Barber slang: the most common terms
We name and explain
Barbering was formed not only as one of the trends in hairdressing, but became a whole separate culture, with its own habits, rules and... slang.
Maxim Stifler , judge PRO Beauty Battle Hair, barber, master of men's haircuts, founder of TheSketch barbershop network
I think this will be useful to read for both hairdressers and clients who use the services of a barber, because you need to understand what the barber is talking about before, during and after a haircut, and it’s also simply interesting, important and necessary.
For convenience and a clearer distinction, we will divide the slang into categories: tools and hairstyles.
What do barbers call some tools?
A wheelbarrow is a hair clipper, most often of the Wahl brand.
A trimmer is like a wheelbarrow, only smaller, cuts hair shorter and, due to its size, is suitable for delicate work (behind the ears or to trim eyebrows).
Blades are straight scissors.
Filira - serrated scissors designed for thinning hair and reducing volume.
Flattop , or spade, is a large flat comb for shading with a wheelbarrow.
Brushing - a brush, comb, for styling hair with a hairdryer, best for creating volume to the hair.
Opaska is a sharp razor used by craftsmen to professionally perform shaving in barbershops. It's better to be careful with her.
A hairdryer is just a hairdryer.
Lipstick - the name of a cosmetic product for lips has migrated to the name of a water-based hair styling product with a matte finish.
Finish – hair cut and styled with product (paste, grease, lipstick, varnish).
The second category is hairstyles
Fade is a haircut technique in which we present a smoky, smooth transition from short to long hair.
Mullet is a haircut with long hair at the back of the head and shorter hair at the bangs and temples.
Undercut is a haircut that every second person wants, but doesn’t understand what it really looks like.
Pom - pompadour, medium-length haircut with voluminous bangs.
Crop - a haircut with bangs pointing forward, most often combined with the fade technique.
The side part is primarily a haircut for office workers from the 2000s. The bangs are directed to the side or diagonally depending on the direction of the hair. In the place where the hair falls apart in different directions, it is laid according to hair growth.
Flattop (or in other words - platform) - its specificity is in creating a square-shaped haircut for the shortest possible hair.
In general, barber slang is quite understandable and associative, and from the 2-3rd session with the master you understand what is being said and speak the same language with your barber.