Useful Japanese Words for Going to a Hair Salon

Here are some Japanese words and expressions you can use on your next salon visit. Feel free to leave questions in the comment section below.

 Common Services

• カット (katto) – cut
• カラー (karā) – color
  • グラデーション (guradēshon) – gradation
  • ワンメーク　(wanmēku) – one color dye
  • ダブルカラー (daburu karā) – bleach + color
  • リタッチ (ritacchi) – retouch; dyeing only the roots
  • ハイライト (hairaito) – highlights
  • ローライト　(rōraito) – lowlights
• エクステ (ekuste) – extensions
• トリートメント (torītomento) – treatment
• パーマ (pāma) – perm
  • デジタルパーマ (dejitaru pāma) – digital perm, often abbreviated as dejipāma
  • エアウェーブ (ea wēbu) – a type of perm that produces looser curls
  • ポイントパーマ (pointo pāma) – perming a part of one’s hair, like the fringe for example
• 縮毛矯正 (shukumōkyōsei) – hair straightening
• ヘアセット (hea setto) – hair set (when you want to have your hair done professionally before an event or a shoot)
• メイク (meiku) – make-up
• シャンプー (shampū) – shampoo
• ブロー (burō) – blow dry

Hair-Related Vocabulary

• 髪の毛 (kami no ke) – hair
• 長さ (nagasa) – length
  • ボブ (bobu) – bob
  • ショート (shōto) – short
  • セミロング (semirongu) – semi-long or medium-length
  • ロング (rongu) – long
• 厚い (atsui) – thick
• 薄い (usui) – thin
• 軽い (karui) – light
• 重い (omoi) – heavy
• 白髪 (shiraga) – white/grey hair
• 前髪 (maegami) – fringe/bangs
  • パッツン (pattsun) – straight-cut
  • 流す・斜め (nagasu/naname) – sideswept bangs
• 毛先 (kesaki) – hair ends
• 地毛 (jige) – natural hair; usually used when referring to hair colors, for example asking if one’s hair color is natural or not
• ダメージ (damēji) – damage

People

• スタイリスト(sutairisuto) – stylist
• ディレクター (direkutā) – director
• アシスタント (ashisutanto) – assistant
• ベテラン (beteran) – veteran

Commonly Used Verbs

• 洗う (arau) – to wash
• 流す (nagasu) – to rinse off ( shampoo, treatment, etc.)
• 乾かす (kawakasu) – to dry
• 染める (someru) – to dye
• しみる (shimiru) – to sting (Stylists often ask if you feel a stinging sensation on your scalp when they dye your hair)
• 伸ばす (nobasu) – to grow your hair

Useful Expressions

• この写真のようにして下さい。(Kono shashin no yō ni shite kudasai.) – Please make my hair like the one in this photo.
• 明るくしたい。(Akaruku shitai.) – I want a brighter hair color.
• 髪伸ばしてます。(Kami nobashitemasu.) – I’m growing out my hair.

Questions Stylists Usually Ask

• 痒いところとかありますか。(Kayui tokoro toka arimasu ka? ) – Is there any spot that feels itchy?
• 普段しみたりとかしますか。(Fudan shimitari toka shimasu ka?) – Do you usually get a stinging sensation [when you get your hair dyed]?
• トイレは大丈夫ですか。(Toire wa daijōbu desu ka?) – Would you like to go to the toilet? (Usually asked before they start working on your hair. Getting a perm or your hair dyed takes a long time, so they ask you beforehand.)
• 長さはどうしますか。(Nagasa wa dō shimasu ka?) – What length do you prefer?