Beauty and Barber School Glossary of Terms: Useful Vocabulary to Know

WRITTEN BY Kathleen Curtis | EDITED BY Jessica Buxbaum | UPDATED ON 05/16/2025

The beauty industry comes with a language all its own. Here, we'll look at some words you may need to know as a beauty student, license exam candidate, and beauty professional.

Beauty Career Terms

Different beauty professionals may have skills that overlap, but their careers are largely distinct from one another. Take a look at the definitions of specific types of beauty careers.

Barbering: The personal care discipline involving working with short hair and facial hair
Beautician:Job title typically used as a synonym for "cosmetologist"
Cosmetology: Study and practice of a wide range of beauty treatments, typically including hair styling, cutting, coloring, toning, and texturizing, skincare, makeup application, nail care and nail art, and other non-medical cosmetic procedures
Dermatology: Treatment of skin issues; requires a medical degree
Electrology: Technique of using electrical currents to remove unwanted hair; destroys a hair follicle's ability to grow
Esthetics: Study and practice of skincare treatments, including facials, exfoliation, waxing, masks, and other non-medical techniques
Hair Design: Creating hairstyles that enhance a client's features; uses cutting, coloring, and styling techniques; may also be called "hairdressing" or "hairstyling"
Laser Hair Removal: Using concentrated beams of light to attack hair follicles, reducing their ability to grow hair
Lash Extension Specialist: A trained individual who applies semi-permanent lash extensions onto natural lashes
Makeup Artistry: Application of cosmetics to clients' faces for different looks; also extends into advanced techniques such as prosthetics and special effects, particularly for theater, television, or film production
Massage Therapy: The manipulation of skin and muscles; promotes client relaxation while relieving tension and promoting wellness
Medical Esthetician: Someone who practices esthetics in a medical environment, such as a doctor's office or medspa
Microblading: Semi-permanent technique used to enhance the appearance of eyebrows using a handheld tool and pigment
Nail Technology: Study and practice of manicures, pedicures, nail art, nail extensions, and other nail care and beautification techniques; also called "manicuring and pedicuring"
Natural Hair Braiding: Weaving hair strands into different styles using a broad range of techniques extending beyond braiding specifically, such as twisting, weaving, or adding extensions; typically refers to techniques founded on longstanding practices within Black communities and cultures
Permanent Makeup: Application of colors to the skin through tattooing techniques; often used for eyebrows, eyeliner, and lip color; also called "micropigmentation" or "permanent cosmetics"
Trichology: Studying and treating the hair and scalp
Wax Specialist: Someone who removes hair from the body with different types of wax; often part of the study of esthetics

Beauty Treatment Terms

Acrylic: Fake nails applied using a combination of powder and liquid
Aromatherapy: Use of essential oils to facilitate wellness
Balayage: Highlighting technique that makes hair appear lighter while not impacting base color
Chemical Peel: The application of chemical substances to remove outer layers of skin
Cosmetic Massage: Gentle massage technique on the face and neck to enhance circulation, relax muscles, and promote skin health
Extensions: Artificial hair additions attached to natural hair to add length, enhance volume, or change style; includes clip-in, tape-in, and sew-in hair extensions
Finger Waves: Pinching hair between fingers and combing in alternating directions to set hair into a particular shape
Gradation: The hair is cut at varying lengths to create layers and a tapered or graduated effect
Highlights: Sections of hair colored lighter than the base color; adds dimension, brightness, and contrast
Lowlights: Sections of hair colored darker than the base color to create depth and dimension; provides contrast in overall hairstyle
Microdermabrasion: Non-invasive exfoliating treatment to remove dead skin cells and reveal smoother skin
Point Cutting: Cutting hair with scissors to create a softened or textured edge by removing small sections of hair at varying angles
Shaping: Process of cutting hair using various tools to obtain the desired appearance
Strand Test: Testing out a color or other chemical treatment on a small section of hair to ensure the hair will handle the service well
Thermal Styling: Using heated tools like flat and curling irons, and hot rollers
Texturizing: Removing bulk from particular areas of the hair, especially the ends, to increase a cut's texture
Thinning: Used on clients with a great deal of hair to reduce density and bulk, creating a more manageable and balanced style; cuts can occur very close to the scalp
Wet Styling: Styling hair while still wet or damp; often utilizes techniques like blow-drying, setting, and applying products for desired results
Wiggery: Art and practice of wig making, application, and styling; often done by hair braiders

Safety and Scientific Terms

Breathing Zone: Distance between your (or a client's) mouth and the chemicals you're using
Circulatory System: Heart, arteries, and veins; controls the movement of blood throughout the body
Contraindication: Situation, typically health-related, that prevents a client from receiving specific salon treatments; could include contagious illnesses, allergies to products, or other risk factors
Cross-Contamination: transfer of viruses or bacteria from one surface or tool to another; standard hygiene and disinfection processes can mitigate the risk
Endocrine System:Parts of the body that control hormone production and release, affecting things like growth, metabolism, and sexual function; includes adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary glands, pancreas, and other glands, tissues, and organs
Epidermis: Outermost layer of skin
Fitzpatrick Skin Types/Fitzpatrick Scale: Classification system for how skin responds to sunlight based on the amount of melanin
Follicle: Small opening in the skin where hair grows; contains the hair root and is connected to oil glands
Histology: Study of the body's tissues to learn what they do and what they look like at a microscopic level; used primarily when studying skincare
Integumentary System: Outermost layer of the body, including skin, nails, hair, and relevant glands
Melanin: Substance in the body determining hair, skin, and eye color; more melanin results in darker tones
Nervous System: System including the brain, nerves, and spinal cord; allows for communication between the brain and other parts of the body
pH: Short for potential of hydrogen, pH levels determine if a substance is acidic, neutral, or alkaline; products' pH levels can impact the hair and scalp
Physiology: Study of the functions, systems, and processes of the human body, including hair, nails, and skin
Predisposition Test: When product (usually hair dye) is applied to a client's skin to see if they have an allergic reaction; typically monitored for 24-48 hours
UV Light: Ultraviolet light; often used to disinfect salon equipment

Types and Usage of Professional Beauty Supplies

Learn what to expect in your student kit

Antiseptics: Chemicals used in cosmetology and barbering settings to sanitize tools
Draping: Application of the salon cape to protect clients from cut hair and chemicals
Equipment vs. implements vs. supplies: Equipment includes large objects (e.g., chairs); implements are reusable tools used in services (like scissors); supplies are typically consumable products like nail polish
Ergonomics: Study and design of workplaces and tools so you can work efficiently while minimizing the chance of injury
Honing: Barbers' process of sharpening a blade's edge on a hone
Stropping: Barbers' process of running a razor's blade across a fabric or leather strip to help ensure precision; both honing and stropping are necessary parts of maintaining a razor

Government Entities Related to the Beauty Industry in the United States

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Regulatory agency that implements certain health-related rules to prevent the spread of diseases and infections in the US; part of the Department of Health and Human Services
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Agency that strives to protect the environment and people's health based on clean air and water, providing accurate, relevant information, reviewing chemicals used and sold, and more
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Agency that protects public health by checking the safety of medications, medical devices, food supply, many potentially toxic cosmetics, and more
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Oversees the rules keeping workplaces safe; part of the Department of Labor
State Board: Shorthand reference for the board in each state that oversees the licensing, rules, regulations, and professional standards for certain regulated professions, such as cosmetologists or barbers

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