Glossary
Confused by a hairstyle, haircut, hair color, or salon term? This A–Z hair glossary explains common hair words in plain language.
Use the alphabet below to jump straight to a letter. Whether you're researching a new haircut, learning about your natural texture, planning a color appointment, or trying to work out what your stylist means, this guide can help.
A
A-Line Bob
An A-line bob is shorter at the back and gets longer toward the front. The difference can be subtle or sharp, depending on the shape you want.
Afro
An Afro lets tightly curled or coily hair form a rounded, full shape around the head. Afros can be short, long, sculpted, tapered, or worn in their natural free shape.
Air-Dry
Air-drying means letting hair dry on its own, with no blow dryer or other heated tool.
All-Over Color
All-over color means putting one main color through all the hair instead of coloring only certain sections.
Alopecia
Alopecia is a general medical term for hair loss. The types have different causes, so unexplained or heavy hair loss should be checked by a healthcare professional.
Angled Bob
An angled bob has a clear change in length, usually getting longer toward the front. It is closely related to the A-line bob.
Asymmetrical Cut
An asymmetrical haircut uses different lengths or shapes from one side to the other on purpose.
Ash Tone
Ash is a cool hair-color tone that can carry blue, green, or violet undertones, depending on the shade.
B
Babylights
Babylights are very fine highlights made with small sections of hair. They add soft brightness rather than bold stripes.
Bangs
Bangs are sections of hair cut to fall over or around the forehead. Common types include curtain, blunt, wispy, micro, curly, and side-swept.
Balayage
Balayage is a lightening technique where the lightener is painted onto chosen sections of hair. The placement can range from soft depth to bright contrast.
Base Color
Base color is the main overall color underneath highlights, lowlights, or other dimensional coloring.
Beach Waves
Beach waves are loose, relaxed waves with a soft, slightly undone finish.
Bixie
A bixie mixes a bob and a pixie. It is usually longer than a pixie but shorter and more layered than a standard bob.
Bleach
Hair bleach is a chemical lightener that removes natural or artificial pigment. Heavy lightening can affect the condition of your hair, so treat it with care.
Bleach Bath
A bleach bath, sometimes called a bleach wash, mixes lightener with other products for a gentler, diluted lift. It still involves chemical lightening, so it can affect condition.
Blending
Blending means creating smooth changes between lengths, layers, colors, or sections so nothing looks abruptly cut off.
Blow-Dry
Blow-drying uses a hair dryer to remove moisture and often shape the hair at the same time.
Blowout
A blowout is a finished style created mostly with a blow dryer and brushes or other tools. It usually adds smoothness, movement, volume, or all three.
Blunt Bob
A blunt bob has a strong, fairly even edge rather than heavily feathered or graduated ends.
Blunt Cut
A blunt cut gives a clean, solid edge. The ends can look fuller because less weight has been removed.
Bob
A bob is a short-to-medium cut that usually finishes somewhere between the ears and shoulders. Types include the French bob, Italian bob, stacked bob, inverted bob, and blunt bob.
Bond-Building Treatment
A bond-building treatment helps support or briefly improve hair that has taken chemical or physical stress. Different formulas work in different ways.
Box Braids
Box braids are individual braids made from divided sections of hair. The partings can be square, rectangular, triangular, or another shape, despite the name.
Braids
Braids are styles made by weaving sections of hair together. Examples include French braids, Dutch braids, cornrows, box braids, and fishtail braids.
Breakage
Breakage happens when a strand snaps somewhere along its length instead of naturally shedding from the root.
Brassy Hair
Brassiness is the unwanted warm yellow, orange, or reddish tones that can show up in lightened or color-treated hair.
Butterfly Cut
A butterfly cut uses lots of layers, often with shorter face-framing pieces and longer layers through the rest. The shape adds movement while keeping plenty of length.
C
Chignon
A chignon is an updo where the hair is arranged into a knot, roll, or coil, usually near the back or nape.
Chin-Length Bob
A chin-length bob has its main edge finishing around the chin.
Choppy Layers
Choppy layers are defined layers that create visible separation and texture rather than a completely smooth finish.
