Hair definition with vocabulary and meanings, example conversations and pdf

Hair Vocabulary

Who would have thought that something as simple as cutting hair could have such a large vocabulary!  Hair vocabulary isn’t something you come across every day.  So it’s not until you’re in the seat that you find you are exposed to it.  Therefore, it’s worth preparing yourself before the big event.  In this Free Online Business English course, I’ll cover the most common hair vocabulary for hair salons and barbershops to help you ask for a haircut in English.  Don’t forget, if you want to perfect your English pronunciation, you can find the full video of this lesson at the bottom of the lesson where you will hear me pronounce many of the hair salon words for you.  

Hair Salon Vocabulary in English – where to go

Men and women have many options to choose from.  Many places that cut hair will call themselves a:

– Hairdressers

– Hair Salon

– Hair Studio

Definition of a hair salon and hairdressers meaning

There is no difference between the examples above however, it is more common to refer to a hair salon as a location/shop or ‘I’m going to the hairdressers’.  Typically, they focus on women’s hair, however, they will usually also cut men’s hair.

– Barber Shop (Men Only – includes facial haircare)

This is often referred to as simply – The barbers.

Who works there?

You will initially meet the receptionist and then you will meet the person who will be doing your haircut:

Hairstylist (or stylist) / hairdresser (ranked by Junior or Senior) – a person who cuts men’s or women’s hair.

Barber – a person who cuts men’s hair.

Arriving at the hairdressers

Most salons require you to have an appointment.  Once you arrive for your appointment you will book in with the receptionist.  They will normally take your coat and hang it up for you, then they put a protective cape around you and take you to your chair in front of a big mirror.  You will then be offered a drink (Tea, Coffee, or Water) and a magazine to read while you wait. 

Most visits will involve washing your hair.  They will shampoo and condition your hair. At this point you may be asked if you want extra treatments applied to the hair, these will come at an extra charge.   

Hair vocabulary for an English haircut

When referring to ONE SINGLE hair then we use an article.  For example:

   – There is a hair in my food.

   – I found a grey hair.

Please be aware that the word hair is usually used without article when it refers to all the hairs on one’s head in general. For example:

   – Brown hair is very common in my country.

   – I would like you to wash hair and sweep the floors today.

But if we are referring to more than one hair, a few hairs, then it takes the plural form.  For example:

   – He was excited to discover four hairs had grown on his chin.

   – You have a few stray hairs growing on your neck.

Let’s discuss the areas of the head.

Forehead – The front of your head above your eyebrows.

Scalp – The skin covering the head (excluding the face).

Crown – The very top of the head.

Nape – Back of the neck.

Hairline (receding hairline)  – Line where the hair starts on your forehead.

Fringe – Hair that covers the forehead.

Parting – The split of hair on the top of the head, some people have a centre parting and others have a side parting.

Sideburns – The area of hair in front of your ears.

Beard – Hair on the chin and lower cheeks.

Moustache –  Hair on the upper lip.

Hair salon words for equipment used 

Hairstylists have lots of equipment, the common items that you should know the names for are as follows: 

Hairdryer – For drying wet hair.

Scissors – For cutting hair by hand. 

Clippers – Electric haircutters (used on very short hair).

Trimmers – Electric hair cutters, designed to get closer to the skin.  Used for beards, sideburns, edges, etc. 

Razor – A blade used to cut the hair as close to the skin as possible.  Usually used by a barber.

Straighteners – Irons for the hair, they make hair straight using heat.

Curling tongs – Curl hair using heat.

Hairbrush – Brush used to smooth the hair.

Comb – (pronounced with a silent B) a strip of plastic, metal, or wood with a row of narrow teeth, used for untangling or arranging the hair.

Products used to keep the hair in place; Gel, Mousse, Wax, Hair spray.

How to ask for a haircut in English

Asking for something in the hairdressers is the same as asking for anything, you start your sentence with “I would like”, or “I want” and then you simply need to know what it is you want.  It helps to do some research and take in a few photos to show the stylist what you want so that they have a clear idea. In most cases, you will want one more of the following services: Wash, Cut, Colour, Styled (or restyled).  Let’s have a look at these services in more detail.

Hairstyle vocabulary – Colours

Usually referred to as having your hair dyed (as they use dye to do the colour), you will be asked whether you want permanent or semi-permanent colour. 

