A-Z Hairdressing Terms Explained | Abingdon | Didcot | Wantage | Oxfordshire

A: 

ASH TONES – Ashy refers to a cool hair colour. These are great when complimenting cooler skin tones. Rather an ash hue to enhance hair complexion is recommended.

B:

BABY LIGHTS – Similar to highlights, baby lights are delicate highlighting technique used to lighten the hair to create subtlety.

BASE COLOUR – The colour of the hair, normally from the root area.

BALAYAGE – A technique for highlighting hair from roughly the top of the ear. A highly effective and maintainable type of hair colouring process requiring both bleach and toner. Balayage is all about softness and ease of maintenance.

BOB – A type of short-medium length hair cut. A bob haircut is traditionally cut in such a way that it remains one length.

BLOW DRY – A method for drying the hair and in some cases styling following a wash or a cut.

BLUNT – All the hair falls to the same length all around. A blunt cut is perfect for people with fine hair. This creates the illusion of both density and volume. 

C:

CHIGNON – A type of ‘hair up’. The name of the hairstyle, ‘chignon’ comes from the French phrase ‘chignon du cou’ which translates to ‘nape of the neck’. In essence a type of hairstyle consisting of pinning the hair to a knot.

CHOPPY – A type of haircut. ‘Choppy’ refers to when you request more texture. Normally this sort of style is suited to shorter length hair down to roughly shoulder length.

COLOUR CORRECTION – A process of rectifying hair colour that is unwanted, damaged hair consisting of bleach and colour, or severely grown up/discoloured hair which requires extensive work (potentially requiring multiple appointments).

D:

DEMI-PERMANENT – A type of hair colour. It sits between semi-permanent and permanent. It’s neither one nor the other. Demi-permanent colour lasts longer than semi-permanent colour but not for the lifespan of a permanent colour. This is traditionally for blending grey, toners, refreshing colour or for use on damaged hair.

DENSITY – Hair density refers to the number of strands of hair on your head. I.e. how thin of thick is your hair?

F:

FULL HEAD HIGHLIGHTS – A full head of highlights (also known as foils) is a highlighting technique covering all of your head. On occasion people with short hair can get away with a half head of highlights.

FEATHERING – A form of cutting to reduce the volume of hair. This is particularly effective with thick hair.

FLAT – A common complaint for people with hair that hasn’t been styled. Often people who have not had a form of hair colour suffer from flat hair. The impact is less and thus this creates a limp appearance.

G:

GRADUATED HAIR – A type of haircut. The hair is cut shorter at the back and progressively gets longer towards the front.

H:

HALF HEAD HIGHLIGHTS – A type of hair colouring. An efficient method for lightening the hair without booking a full head of highlights. This is generally a shorter appointment.

K:

KERATIN – A type of naturally occurring protein found in your hair, skin and nails. To ensure healthy hair, keratin is a necessary component. Keratin treatments can vary in their type of application.