Clarifying Shampoo
A clarifying shampoo clears heavier buildup from oils, styling products, minerals, and other residue. How often you use it depends on your hair and the product.
Clipper Cut
A clipper cut is made partly or mostly with electric hair clippers instead of scissors.
Coarse Hair
Coarse hair has thicker individual strands. Coarse is about strand thickness, not how much hair you have overall.
Coily Hair
Coily hair forms very tight curls, coils, or zigzag patterns. It is often called Type 4 hair in popular curl systems.
Color Correction
Color correction is a service that changes, balances, repairs, or adjusts an existing color result. It can involve several techniques and sometimes more than one appointment.
Color Melt
A color melt blends two or more shades so they change gradually instead of sitting in sharp lines.
Color-Depositing Product
A color-depositing product adds pigment without much lightening. Examples include some conditioners, masks, glosses, and semi-permanent colors.
Conditioner
Conditioner improves softness, slip, and feel after washing. Different formulas suit different hair needs.
Cornrows
Cornrows are braids made close to the scalp, usually by adding hair along each braided row as you go.
Cowlick
A cowlick is a spot where hair naturally grows in a different direction from the hair around it. They often show up near the crown or hairline.
Crown
The crown is the upper-back area of the head. Stylists often talk about crown layers or crown volume when planning a cut.
Curl Pattern
Curl pattern is the natural shape your hair forms, from straight and wavy to curly and tightly coiled.
Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs usually part in the center and sweep out toward the sides of the face. They tend to get longer at the outer edges.
Cuticle
The cuticle is the outer protective layer of a hair strand. Its condition affects how your hair feels and how it handles moisture, chemicals, and the weather.
D
Deep Conditioning
Deep conditioning means leaving a conditioning treatment on longer than an everyday rinse-out conditioner to boost softness and manageability.
Demi-Permanent Color
Demi-permanent color adds tone with little or no lightening and fades gradually, so it does not leave the same hard regrowth line as many permanent colors.
Density
Density is how many strands grow in a given area of your scalp. It is usually described as low, medium, or high.
Detangling
Detangling is working knots and tangles apart while trying to lose as little hair as possible.
Diffuser
A diffuser is an attachment for a hair dryer that spreads the airflow over a wider area. It is popular for wavy, curly, and coily hair.
Diffusing
Diffusing is drying your hair with a diffuser attachment, often to keep or boost curl and wave definition.
Dimension
Dimension is the visual depth you get from having more than one tone, shade, highlight, or lowlight in your hair.
Disconnected Layers
Disconnected layers leave clear gaps between sections on purpose instead of blending every length together.
Double-Process Color
Double-process color uses two main coloring steps. A common example is lightening the hair first, then adding a toner or another color after.
Dry Cut
A dry cut is done on dry hair rather than wet. It lets the stylist see how the hair naturally falls, curls, and moves while they cut.
Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo goes on dry hair, usually near the roots, to soak up some oil and freshen things between washes.
Dusting
Dusting takes a tiny amount off damaged or split ends while keeping as much length as possible.
E
Edges
Edges are the shorter hairs around the hairline, especially near the forehead and temples.
Elasticity
Elasticity is your hair's ability to stretch and bounce back without breaking. Chemical processing, condition, and moisture all affect it.
Elevation
In cutting, elevation is the angle a stylist lifts a section of hair away from its natural fall before cutting.
Ends
The ends are the oldest part of your strands, at the very bottom of the length.
Extension
A hair extension is extra hair added to your own to build length, fullness, color, or styling options.
F
Face-Framing Layers
Face-framing layers are shorter pieces cut around the face to add movement or draw attention to certain features.
Fade
A fade is a short cut where the hair moves gradually from very short or nearly bare areas into longer lengths.
Feathered Hair
Feathering makes soft, light layers or ends that flow away from the face or into each other.
Fine Hair
Fine hair has thinner individual strands. You can still have low, medium, or high density with fine hair.
Finger Coils
Finger coils are made by wrapping small sections of curly or coily hair around your finger to set defined coils.
