Bangs - The part of the hair cut and styled to hang on the forehead. It is also referred to as fringe. The bangs can be cut in a variety of styles and can be textured in many ways as well.
 
       Bob - The bob cut refers to any haircut that ends in a blunt line. Typically, a bob cut is shorter in length - between earlobe and chin length. It is a classic style (originating in the 1920s) that has many variations. The bob hairstyle may be angled in any direction, and may or may not include bangs. Its defining feature is the clear clean line at the ends of the hair.
 
       Devilock - The devilock haircut features short hair in the back and sides of the head with long hair in the front. This style can include very short tapered hair on the sides and back or slightly longer layered cutting, but will always be longer in the front.
 
       Fringe Area - The fringe area is often referred to as the bangs. It is the area at the front of the head above the forehead. The fringe area usually extends no further than the outer corners of the eyes.
 
       Mullet - A hairstyle originating and made popular in the early 1980s, the mullet is a hairstyle where the hair on the top and sides of the head is cut in short layers and the back is left long. The transition from short to long can be smoothly blended or very clearly defined. The lengths of the different areas can vary greatly, but will always clearly be longer in the back than on the top and sides.
 
       Part - The part is the point at which a hairstyle is divided and, generally, the hair moves in different directions. Most heads will have a natural part that is found by brushing the hair straight back from the face and allowing it to fall naturally.
 
       Pixie Cut - The term pixie cut refers to a variety of short layered haircuts. It is also referred to as an 'elfin' cut. The pixie style is cut over the ears and may include wispy bangs. It also may or may not have longer hair on the top of the head. The defining feature of a pixie cut is close-cropped layers that frame the face and lie close on the sides and back of the head. The style originated in the sixties with models like Twiggy, and actresses like Mia Farrow in 'Rosemary's Baby'. Stylist Vidal Sassoon is credited with popularizing the style in its early variations.
 
       Page Boy - A page boy haircut is a typically shoulder-length or slightly shorter in back and on the sides. The style typically includes bangs on the forehead, is cut below the ears, and may include some layers, but only enough to ensure a clean simple style.
 
       Purdey (Purdy) - A hairstyle made popular by actress Joanna Lumley in British televisions', 'The New Avengers'. The Purdey (Purdy) hairstyle is a blunt cut, almost bowl shaped, with a cut line that angles along the sides to the nape of the neck. The cut line of the style is slightly tapered to curve inward toward the head and give a smooth look to the finished style. It is also sometimes referred to as a Mop-top.

  Shag - The shag haircut refers to a haircut with a lot of layers. Although a shag style can be of any length, they are typically shoulder-length at their longest and just below the ears at their shortest. Originating in the late 60s and early 70s, they are still popular today. The defining feature of a shag cut is layering achieved by elevating the hair to a stationary guide for cutting. The shag hairstyle has experienced a revival in popularity due to the cast of the American TV series, 'Friends'.

       Wedge - The wedge hairstyle was made popular in the 1970s by figure skater Dorothy Hamill. It has become a classic style with several variations over the intervening years but is defined by the sharp, clean tapering of the lower layers of the hair toward the nape of the neck. Typically, the style is worn with bangs and is at least mid-ear-length on the sides, but can be longer or shorter and still be considered a wedge, as long as the hair cleanly tapers in the 'wedge' shape at the bottom. It is similar in appearance to the 'Purdey' style listed above.

       Graduated Hair or Graduated Haircut - The graduated haircut is a variant of the layered cut where the hair is cut into a specific angle or shape. The ends of the hair in this type of cut appear to "stack" on top of one another, often adding bulk or weight to the style in specific areas. Because of this, the graduated haircut is also known as a 'stacked haircut'. Often, bob-style haircuts are stacked to add interest and shape to accentuate the shape of the head or compliment a specific facial feature, or to elongate the neck.
This haircut works well with many hair types: coarse curly hair can be cut in a graduated style allowing the natural curl to build volume in certain areas, while fine hair can be cut in graduated styles that create smooth curving lines to frame the head and facial features. Normal hair textures can of course support the graduated haircut in any number of designs.
The wedge haircut is an example of a graduated hairstyle.
 
