When you leave the hairdressers, you’re likely to feel one of two ways. You will either be thrilled with your new look, feeling fresh and content or you will be walking out of the door with something you definitely didn’t want, wondering how long it will take for your hair to grow back to its usual length and look. Ideally, you want to form part of those in the former category rather than the latter. You want to head and feel proud of your new hair, showing it off to your pals. Not hiding away and covering up with a hat each time you step outdoors. So, how do you guarantee a good cut? Well, of course you need a competent hairdresser. But the key to getting what you want from your stylist is effective communication. Remember that even the greatest hairdresser can fall short of your expectations if they don’t have a clear idea of what it is that you want. Here’s a quick guide to some basic hairdressing terms so that you can effectively convey what you want during your consultation and understand whatever your stylist says to you.
Layers
Layering works with all hair types: long, short, curly, straight, volumized or sleek. So it’s going to be a term you hear flung about a lot at the salon. But what actually are layers? Well, layering the hair is essentially the act of leaving the bottom layers of hair longer and trimming the hair from the crown of your head into short layers. There are various reasons for doing this. The first is to give the illusion of length. The other is to give the illusion of volume. The differences between the layers can be subtle or drastic, forming a stepped look. If you wear your hair curly, layers are greatly recommended, as they minimise the weight of the upper parts of your hair, meaning that curls can stay in for longer.
Blunt Cut
A blunt cut, made famous by Vidal Sassoon, will see your stylist cut straight across the bottom of your hair. Viewed from the back, the bottom of your hair will fall into a completely straight line. This is great for those who like a sleek, neat cut.
Choppy Cut
If you request a choppy cut, different pieces of hair will be cut to different lengths. This gives a less uniform and more casual look, proving particularly useful for those who have wavy or curly tresses, or those who don’t have much time for (or interest in) styling.
Thinning
If you have particularly thick hair, you may want to ask to have it “thinned” in order to be able to style it more easily. Your hairdresser will use specialist thinning scissors to reduce bulkiness, allowing your style to sit as you intend.
These are just a few hairdressing terms, but they are some of the most common and will be used in almost every hairstyle, so it’s good to actually understand what they mean. Remember to speak up during your consultation if you don’t understand what’s being planned. Your stylist will be accommodating and will probably be able to provide you with pictures and references to give you a better idea of their intentions!