Fishtail Braid
A fishtail braid is made by crossing small pieces of hair between two main sections over and over, giving a woven look.
Flat Iron
A flat iron uses heated plates to straighten, smooth, bend, wave, or curl sections of hair.
Foilyage
Foilyage mixes freehand or balayage-style placement with foils to push more lift or brightness in certain areas.
French Bob
A French bob is a short bob that usually finishes around the jaw or chin. It often comes with bangs, though bangs are not a must.
French Braid
A French braid is a three-section braid that gradually picks up more hair as it goes.
Fringe
Fringe is another word for bangs, especially in British and international salons.
Frizz
Frizz is hairs that look separated from the main pattern or shape of your style. Humidity, texture, damage, and moisture balance can all cause it.
Full Highlights
Full highlights place lightened sections all over the head instead of just one area.
G
Glaze
A hair glaze adds shine, refreshes tone, or makes subtle color changes. The formula and how long it lasts can vary.
Gloss
Hair gloss is a color or shine treatment used to refresh tone, cancel unwanted tones, deepen color, or add shine.
Graduation
Graduation is a cutting method where lengths build up to create weight, shape, or fullness. Graduated bobs often sit shorter at the back.
Gray Blending
Gray blending uses color to soften the contrast between gray and pigmented hair instead of covering every gray strand.
Gray Coverage
Gray coverage is coloring meant to hide or greatly reduce how visible gray hair is.
Grow-Out
Grow-out is the stage where new natural hair shows after a cut, color, relaxer, or other service.
H
Hairline
The hairline is the natural edge where scalp hair begins around the forehead, temples, sides, and nape.
Hair Mask
A hair mask is a conditioning treatment made to stay on the hair longer than a standard conditioner.
Hair Painting
Hair painting is freehand placement of color or lightener straight onto chosen sections.
Hair Porosity
Porosity is how easily your hair takes in and lets go of moisture. Natural traits, weather, heat, and chemical processing can all affect it.
Hair Shaft
The hair shaft is the visible part of a strand above the scalp.
Hair Type
Hair type usually means whether hair is straight, wavy, curly, or coily. More detailed systems split these into numbered and lettered groups.
Halo Braid
A halo braid wraps around the head in a crown-like shape.
Hand-Tied Extensions
Hand-tied extensions are wefts attached with bead-and-thread methods. The exact technique varies between systems.
Heat Protectant
Heat protectant is a styling product that reduces some of the effects of heat styling. It does not make hair fully heat-proof.
Heat Styling
Heat styling uses tools like blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, or hot brushes to temporarily change your hair's shape.
Highlights
Highlights are sections made lighter than the hair around them to add brightness, contrast, or dimension.
Hidden Undercut
A hidden undercut shortens hair underneath longer sections so it stays out of sight when the top hair falls naturally.
I
Inverted Bob
An inverted bob is usually shorter at the back and longer toward the front, often with graduation that adds shape through the back.
Invisible Layers
Invisible layers are subtle inside layers that add movement or take out weight without leaving obvious steps.
Italian Bob
An Italian bob is usually a fuller bob with a strong edge and enough length to move and style a few ways. The look shifts with current trends.
J
Jaw-Length Bob
A jaw-length bob finishes around the jaw rather than reaching the shoulders or collarbone.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is a plant oil often added to hair and skin products as a softening, conditioning ingredient.
K
Keratin
Keratin is a structural protein that makes up much of the hair fiber.
Keratin Treatment
Keratin treatment is a broad salon term for smoothing services meant to cut frizz and change manageability. Formulas and results vary, so the product and process matter.
Kinky Hair
Kinky is a term sometimes used for very tightly coiled or zigzag-textured hair. Many people prefer terms like coily hair or Type 4 hair.
Knotless Braids
Knotless braids are individual braids where the extension hair is added in gradually instead of starting with a firm knot at the base.
L
Layers
Layers are made by cutting sections at different lengths instead of keeping every strand at one length.
Layered Bob
A layered bob pairs a bob-length edge with layers that add movement, texture, shape, or volume.
Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in conditioner goes on after washing and stays in the hair instead of being rinsed out.