An all-over colour colours all your hair, but there are other options. You can have strips of hair coloured instead, referred to as highlights and lowlights.  Highlights involve lightening hair and lowlights involve darkening hair. In order to add highlights or lowlights, the stylist will use foils or a cap.

When taking the hair lighter all over you may hear the term bleaching the hair. 

More hairdresser vocabulary – Hairstyle words

We covered some of the most common English hairstyle words above and in this section, we’ll look at a wider selection of hairstyle vocabulary.

Perm – Makes hair curly

Straighten / Relax – Makes hair straight

Wash & blow-dry

Braid – Plait the hair

Cornrows – A style of braiding and plaiting the hair in narrow strips to form geometric patterns on the scalp.

Extensions – Artificial or human hair is attached to the natural hair in strands.

Weave – Artificial hair is braided / woven into natural hair.

Quiff – Lots of volume in the front part of the hair.

Comb over – Hair is swept sideways across the head. Sometimes used by those who have problems with hair thinning on top. 

Slicked back – All the hair is scraped backward from the forehead and fixed in place with holding product. 

Spiky hair

Afro – Mass of tight curls that stands up / sticks out around the head. Sometimes simply called a ‘fro’.

Shiny hair

Bald – No hair on the head.

Bun – The hair is wrapped into a ball-like shape and fixed normally at the back of the head.

Topknot – Similar to a bun, a knot of hair on the top of the head.

Beehive – Backcombing or teasing with hairspray to style hair on top of the head so that the size and shape are suggestive of a beehive, hence the name.

Wavey hair

Bunches / Pigtails – Hair is tied up on each side.

Ponytail – Hair is tied up at the back.

Dreadlocks – Dreads or Locks created by matting or braiding strands of hair.

An Example Hair salon conversation 

Now let’s look at an example of a hair salon conversation between a hairdresser and a customer.  Below you will also find an example of a Conversation between barber and customer.  This hair salon conversation is a typical welcome to a hair salon.  You’ll notice a few typical interactions that are specific to a hair salon experience.

Hair salon conversion

Receptionist: Hi how can I help you?

Customer: Hi, I have a booking for 3pm.

Receptionist: Great, I have you here for a wash and cut, right?

Customer: Yes, that’s right.

Receptionist: Great, come with me, please.  Here you go, can I get you a drink?

Customer: Yes please a coffee would be lovely.

Hairdresser: Hi, I’m Anna.  How are you?  What are we doing today?

Customer: Hi Anna, I’m well thanks. I just need to cut my split ends and a bit of layering, please.

Hairdresser: Fantastic, that’s simple enough.  Shall we take you over for a wash now?

Customer: Yes, please.  I love a head massage, it’s such a luxury.

Vocabulary for a Barber Shop

So far we have focused more on hairdresser vocabulary.  In this next section, we will look at the Barbershop vocabulary – some of these hairstyle words and vocabulary have been covered above, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll cover them all here: 

Barbershop vocabulary: equipment

Clippers – Electric haircutters (used for short hair in grades e.g. #1, #2, #3, etc).

Trimmers – Electric hair cutters, designed to get closer to the skin.  Used for beards, sideburns, edges, etc. 

Razor – A blade used to cut the hair as close to the skin as possible.  Usually used by a barber.

Towel – A cotton fabric square/rectangle.  Often used hot to soften the hair and raise hair before shaving. 

An Example Conversation between barber and customer  

We looked at an example of a hair salon conversation above.  Now we will look at an example conversation between barber and customer.  You’ll notice that there are a few differences between a hair salon conversation and a barbershop conversation.  The experience in a barbershop and a hair salon is quite different.  You’ll notice that comparing the hair salon conversation with the barbershop conversation there are key differences in the customer experience.

Barbershop conversion

Receptionist: Hi how can I help you?

Customer: Hi, I have a booking for 3pm.

Receptionist: Yes I have you down for a haircut and beard trim right?

Customer: Yes, that’s right.

Receptionist: Great, come with me, please.  Here you go, can I get you a drink?

Customer: Yes please a coffee would be lovely.

Barber: Good afternoon sir, what are we doing today?

Customer: Just a general tidy up, please

Barber: Great.

Hair vocabulary – Conclusion

As you can see, there is a large vocabulary on hair.  The above is by no means comprehensive and indeed, as hair is a creative art that is heavily influenced by fashion and culture, there is new vocabulary created all the time.