressers get used to their language through the technical training that they do, whether it's with brands or in salon,” says managing director Yashar Rasekh.
“And what's happened with social media is there are many different hairdressers that create terminology and some of it goes viral, but not all. It’s a lot to keep up with!”
That’s why the team recommends bringing in photos of your desired look to your consultation.
“Clients can be quite hesitant about bringing in reference pictures,” says styist Tam Cluney, “but it’s always helpful if they do.”
Creative director Joe Savine is in favour as well: “I would say definitely bring photos for colour appointments so I have a visual. I always say that my golden blonde or my copper is different from your perspective of what's golden or copper.”
Ultimately, it’s the team’s job to cut through the jargon, so if there’s any aspect of your cut or colour you’re unsure about, just shout and they’ll be happy to explain.
And now, to help ease the confusion, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most commonly misunderstood hairdressing terms and provided a definition for each…
KEY HAIRDRESSING TERMS DEFINED
Balayage - from a French word meaning ‘to sweep’, balayage is a colouring technique where dye is applied freehand with a brush to create a natural-looking multi-dimensional effect. For example, lightener might be applied to brunette hair to create blond highlights. Sometimes, clients will use balayage to describe a look, but the word refers to the technique.
Air touch - a type of balayage, air touch colouring involves using the airflow from a hairdryer to isolate certain strands for colouring, resulting in incredibly natural-looking colour and seamless blending between shades, for example from brunette to blonde.
Root smudge - usually done alongside highlights or balayage, a root smudge means applying a toner shade similar to your natural hair colour and smudging it down towards the highlights to create a more seamless look.
Root tap - similar to a root smudge but done on a smaller section of hair, a root tap means using hair dye to create the illusion of roots, usually after applying all-over colour. For example, a colourist might dye the hair a golden blonde shade then create a dark blonde root tap to make the colour seem more natural.
Babylights - a more subtle version of highlights, babylights are finely-woven lightened sections placed throughout the hair in a very natural way. They are also sometimes known as threads.
Root glow - also known as ‘hot roots’, this is when the heat from your scalp causes the colour at the roots to process faster than the rest of the hair, often resulting in a warmer or more brassy tone.
Scandi hairline - the Scandi hairline technique involves bleaching only the baby hairs around the hairline to make it look like they’re naturally lighter. It’s usually done alongside a blonde colour service.
Glaze - also known as a gloss, a hair glaze is a type of toner that adds shine to the hair. Glazes can be clear or pigmented.
Keratin - keratin is a type of protein. It is the structural material that makes up the outer layer of your hair and nails. Keratin treatments are so called because they defrizz or straighten the hair.
Porosity - hair porosity means the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. There are three categories: low, medium and high porosity. Medium is the optimal condition, when the hair is able to absorb and retain moisture well.
Blowout - the American term for a blow-dry. When done in salon, we will always wash your hair first before blow drying and styling it.
Rough dry - when rough drying hair it means using your fingers alongside a hairdryer instead of a brush.
Backwash - this is the term we use in salon to mean the area where we wash your hair.
Bangs - this is simply the American term for a fringe. Because a lot of hair trends start in the US, you’ll often see it used on social media.
Curtain bangs - this trendy look is centre-parted fringe with sweeping sides, meaning it resembles curtains.
Wispy bangs - the opposite of a blunt fringe, wispy bangs are thinner and cut in a choppy style.
Shaggy layers - a trend that’s returned to popularity in recent years, shaggy layers are part of the shag haircut, a choppy, rock’n’roll-inspired style that can be worn long or short.
Glossy waves - the dream hair look for many long-haired ladies, glossy waves are shiny, well-defined waves usually created with curling tongs.
Butterfly haircut - a big hair trend over the last year, the butterfly haircut is a heavily layered cut that features shorter layers on the top of the head along with curtain bangs.
What’s the word?
With new hair trends and techniques being coined all the time, it’s not easy trying to keep up with the latest technical terms - even for professionals.
We hope our list of cut, colour and trend definitions helps to give some clarity, but if there’s ever anything you’re unsure about, just ask one of the team in salon, who’ll be happy to help explain.
Think a butterfly cut or curtain bangs might be for you? Book your next appointment at Paul Edmonds London.
