From ashy to brassy, do you know what your hairdresser is talking about when she waxes on about haircolor? If not, then you should. Learning the terms that stylists use when discussing what they’re about to do to your haircolor can make a huge difference when you tell them what you want and what the end result is. So here’s your diction-hair-y for haircolor. We’ll start with the lowlights – which sounds like what you think it might be. Instead of adding lighter sections as she would with highlights, lowlights add darker, richer color to enhance your natural color. If you get your hair colored a lot, then it might be damaged and require special treatment, like the application of a toner, which adds low-peroxide, semi-permanent color to your hair to prevent damage. And your hair may absorb color more readily if it is porous, a term that refers to how well your hair soaks up moisture. It might take color unevenly or produce a more vivid result, so your stylist may opt to leave color in for a shorter period of time.

If you’re ready for a drastic change and want to lighten your dark hair – or add a drastically different color – then your hairdresser may suggest a lift. The process entails pulling all of the color out of the sections in question to allow the new color to saturate. For blondes, the term “ashy” may get thrown around – it’s a greenish-grey tone that’s cooler instead of a warm, honey-colored tone. And brassy is an orange-based hue that is also usually undesirable among blondes. But for redheads – or those who desire red hair – a little brassiness is desired. Your hairdresser may need to tone down brassiness. Now that you know the lingo, you’ll have a better chance of getting the haircolor you want.