Length Retention
Length retention is keeping the length you have by cutting down on breakage and unnecessary trimming.
Lift
In coloring, lift means lightening the hair's natural or artificial pigment.
Lightener
Lightener is a chemical product used to remove pigment and make hair lighter.
Locs
Locs are sections of hair allowed or encouraged to form rope-like strands over time. Ways to start and maintain them vary widely.
Lob
Lob is short for "long bob." It usually falls around the shoulders or collarbone.
Long Layers
Long layers add variation in length while keeping most of your overall length.
Lowlights
Lowlights add darker sections to create depth, dimension, or contrast.
Low-Porosity Hair
Low-porosity hair tends to resist taking in water and products more than highly porous hair does.
M
Micro Bangs
Micro bangs are very short bangs that usually finish well above the eyebrows.
Micro Bob
A micro bob is an extra-short bob, often finishing near the cheekbones, ears, or upper jaw, depending on how it is cut.
Micro Links
Micro-link extensions attach extra hair with small beads or rings instead of tape or large bonded sections.
Mid-Lengths
Mid-lengths are the middle part of the hair, between the roots and ends.
Money Piece
A money piece is a brighter or contrasting section of color placed around the front hairline to frame the face.
Mousse
Mousse is a light, foaming styling product often used for volume, hold, or curl definition.
Mullet
A mullet keeps shorter hair through the front or sides while leaving noticeably more length at the back.
N
Nape
The nape is the lower back area of the neck where the bottom hairline usually sits.
Natural Hair
Natural hair usually means hair worn without chemical texture-altering treatments like relaxers. The term is especially common when talking about Afro-textured hair.
New Growth
New growth is hair that has recently grown from the scalp since a color, relaxer, or other chemical service.
Non-Permanent Color
Non-permanent color is a broad term for color made to fade over time instead of permanently changing or staying in the hair the way permanent color does.
O
Octopus Cut
An octopus cut mixes shorter, rounded layers around the crown with longer, separated lengths underneath, creating a distinctive layered shape.
Ombre
Ombre is a color effect where one shade fades into another, usually going from darker roots to lighter lengths and ends.
One-Length Cut
A one-length cut keeps a strong edge with little or no layering on the outside.
Overdirection
Overdirection means moving a section of hair away from its natural fall before cutting it. Stylists use it to control length, movement, and shape.
P
Partial Highlights
Partial highlights place lighter sections in only some areas rather than all over the head.
Parting
A parting is the line made when hair is divided in a certain direction. Common ones are center, side, deep-side, and zigzag.
Peekaboo Highlights
Peekaboo highlights are colored or lightened sections tucked under the top layers, so they show more when the hair moves or is styled.
Permanent Color
Permanent color uses a chemical reaction to make a lasting color change. It may fade over time, but treated hair does not simply go back to its untouched state.
Perm
A perm uses chemicals to create longer-lasting curls, waves, or texture.
Piece-y
Piece-y describes a style with separated, defined sections on purpose rather than one smooth, uniform surface.
Pixie Bob
A pixie bob mixes the cropped size of a pixie with some of the length, fullness, or structure of a bob.
Pixie Cut
A pixie is a short cut usually cropped around the sides and back, with varying length through the crown and front.
Plopping
Plopping is a drying method for wavy or curly hair where wet hair is gathered into fabric, often to help hold curl shape while extra water soaks out.
Point Cutting
Point cutting is cutting into the ends with the scissors held at an angle instead of straight across.
Ponytail
A ponytail gathers the hair together and ties it so the length falls freely from the fastening point.
Porosity
See Hair Porosity. It describes how easily the hair takes in and lets go of moisture.
Protective Style
A protective style keeps hair arranged in a way that cuts down on daily handling and helps protect the lengths and ends. Braids, twists, and some tucked styles can count.
Protein Treatment
A protein treatment uses protein-based ingredients to briefly support the feel or structure of some damaged hair. More protein is not always better for every head of hair.
Q
Quick Weave
A quick weave creates a weave style using extensions attached to a protective cap or base instead of sewing every weft onto braided hair.
