Going to the hairdresser in Spain: Vocab and other tips

If you’re new to Spain, going to get your hair done in a new country and in a new language can feel a little scary, so here are some top tips and Spanish vocab to help you out.

People may be fine to order at a restaurant in Spanish, talk to shop assistants in Spanish and even ask about transport times at the train station, but when it comes to getting a haircut, there’s just something particularly nerve wracking about it and many opt for the services of an English-speaking hairdresser instead.

We get it, it can be daunting to put your looks in the hands of someone who might not understand you properly, or you might end up inadvertently say yes to a style or a cut that you absolutely didn’t want, but with a few pointers and brushing up on your vocab first, you’ll soon learn that it’s not that scary at all.

Often special English-speaking hairdressers charge a lot more than local ones in Spain, so it could save you money too. 

The name for a hair salon is Spanish is peluquería.

When you’ve found a peluquería you like, it’s best to make an appointment or cita. While you can just walk into some salons, it’s not really that common here in Spain.

Firstly, it’s important that you go in with an idea of what you want, so you can communicate it successfully. Looking for a photo of a particular style you want recreated can be very helpful too, particularly if you don’t know how to describe it in Spanish.

When you arrive or when you make the appointment, you’ll likely be asked what type of package you want. This will typically be a combination of corte (cut), lavar (wash) and peinado (styled).

READ ALSO: A handy guide to understanding Spain’s regional accents 

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You may also want to add colour to your hair – color in Spanish or tinte for dye. Instead you may prefer to get mechas (highlights) or reflejos (lightening or reflections) which makes your hair shine in the sunlight.

When you’re ready, your hairdresser or peluquero/peluquera (depending on if they’re male or female) will ask you how much you want cutting off, typically they measure the amount by dedos (fingers).

You can also ask them to add in some capas (layers) to your hair. This will give it more volume or volumen or make your hair curlier, if you have this type of hair. You may also want to cut in a flequillo (fringe or bangs if you’re from the US).

Like most salons around the world, the next step will be the dying process if you’re getting your hair coloured, if not, it will time for styling or just simply drying, whatever you choose.

READ ALSO – Learning Spanish: How to order a beer in Spain

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As mentioned above, peinado is styled, while the verb to style is simply peinar.

Typically, you’ll choose if you want your hair styled liso (straight) or rizado (curly) if it’s adaptable to your kind of hair. Your hair will be planchado (straightened) if you want it liso.

Top tips:

• Show the type of style or cut you want with your hands if you don’t know the words, or better still find a photo on your phone.
• If you don’t understand what the hairdresser is asking you, get them to repeat or explain in another way, don’t just agree without knowing what you’re agreeing to as you’ll feel very uncomfortable.
• If you don’t like something or you see the hairdresser doing something that you didn’t want, don’t be afraid to speak up and let them know.

Finally, you’re not obliged to tip (propina in Spanish) for services such as getting your hair done in Spain. It’s perfectly acceptable not to add any not and quite common, but if you feel particularly happy with the cut or the service, then you can give a little extra.