Here is a fantastic article from Oprah about understanding the language that hairstylist’s use when discussing your hair.
Beauty Gazette: Understanding Hairstylist Speak
Even seasoned salon veterans like me can sometimes be baffled by the inscrutable, often peculiar, language of hairstylists. Recently, for example, my stylist suggested a “broken baby-doll cut.” “A what?” I said. He described a style with bans and blunt ends, with a few shorter, uneven layers in the back- like the somwhwat raggedy hair on a favorite old doll. (I got the cut, and it’s cuter than it sounds.) Here’s a brief glossary to common hairspeak terms that could leave you stumped in the stylist’s chair. – K.S.
Beachy: Hair that’s a bit wavy, with a wind-tousled finish; often created with a thickening or saltwater-based spray or gel.
Choppy: A cut in which the ends all vary slightly in length; stylists often use a razor to achieve this effect. (But if you don’t have straight hair—and a lot of it—refuse the razor.)
Giving Hair Movement: Usually involves adding layers from midlength to ends, making the style feel lighter and bouncier.
Overdirecting: Blowing out the hair to one side, then flipping it to part it on the other side for added volume.
Piecey: Ends are defined and separated, generally on shorter cuts; the stylist applies a wax or gel to the hair, then uses her fingers to break the hair into one-to-three-inch sections.
Structure: Characteristic of a defined, often geometric style, like a bob.
Texturizing: Either making very curly hair smoother and less bulky by cutting diagonally into it, or making flat hair appear fuller and lifted with layers (ask your stylist for clarification).
Thinning out: Removing bulk from the hair, usually by gliding a razor or thinning shears one inch from the scalp to the ends. (Beware if you have fine, dry, or damaged hair.)
Whenever I go to the hairdressers, I just print out a picture. Luckily they always seem to know what I’m going for! What about treatments and haircolors? They always seem to get those mixed up!
Taking pictures in with you is the best way to assure you are communicating with your stylist, to get what you want. For myself,as a stylist, a “Treatment” is a conditioning process for the hair. “Coloring” comes in many forms, cellophanes, semi, demi or permanent color. Then you have highlights, lowlights, and others. Your idea of taking a picture of a style works with color also. A photo of colored hair gives you a place to start. You can explain from that, what you want and don’t want in the color in your hair. I hope this helps you.