R
Razor Cut
A razor cut uses a hair-cutting razor instead of scissors for some or all of the cut. It can add softness, separation, movement, or textured ends.
Relaxer
A relaxer chemically changes tightly curled or coiled hair to a straighter texture. Because it changes the hair structure, proper application and aftercare matter.
Remy Hair
Remy usually means human extension hair where the cuticles are kept lined up in the same direction during collection and processing.
Ringlets
Ringlets are defined curls with a spiral or corkscrew shape.
Root Melt
A root melt blends the color at the roots into lighter or different-colored mid-lengths with a gradual change.
Root Smudge
A root smudge adds color near the roots to soften the line between your natural base and highlights or lighter lengths.
Root Touch-Up
A root touch-up colors mostly the new growth rather than recoloring the whole length.
Roots
The roots are the newest part of the hair, closest to the scalp.
Rounded Bob
A rounded bob is shaped into a curved outline rather than a sharp, flat edge.
S
Scalp
The scalp is the skin covering the head that scalp hair grows from.
Scrunching
Scrunching is gently squeezing sections of hair upward, often to bring out natural waves and curls.
Sectioning
Sectioning is dividing the hair into tidy areas before cutting, coloring, braiding, or styling.
Semi-Permanent Color
Semi-permanent color mainly adds pigment and fades with washing. It usually lightens natural hair little or not at all.
Shadow Root
A shadow root adds slightly darker color near the roots to build depth and soften the change into lighter hair.
Shag
A shag is a heavily layered cut known for movement and shorter layers around the crown, with lots of variations in length and fringe.
Shaglet
A shaglet is a shorter, more compact take on a shag, sometimes mixing shag and mullet elements.
Shedding
Shedding is when a whole strand naturally releases from its follicle as part of the growth cycle. Sudden or heavy shedding can be worth having checked.
Short Layers
Short layers start fairly high in the cut and can add movement, volume, or separation.
Shrinkage
Shrinkage is the difference between the stretched length and the shorter look of curly or coily hair when it is not stretched.
Side-Swept Bangs
Side-swept bangs are styled diagonally across the forehead toward one side.
Silk Press
A silk press is a temporary way to straighten natural textured hair using blow-drying and heated tools, with no chemical relaxer.
Single-Process Color
Single-process color makes the main color change in one step instead of separate lightening and toning stages.
Slicing
Slicing means taking thin, clean sections during coloring or cutting to place things precisely.
Sombre
Sombre means "soft ombre." It uses a gentler change and lower contrast than a bold ombre.
Split Ends
Split ends happen when the end of a strand splits into two or more pieces from wear or damage.
Stacked Bob
A stacked bob uses shorter, graduated layers through the back to build visible fullness and shape.
Strand
A strand is one individual hair.
Strand Thickness
Strand thickness is the width of a single hair, usually described as fine, medium, or coarse.
Straight Hair
Straight hair falls without a strong wave, curl, or coil pattern.
T
Taper
A taper gradually shifts hair from longer to shorter, usually around the sides, neckline, or edge.
Tape-In Extensions
Tape-in extensions use thin, sticky sections to attach extra hair close to the roots.
Teasing
Teasing is combing sections toward the roots to build volume or support.
Teasylights
Teasylights mix backcombing or teasing with lightening placement for a softer change near the roots.
Temporary Color
Temporary color adds pigment made to wash out fairly quickly compared with semi-permanent or permanent color.
Texture
Texture can mean your hair's natural pattern or the width and feel of the individual strands. The word has a few meanings, so context matters.
Textured Bob
A textured bob uses layering, point cutting, razor work, natural wave, or styling to add movement instead of a fully solid finish.
Texturizing
Texturizing is cutting or styling that changes bulk, separation, movement, or the look of texture.
Thinning
In cutting, thinning means taking out bulk or density using special scissors, razors, or other methods.
Thinning Shears
Thinning shears are scissors with toothed blades that remove only some strands in each section instead of cutting a solid line.
Three-Strand Braid
A three-strand braid is the basic braid made by crossing three sections of hair over and over.