       Gamine Haircut - The term 'gamine' means 'mischeivous and playful', and has come to be used to denote the boyishly short and sassy hairstyles worn by many women. Among the women who are famous for their gamine styles are Halle Berry and Sharon Stone. Though not specific as to length, the gamine cut is invariably short (above the ears). It should be noted that 'gamine' doesn't indicate one specific haircut, but rather the general 'look' created by any of a number of different short-short hairstyles. The 'pixie cut' is a gamine hairstyle, and so are the shorter versions of the 'purdey' styles.
Gamine haircuts are best suited to slimmer women, with softer facial features. The style can often make those women with thin angular faces and features appear gaunt and disproportioned. It is sometimes suited to women with fuller figures and rounder faces for its ability to give the illusion of length to the face, but should be considered carefully before being chosen as the style requires a certain amount of attitude in the women who wear it.
 
 Rachel Hairstyle - Celebrities have long been influential in creating trends and setting fashion among the general population. Marilyn Monroe made women of the 50s rush out and buy peroxide and pencil in beauty marks to imitate her look. Likewise, the 1990s brought us the television show 'Friends' which became wildly popular worldwide and whose character 'Rachel Green' (played by Jennifer Anniston) caused millions of women and girls to flock to their hairstylists for the long-layered, medium-length, razor-cut shag hairstyle she wore on the show.
       The style's popularity is well-deserved. It is a soft, romantic style that looks good on a wide variety of faces. The style is characterized by inward-swept curving layers and wispy bangs that frame the face, while still having sufficient length to be versatile in styling. The overall effect is a look that seems both carefree and carefully done.
 
       Big Hair - In the Southern United States, this phrase is often heard: "Praise the Lord, and pass the hairspray". The Southern U.S. is also considered the birthplace of 'Big Hair' or 'Pageant Hair' because of the fact that most beauty queens and pageant contestants seemed to favor bigger, more voluminous hairstyles.
In general terms, though, 'Big Hair' refers to very full hairstyles, and those styles can be as varied as the women who wear them. In the late 80s and early 90s, 'big hair' meant high cresting bangs and out-swept sides. Earlier generations had their own 'big hair' styles, like the 'Beehive', the 'Bouffant', and even the 'Bubble' (though not all 'big hair' styles had names beginning with a 'B'). While the earlier 'big hair' styles were generally shorter (with hairlines above the collar) they seemed to grow longer as decades passed. The common factor for these styles through the years seems to be that they were held firm against the winds by gallons of hairspray, and were often believed to be better and more beautiful the bigger they were.
Today's 'big hair' styles are more curled than coiffed, but volume is still the key. Gels, mousse and countless other products are used to create masses of cascading curls and layers of flowing waves, all of which have 'big hair' written all over them.
 
       Root Lift - The term 'root lift' refers to the technique of adding (or maximizing) the hair's volume through the use of product and/or styling appliances. 'Root Lift' can be achieved in a number of ways, but most commonly by using hair product on damp or wet hair and using a blow-dryer to dry the hair at the scalp while holding it perpendicular to the scalp with the fingers.
The main benefit of the 'Root Lift' technique is that it leaves the hair looking fuller and thicker. Other than the blow-dry with fingers method for creating 'root lift', wrapping the hair in rollers using 'on-base' placement (where the roller ends up resting on top of the section of the scalp from which the hair being wrapped grows). Curling irons and flat iron tools can also be used to create 'root lift'.
While hairspray, mousse and gels are all good products for creating 'root lift' in a hairstyle, there are brand new products now available specifically for adding root lift to the hair.
 
       Body (describing hair): When used to describe the hair, the term body refers to the springiness of the wave pattern of the hair, and is a measure of its ability to hold a curl or style. Often, permanent waves are used to add body to the hair (typically being rolled on the largest available perm rod), and many shampoos and conditioners are formulated to add body.

       Elasticity: Elasticity refers to the hairs ability to recover its natural shape. The average person's hair can be stretched to 150% of its normal length and return to its natural shape without breakage. The level of the hair's elasticity affects how well the hair will hold a curl.