The Treatwell
The A-Z of beauty. Buzzwords, ingredients, trending treatments – our Treatwell experts have pulled together an easy-to-read glossary that spells it all out (literally).
Glossary
The Treatwell
Glossary
The A-Z of beauty. Buzzwords, ingredients, trending treatments – our Treatwell experts have pulled together an easy-to-read glossary that spells it all out (literally).
Face
Active ingredients
(Ack-tiv in-greed-eeunts)
Not to be confused with...
Ingredients that actually do stuff
It’s the bit you’re paying for in your skincare routine. They're ingredients proven to change the function of the body in some way. Glycolic acid is a good example.
Blunt cut
(Blunt-cut)
Not to be confused with...
An intense paper cut
A straight cut. Hair sliced across with scissors, no layers or choppiness. Looks great at bob length. Also good for adding (the illusion of) thickness.
Bob
(Bob)
Not to be confused with...
Your nextdoor neighbour
A short haircut. It's usually cut around the jawline and frames the face. If you were a child in the 90s, you'll know this cut well.
Balayage
(Bal-ee-arj)
Not to be confused with...
Fancy highlights
Stylist paints on bleach, or tint, for a naturally-blended look. The technique usually leaves a gap at the root and is lighter in tone at the ends of the hair.
Brow lamination
(Brow lam-in-a-shun)
Not to be confused with...
Office admin
A treatment that sets the brow hairs in place with two different solutions for a fluffy, ‘just-brushed’ look.
Face
Complexion
(Com-pleck-shun)
Not to be confused with...
The colour of foundation you need
The appearance of your skin. Can be described as bright, dewy, or hungover.
Face
Collagen
(Coll-ah-jin)
Not to be confused with...
The stuff that makes plumping lipgloss BURN
It’s a wrinkle-preventing protein (inside the body) that keeps skin looking plump but decreases as we age. Facial massage can help stimulate its production. *Starts rubbing face immediately*.
Curry method
(Curr-ee Meth-ud)
Not to be confused with...
The simplest way to make curry
DIY grey-hair-prevention. Curry leaves are mixed with amla and coconut milk then rubbed straight on the scalp. Delicious.
Cryolipolysis
(Cry-oh-lih-pol-iss-is)
Not to be confused with...
A phobia of crying in public
It’s a non-surgical treatment that literally freezes fat. A cooling machine sucks areas of the skin for around two hours and, over 2-3 months, those fat cells die.
Cuticles
(Cue-tickles)
Not to be confused with...
That little moon shape on your nail
The bit of skin around your nail bed that gets pushed back, or removed, during a mani. Its job is to prevent infection as your nails grow.
Coffin nails
(Coff-in nails)
Not to be confused with...
Halloween nails
A way of shaping nails (also known as 'ballerina'). Nails are filed towards the centre then flat and squared off at the tips to be, literally, coffin-shaped.
Face
Combination skin
(Com-bin-ay-shun skin)
Not to be confused with...
Something to do with Jeepers Creepers
Some parts of your face are dry, other parts are oily. Usually, the T zone (forehead, nose and chin), are the oily sections.
Have more fun terms for us to explain? DM us on Instagram @treatwell_uk
Face
Dehydrated
(Dee-high-dray-ted)
Not to be confused with...
A symptom of Sunday mornings
Skin that’s lacking moisture, usually caused by factors like diet, skincare or weather (yep, really). Dehydrated skin sometimes produces excess oil to compensate for dryness.
Dermaplaning
(Derm-ah-plane-ing)
Not to be confused with...
How skincare lovers travel
The exfoliating treatment works by scraping dead cells (and fine hairs) from the skin’s surface with a surgical scalpel. It helps skincare products absorb more easily.
Face
Extraction
(Ex-trac-shun)
Not to be confused with...
A waste removal service
Clearing out the gunk that’s clogging your pores, usually using an extracting tool. Basically, it’s professional spot squeezing.
Face
Enzyme
(En-zy-m)
Not to be confused with...
An NSYNC tribute band
They break down the bonds between dead skin cells, gradually removing those cells from the skin’s surface.
Hair
Foils
(Foyls)
Not to be confused with...
The stuff you wrap a sandwich in
Hair foils are used to seperate strands from the rest of the hair, this keeps the colour in one place. If you're booked in for highlights, you should expect foils.
Face
Glycolic acid
(Gly-collic assid)
Not to be confused with...
The stuff you put in cars
An ‘AHA’. Works by removing the top layer of dead skin cells (pollution, makeup, and other pore-clogging stuff too) through natural exfoliation.
Glossing
(Gloss-ing)
Not to be confused with...
Choosing to avoid dealing with a problem
A semi-permanent hair treatment that’s added to natural or coloured hair to even-out tone and increase shine.
