Going to the Hairdresser

The first time I went to a hairdresser in Germany, she asked if I want her to cut my pony. I told her no, but can she cut my fringe, and again she said ok pony.
It went on like this until I realised a pony is your fringe or bangs and not your ponytail. A ponytail is a Pferdeschwanz. I also walked out with wet hair, as I did not book for a blow-dry, or maybe I just didn’t understand what she was asking and were too afraid of getting a huge bill at the end.
In SA you always pay for a blow wave, but not for a blow-dry, where your hair is just blown dry but not styled. Here you pay for a blow-dry as well, that is why you will see people walking out of the salon with wet hair.
That is unless you do it yourself in the salon, you are allowed to dry your own hair with their equipment.
Some salons even charge you for the basic products they use like shampoo, but they seem to be the cheaper lower end salons where you don’t need an appointment.

The basics

At most salons you need an appointment. You can simply phone and say the following:
Hallo mein Name ist Frau/Herr xxx . Ich möchte gerne einen Termin (Hallo my name is Ms xxx. I would like to make an appointment)
They will then ask you what you want to have done. They might ask for a date and time you have in mind, or simply tell you when the next open appointment is.
They will ask for your contact details

Here is a list of phrases and terms that might come in handy.
You can also download it as a .pdf file

Finding a hairdresser

You can ask for recommendations on Facebook groups. Look for expat groups or people living in your area.
New! In our marketplace, we will list South African Hairdressers working in Germany

Belinda-Ann Wiehart

Belinda is working at the Sandra von Gneisenau Salon in Munich. She speaks English and Afrikaans. Please make an appointment with Belinda-Ann Wiehart at the

Making an appointment

To make an appointment for a ladies’ haircut at a hairdresser in Germany, you can say:

“Guten Tag, ich möchte gerne einen Termin für einen Damenhaarschnitt vereinbaren. Haben Sie einen Termin frei?”

Here’s a breakdown:
Guten Tag – Good day (polite greeting)
Ich möchte gerne einen Termin vereinbaren – I would like to make an appointment
Für einen Damenhaarschnitt – For a ladies’ haircut
Haben Sie einen Termin frei? – Do you have an available appointment?

If you want to specify a date or time, you can add:

für morgen/vormittags/nachmittags (for tomorrow/morning/afternoon)
am [Tag], um [Uhrzeit] (on [day], at [time]) e.g., am Freitag um 14 Uhr (on Friday at 2 PM).

Water in Germany

The hardness of the water depends on the level of chalk in the water. Chalk consist of calcium and magnesium and are not harmful to your health. It can however cause your hair to become frizzy and dry , and dry out your skin. It can also irritate sensitive skin.

There are different grades of hardness of water. Soft, medium and hard water
The hardness of the water can be measured in Grad deutscher Härte (°dH). The scale is between 0 and 21, with 21 being the hardest. Wasser.de has a map to check the hardness of your water.

To counter hard water you can use special shampoos or install a filter on your shower head.

Hair health

Please note: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

To boost your hair health, include the following in your diet:

Protein: Hair is primarily made of keratin, a protein. Include lean meats, eggs, beans, and dairy in your diet.
Iron: Prevents hair thinning. Found in spinach, lentils, and red meat.
Zinc: Promotes hair growth. Found in nuts, seeds, and shellfish.
Vitamin D: Important for hair follicle health. Consider fortified foods or supplements if levels are low.
Biotin: A B-vitamin essential for hair strength. Found in eggs, nuts, and sweet potatoes.

