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?
