We all need a haircut from time to time. While you can always find salons with English-speaking hairdressers and barbers in big cities, this might not be the case in small towns.

From haircuts and styling to coloring and treatments, here's what you need to know for a satisfying hair salon experience in China.

Hair salons

Let's start by taking a look at the names of the different places where you might get your hair cut.

Hair salons are everywhere and can be easily identified by their colorful spinning poles. You can also try simply typing 理发店 (lǐ fà diàn) in a map search.

理发店

lǐ fà diàn

hairdresser, barbershop

While barbershop (理发店 lǐ fà diàn) refers to a place where you primarily get haircuts, hair salon (美发店 měi fà diàn) suggests a broader range of services including hair cutting, styling, and beauty treatments.

美发店

měi fà diàn

hair salon

Chinese hair salons often have a ranking system (职级 zhí jí). This means you can choose the level of expertise or experience of your hairstylist, or 理发师 (lǐ fà shī).

The price of a haircut may vary depending on the hairstylist's skill level.

Hair salon services: Basics

01. Hair wash

A visit to a Chinese hair salon typically starts with a hair wash (洗头 xǐ tóu), often coupled with a gentle scalp massage.

洗头

xǐ tóu

to wash hair

In China, it's common to visit salons just for a hair wash. This practice, known as 洗吹 (xǐ chuī) goes beyond mere hygiene, it's a cherished relaxation ritual for many.

When you step into a hair salon in China, they might ask if you want to have 干洗 (gān xǐ), or "dry wash". The assistant will apply a mixture of shampoo and conditioner to the hair and also do a massage. This is considered to be more environmentally friendly, and also adds an extra touch of relaxation to your salon experience.

02. Haircut

The next step is getting your hair cut:

剪头发

jiǎn tóu fa

to cut hair

If you only want to trim just a small amount of hair, you can say to the hairdresser:

我想把头发剪短一点。

wǒ xiǎng bǎ tóu fa jiǎn duǎn yì diǎn.

I want to cut my hair shorter.

If you have a specific hairstyle (发型 fà xíng) in mind, you can show a reference to the stylist and say:

我想做这个发型。

wǒ xiǎng zuò zhè ge fà xíng.

I'd like to get this hairstyle.

03. Hair drying

Haircuts in China usually come as a "3-in-1 package" – wash, cut, and blow-dry, also known as 洗剪吹 (xǐ jiǎn chuī). As the last step, the stylist will use a blow dryer to style and set the hair.

吹风

chuī fēng

to blow-dry

If you want to add extra style to your hair and make it straight or curly, you can say:

我想把头发烫直。

wǒ xiǎng bǎ tóu fa tàng zhí.

I'd like to have my hair straightened.

我想烫头发。

wǒ xiǎng tàng tóu fa.

I'd like to perm my hair.

Hairstyle changes

01. Hair dyeing

A frequent request heard at hair salons is for hair dyeing, known as 染发 (rǎn fà).

染发

rǎn fà

to dye hair

To ask the hair stylist to change your hair color, you can use this phrase:

我想给我的头发染个色。

wǒ xiǎng gěi wǒ de tóu fa rǎn gè sè.

I would like to dye my hair.

02. Fringe cut

Cutting a fringe is a popular and fast way to change up the hairstyle and frame the face.

剪刘海

jiǎn liú hǎi

to cut fringe

Here's what you can say if you want to cut your fringe:

我想剪刘海。

wǒ xiǎng jiǎn liú hǎi.

I'd like to cut my bangs.

03. Hair treatment

Hair can undergo damage due to the use of styling products and exposure to high temperatures. Chinese hair salons offer various hair treatments that help to restore hair health.

头发护理

tóu fa hù lǐ

hair treatment

If you want to have a hair treatment at the salon, you can politely ask:

我的头发受损了，我可以做个头发护理吗？

wǒ de tóu fa shòu sǔn le, wǒ kě yǐ zuò ge tóu fa hù lǐ ma?

My hair is damaged, can I have a hair treatment?

 

Source: That's Mandarin

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