Phrases

English

German

Cutting and trimming
I would like to have my hair cut	Ich möchte meine Haare schneiden lassen
Would you like me to wash your hair?	Möchten Sie, dass ich Ihre Haare wasche?
When did you have your last haircut?	Wann hattest du deinen letzten Haarschnitt?
How would you like me to cut it?	Wie soll ich dir die Haare schneiden?
How short do you want me to cut it?	Wie kurz soll ich schneiden? Wie kurz hätten Sie es gern?
Shave your neck?	Soll ich hinten rasieren?
I would like to have my hair trimmed	Ich möchte meine Spitzen schneiden lassen ich hätte gern einen Nachschnitt Bitte nur nachschneiden
I would like to have my hair shoulder length	Ich möchte meine Haare schulterlang haben
I would like to have layers cut in my hair	Ich möchte meine Haare stufig schneiden lassen
Can you thin out my hair?	Könnten Sie bitte meine Haare ausdünnen?”
I would like a new style	ich hätte gern einen neuen Style
I would like a fringe	ich hätte gern einen Pony
Not too short	Nicht zu kurz
Quite short	Ziemlich kurz
Very short	Sehr kurz
Completely shaven	Komplett rasiert
In SA you would have asked for the clipper guard number	In Germany the clipper guards are in millimeters
Grade one, Nr1=3mm	Stufe eins (Rasur auf 3mm)
Grade two, Nr2=6mm	Stufe zwei (Rasur auf 6mm)
Grade three, Nr3=9mm	Stufe drei (Rasur auf 9mm)
Grade four, Nr4=12mm	Stufe vier (Rasur auf 12mm)
Square at the back, please	Im Nacken gerade, bitte
Tapered at the back, please	Im Nacken zulaufend, bitte
Could you trim my beard, please?	Können Sie mir bitte den Bart nachschneiden?
Could you trim my moustache, please?	Können Sie mir bitte den Schnurrbart nachschneiden?
Colouring
I would to have my hair coloured	Ich möchte mir die Haare färben lassen
What colour would you like?	Welche Farbe möchten Sie?
Which of these colours would you like?	Welche dieser Farben möchten Sie?
I would like to have my hair dyed blonde.	Ich möchte meine Haare blond färben lassen
I would like to have my roots dyed.	Ich möchte meinen Ansatz färben lassen
I would like some highlights	Ich hätte gerne Strähnchen
Style
I would like to have my hair curled	Ich möchte meine Haare lockig
I would like a perm	ich hätte gern eine Dauerwelle
Would you like to blow-dry yourself?	Möchten Sie selbst föhnen
Would you like it blow-dried?	Möchten Sie es geföhnt?
Do you have a parting?	Haben Sie einen Scheitel?
Do you like it this way?	Ist es Ihnen recht so?
Would you like products?	Möchten Sie ein Pflegemittel?

Terminology

English	German
General
Hairdresser	der Friseur or die Friseurin
Appointment	Der Termin
Hair	Die Hare
Hairstyle	die Frisur
Hair Types
Straight hair	die glatte Haare
Curly hair	lockige Haare
Long hair	lange Haare
Short hair	kurze Haare
What do you want to have done?
Wash	Waschen
Cut	Schneiden
trim the ends	die Spitzen schneiden
Thinned out	Haare ausdünnen
Colour	Farben
Colour roots	Ansatz farben
Tone	Tönen
Blow dry	Föhnen
Updo	die Hochsteckfrisur
Plait	Flechten
Fish tail plait	der Fischgrätenzopf
Perm	die Dauerwelle
Hi-lights/Streaks	Strähnchen
Types of cuts
in layers	Stufig (Stufen)
Choppy	Fransig
Bob	Bob
Pixie cut	Pixie
Modern or bold	Frech
Angular	Schräg
very short woman’s cut	Bubikopf
Other
Roots	der Ansatz
Fringe	der Pony
Sideburns	Die Koteletten
Parting	der Scheitel
Middle parting	der Mittelscheitel
Side parting	der Seitenscheitel
at the front	Vorne
at the back	Hinten
in the neck	am Hals
at the forehead	an der Stirn
at the sides	an den Seiten
behind the ears	hinter die Ohren
over the ears	über die Ohren
in the face	ins Gesicht
Right	Rechts
Left	Links
The same length	gleich lang
Colours
Brown	Braun
Blonde	Blond
Black	Schwarz
Red	Rot
Grey	Grau
Lighter	Heller
Darker	Dunkler
Products
Wax	Das Haarwachs
Gel	Das Haargel
Hairspray	Das Haarspray
Shampoo	Das Shampoo / Das Haarwaschmittel
Conditioner	Die Spülung
Hair treatment	Die Haarkur / die Haarmaske