The Hairstylist Glossary

Bonjour Dah-lings! The world of hair is a beautiful one, but between all the technical jargon and hairstylist lingo, a trip to the salon can often leave you feeling as if everyone around you is speaking a foreign language. You aren’t the first darling to sit stumped in the stylist’s chair, trust us. And at the salon, miscommunication can translate into a serious hair nightmare. So to avoid any salon freak-outs, meltdowns, or OMG moments, it’s time for a lesson in hair-cabulary. We’re teaching you how to talk the talk, so you can leave the salon doing what you do best – walking the walk!

Anti-Aging: Dull, dry, damaged, flat, thin hair is an inevitable sign of aging hair. Anti-Aging hair products treat these issues by adding properties to the hair for a more youthful appearance. Our Liquid Vitality Complex, found in all Number 4 products, contains potent anti-aging properties, keeping your strands full of youthful vitality.

Baby Lights: similar to full or partial highlights, baby lights is process in which fine pieces of hair are lightened for a subtle and natural look.

Balayage: Balayage is a highlighting technique in which the color is hand painted directly onto the hair, adding depth and dimension to your tresses and leaving them with a natural, sun-kissed finish.

Cuticle: The outside layer of a strand of hair. Stylists often refer to the condition of the cuticle to determine how healthy the hair is, or how well it will respond to hair color. If you’re planning on coloring your hair, we recommend using a conditioning treatment, such as Reconstructing Masque, on your tresses prior to your salon visit.

Dimension: Different shades of color within the hair add depth, keeping your color from looking dull or flat. If your hair looks like it is one solid color, adding low-lights or highlights adds dimension to your locks.

Fringe: Commonly used outside the United States, the term fringe is another word for bangs.

Level: The level of your hair refers to how light or dark it is. All hair color lines are different, but most are on a number system – level 1 is black, level 11 is platinum blonde.

Lightener: Instead of using the word bleach, hairstylists will often say, “We’re going to use lightener.” To lighten the hair is to open up the cuticle of the hair and remove some of the pigment.

Porous Hair: hair porosity refers to the cuticle’s ability to absorb moisture. Hair that is damaged is often very porous and will soak up everything around it. This is why damaged hair can be difficult to color; if the hair is porous, it can soak up the color, causing it to turn out darker than intended. If the hair is extremely damaged, the cuticle may be too open to hold onto the color at all.

Texturizing: By removing bulk from thick hair, stylists can add softness into the layers or length of the hair. Texturing helps create volume, removes excess weight, and helps your haircut lay better. This can be done through a variety of techniques, including cutting diagonally into the hair or using a razor or texturing sheers.

Toner: A toner cancels out unwanted yellow, brassy tones in your hair, giving it a more natural look. It softens the look of regrowth for a seamless transition of color from roots to ends. Unless you’ve never colored your hair, it’s difficult to achieve perfect, evenly colored highlights without a little help from a toner.

Sulfates: Sulfates are a detergent and lathering agent designed to foam up and cleanse. These agents are commonly seen in shampoos and beauty products and while they are effective of getting rid of oil and product buildup, they are extremely harsh on your hair and scalp. All Number 4 products are sulfate-free, so you can have clean, beautiful hair that’s healthy, too!