We’ve all left a salon at some point with a haircut that we hate. Often an upcoming hair appointment can be cause for a sleepless night or two. On the top of the worry list is the process of letting go of tried a true hairstyle, and then there’s the doubt about how your new haircut is going to look and will it even match your personality! There are some ways to head off hair stylist appointment disasters. Here are some ways to make sure you and your hairdresser are on the same page.
Understanding the Buzz Words
It is my firm belief that most hair salon disappointments can be traced directly to miscommunication. The hairstyle you’re trying to describe is not what the hair stylist sees. After all, when you think of it, every woman has her own unique idea of what “short hair” is. To one it means chin length, to a stylist it may mean above the ears and to a third person it could mean a buzz cut.
Let’s face it, our language is simply not very precise, so it is vital that you learn the terms you’re likely to hear while you’re hanging around your local salon. Like any profession hair styling has its own insider lingo. To the average client hairdresser-speak can sound like Greek, so how do you get your message across when you describe the look you want? To the rescue this quick hair dictionary.
- LONG LAYERS lighten the weight of the hair and add swing; achieve a textured look by shortening the top of the hair.
- CHIPPING is also known as point cutting, is used to add texture.
- TEXTURIZING is done using thinning shears. It adds movement and body by reducing weight from heavy sections, while leaving extra length in others.
- RAZORING is done with a straight-edged blade to cut or texturize the hair.
- SLIDE CUTTING uses a very sharp scissor blade to skim over the surface at an angle.
- SINGLE PROCESS HAIR COLOR is best used for covering gray hair.
- DOUBLE PROCESS HAIR COLOR is used for highlights and to bleach the hair.
- HIGH LIGHTS lighten and brighten a solid background hair color.
- LOWLIGHTS add depth and contrast to a light solid look.
Bring In Photos
The pictures will give you some direction, but remember that it’s not like picking a shirt out of a catalog. A haircut is very handmade and the hair stylist needs to talk to you about how to tailor it to work for you