Tone
Tone describes the character of a color, like warm, cool, golden, copper, ash, red, or violet.
Toner
Toner adjusts the tone of colored or lightened hair. It can cancel unwanted tones or set a certain finish.
Transitioning Hair
Transitioning usually means growing out chemically altered texture while keeping both the processed and natural hair until the processed part is trimmed away.
Trim
A trim takes off a small amount of hair to keep the shape or clean up the ends.
Twist-Out
A twist-out is made by twisting sections of textured hair, letting them set, then unraveling the twists to show a defined pattern.
Two-Strand Twists
Two-strand twists are made by wrapping two sections of hair around each other from the roots to the ends.
U
U-Shaped Cut
A U-shaped cut has a back edge that curves into a U, keeping the center back longer than the outer edges.
Undercut
An undercut keeps an underneath section much shorter than the hair above it. It can be on full show or hidden by longer top layers.
Undone Waves
Undone waves are loose, imperfect-looking waves styled to look relaxed rather than sleek or uniform.
Updo
An updo is a style where most or all of the hair is arranged up and away from its normal hanging position.
V
V-Shaped Cut
A V-shaped cut has a back edge that gets longest in the center, forming a V-like point.
Virgin Hair
Virgin hair usually means hair that has never had chemical color or texture treatments. The exact meaning can vary in the extension world.
Volume
Volume is how full or lifted the hair looks. It can come from density, texture, cutting, styling, or a mix.
Volumizing
Volumizing is techniques or products meant to make hair look fuller, more lifted, or less flat.
W
Warm Tone
Warm hair colors carry clear golden, yellow, orange, copper, or red qualities.
Wash-and-Go
A wash-and-go is a natural-hair method where curls or coils are washed, conditioned, styled, and left to set without braiding, twisting, or stretching them into another pattern.
Waves
Waves are bends in the hair that usually form an S-shape without turning into full ringlets.
Weave
A weave adds extension hair for length, fullness, or styling options. Methods include sew-ins and others.
Weight Line
A weight line is the spot in a cut where fullness gathers, often around the edge or graduation.
Weight Removal
Weight removal means carefully taking bulk from certain areas without making the whole cut much shorter.
Wet Cut
A wet cut is done on wet or damp hair rather than fully dry.
Wispy Bangs
Wispy bangs use light, separated pieces instead of a thick, solid fringe.
Wolf Cut
A wolf cut mixes strong layers through the crown with longer, lighter lengths underneath. It borrows from both shag and mullet shapes.
X
X-Shaped Parting
An X-shaped parting divides the hair with crossing diagonal lines. These decorative partings show up in braids, twists, ponytails, and other sectioned styles.
Y
Yarn Braids
Yarn braids use yarn in braided styles, either instead of or alongside regular synthetic or human extension hair.
Yellow Undertone
A yellow undertone is a warm quality that often shows up during lightening. Toners can adjust it when you want a cooler result.
Z
Zigzag Part
A zigzag part makes an alternating angled line instead of a straight one. It can be decorative or used to hide a regular part.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral involved in normal body processes, including some tied to skin and hair. Talk to a healthcare professional about hair loss or supplements rather than guessing from hair changes alone.
Understanding Hair Terms
Knowing the vocabulary makes salon visits and hairstyle research much easier, but the words are not always used the same way everywhere.
Two stylists may use slightly different words for similar techniques, and trending cut names shift over time. A "butterfly cut," "wolf cut," or "Italian bob," for example, can mean different things depending on length, texture, styling, and the stylist behind it.
When you plan a cut or color, pair the words with reference photos whenever you can.
Instead of just asking for "layers," say whether you want:
- Lots of visible movement
- Subtle inside layers
- Short crown layers
- Long blended layers
- Face-framing pieces
- A strong blunt edge
- Less bulk
- More volume
The clearer you are about the result you want, the easier it is to get your idea across.
More From NextHairLook
Knowing the language is only the start.
Browse NextHairLook for haircut and hairstyle ideas, hair color guides, and styles by length, by texture, and by face shape. For care tips and how-to guides, visit the Hair Help and Resources pages.