Hair
Half-head
(Harf-hed)
Not to be confused with...
That villain from Batman
Usually highlights. A high lift tint or bleach is applied mainly to the crown and sides, also usually the top layer of hair.
Face
Hyaluronic acid
(High-luh-ronic assid)
Not to be confused with...
The main ingredient in Cilit Bang
Helps skin to retain and regulate its natural hydration and maintain elastacity (‘bounce’, basically). It’s like a super strength moisturiser that works on all skin types.
Highlights
(High-lights)
Not to be confused with...
Bleaching thin sections of your hair
Hair lightened in sections (full head, half head, or just a T section) using bleach or tint. Adds different tones and looks far less Atomic Kitten than it used to.
Have more fun terms for us to explain? DM us on Instagram @treatwell_uk
Massage
Knots
(Nots)
Not to be confused with...
Something you learn to do at Brownies
They're essentially tightened muscle fibres that just can't relax. Think hard, painful lumps within the muscle that can be sensitive to touch.
Hair
Layered (hair)
(Lay-erd)
Not to be confused with...
Hair cut short at the front and long at the back
Hair cut at different lengths to add texture and volume. The opposite of a blunt or sharp cut. Think Sienna Miller.
Lob
(Lob)
Not to be confused with...
A shotput technique
A bob, but a bit longer. Hair that sits on your shoulders – you probably know it as the ‘awkward length’.
Hair
LVL
(Ell-vee-ell)
It stands for length, volume, lift and is a natural-looking boost for your lashes that takes around 45 minutes.
Microneedling
(Micro-needul-ing)
Not to be confused with...
Very detailed embroidery
Tiny needles puncture the skin to trigger its ‘repair mode’ – extra production of collagen and elastin. The result: fresher-looking skin.
Face
Microdermabrasion
(Micro-derm-a-bray-shun)
Not to be confused with...
Scrubbing things clean with a tiny sponge
The treatment exfoliates the surface of the skin to lift dead skin cells, improving its texture and complexion.
Face
Microbiome
(My-crow-bi-ohm)
Not to be confused with...
A coveted French pharmacy brand
The colony of bacteria, fungi and parasites on the skin’s surface. Or, an ‘ecosystem of microorganisms’, if we’re getting technical.
Peel
(Peel)
Not to be confused with...
The bit of a satsuma you don't eat
A peel causes the top layers of skin to shed. They range in strength from gentle (good for sensitive skin), to medical grade – for anyone with more severe skin concerns.
Face
Parabens
(Para-bens)
Not to be confused with...
That thing you forgot in GCSE science.
The bad stuff in skincare (that everyone swears they’re not using). They’re added to prevent the growth of bacteria but, within the body, can affect your hormones.
Face
Peptides
(Pep-tides)
Not to be confused with...
An unwelcome insect
Strings of amino acids that make up proteins in our body, like collagen in the skin.
Face
Salicylic acid
(Sal-uh-sill-ic assid)
Not to be confused with...
Something you slurp halfway through a marathon
The 'superhero acid' that exfoliates the surface of your skin and unclogs pores. Try it if acne-prone or oily. It can also reduce skin inflammation.
Sugaring
(Shug-a-ring)
Not to be confused with...
A donut topping
Sugar, water and honey are heated together to make a gooey mixture. That’s rubbed in circles across the skin to pull the hair out and - bonus - it exfoliates.
Semi-permanent hair colour
(Sem-ee perm-ah-nent)
Not to be confused with...
Hair dye that won't stick around
Low-maintenance, low-commitment colour. There are no active ingredients (like ammonia or peroxide), so the dye can’t penetrate the hair for a long-term change. Lasts around three weeks.
SNS
(Ess-en-ess)
Not to be confused with...
An SMS from your nan
It's a type of manicure. Nails are 'dipped' in the color, which comes in a pot of sherbet-like powder, instead of painted. The process is repeated until the colour is just right.
Face
Strobing
(Strobe-ing)
Not to be confused with...
Getting lost in a techno club
Highlighting the parts of your face that hit the light. Makes you look lit and dewy AF.
Face
T-zone
(Tee zone)
Not to be confused with...
Best places to find a good cuppa
As if you've drawn a T on your face across the forehead, nose and chin. Think Friends, episode 17.
Tapering
(Tape-ering)
Not to be confused with...
Something you'd do with your pants
Not the same as a fade. A tapered cut follows the shape of the head from short to medium length hair. It's up to you how the bit up-top is styled.
Undercut
(Un-der cut)
Not to be confused with...
A boxing move
Hair shaved at the back and sides, with length left on top.
Wob
(Wob)
Not to be confused with...
A wonky bob
A wavy bob. Hair is the same length as a regular bob, but it’s styled in waves.
Have more fun terms for us to explain? DM us on Instagram @treatwell_uk