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333 Creative Words to Describe Hair in Writing

• DESCRIPTION girls bushy hair description example
• SOURCE Westend61 / Getty Images

Are you looking for the perfect words to describe hair for a story, essay or article you’re writing? With so many textures, styles, lengths, and colors, it can be difficult to find exactly the right terms. Use this extensive list of descriptive hair words to select precise language and improve the clarity in your writing.

Words to Describe Hair Texture

Hair texture relates to the circumference of individual hairs as well as the curl pattern and general state of the hair, with regards to how it looks and feels.

Terms for Hair Thickness

Hair thickness means the same thing as hair density. There are a number of terms for how thick a person’s hair is.

Terms for Different Hair Styles or Cuts

Properly describing how hair is cut or styled is critical in describing the appearance of a character in a story or the subject of a work of nonfiction.

• DESCRIPTION spiky baby hair description example
• SOURCE Sorin Ostafiev / Moment Open / Getty Images

Descriptive Words for Hair Length

Hair can vary greatly in length. Choosing the right descriptive word for hair length helps readers get a better picture of the character or person about whom you are writing.

Words for Hair Color or Tints

Since there are many hair colors in different tones, some natural and some not, it’s really important to choose the right descriptive word for hair color .

Words for Treated Hair

There are a number of treatments people can use to alter the appearance of their hair.

• DESCRIPTION dyed hair description example
• SOURCE Sannyslene Sousa / EyeEm / Getty Images

Words to Describe Messy Hair

There are a number of ways to convey to readers that a person has messy hair. Whether the individual’s hair is messy due to a lack of care, general unruliness, or having been engaged in activity that caused it to become messy, choose the right word so readers will understand.

Words to Describe Neatly Styled Hair

Some people take great pains to ensure their hair is the exact opposite of messy. Use these terms when you want to describe someone with neatly styled hair.

More Ways to Describe the Appearance of Hair

The categories listed above aren’t all inclusive when it comes to describing hair.

Words to Describe Hair Problems

There are a number of different hair problems. If the person or character you are writing about has a visible issue with his or her hair, be sure to choose the best word to describe it.

Terms for Hair Accessories

Thoroughly describing a person or character’s appearance may require giving some information about hair accessories the person is wearing. Choose the best term to describe any items placed in or on the individual’s hair.

Names of Hair Tools

When you need to describe what someone uses to style their hair, be sure to accurately describe the type of tool the individual uses.

Many Ways to Describe Hair

With so many ways to describe hair, you can definitely use related terms to help readers get a clearer picture of the individual you are writing about. Consider which descriptive terms provide the most relevant information when deciding which aspects of hair to describe. To further develop your descriptive skills, discover more descriptive words for appearance . From there, explore words that describe personality traits and combine what you have learned to write a character analysis .

KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers and Poets

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers

(Discover even more words in The Writer’s Body Lexicon .)

Why Should You Worry About Your Characters’ Hair?

Audrey Hepburn said, “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.”

Audrey was right, but people still judge others and make snap assessments based on appearance. Hair reveals personality and lifestyle. Along with the eyes and prominent facial features, it makes a huge impact. I suspect it’s part of the reason somebody coined the phrase bad hair day.

Capitalize on that in your writing.

Does your protagonist have blonde hair with dark roots? Maybe she’s a hard-working businesswoman with no time to make a salon appointment; or perhaps she’s a harried mother who can’t afford a dye job because of a financial crisis in the family.

An affluent hotel magnate could flaunt a perfectly styled toupee, every strand in place. A homeless person’s mane might be unkempt, with patchy straggles that smell like mold or trash.

Match the hair to each character’s persona. The way people maintain or ignore their hair provides clues about their life.

From some of the word lists that follow, I created three short paragraphs.

Dionne’s gunmetal ponytail flowed behind her while she sprinted after her prey — me. I crouched behind the trash bin, holding my breath , as she swished so close I could smell the death in her hair.

What do you see? Perhaps a cold-blooded assassin or serial killer? Now contrast with another paragraph.

Helena’s voluminous champagne curls cascaded over white shoulders, wafting a delicate aroma of honeysuckle into the sitting room as she swished in my direction.

Another woman, perhaps affluent, in a long dress. This could work for the heroine in a Victorian novel.

Eddie’s pumpkin-orange hair bounced as he waddled toward me. The sickening stench of cigar smoke wafted from what I quickly realized was a poorly constructed toupee.

Did you envision a chubby man who chain-smokes cigars?

Judicious use of descriptors can augment a piece. However, beware of stacked modifiers . Consider these two paragraphs.

Bill’s balding, scraggly, dandruff-flecked salt-and-pepper hair barely covered his scalp, which reflected the fluorescent lights and made him look decades older than his professed age of thirty years.

All the commas in the description scream too much . Let’s try rewording it.

The fluorescent lights reflected off Bill’s scalp, which peeked through scraggly salt-and-pepper hair flecked with dandruff. Thirty years old? What a liar. He had to be at least fifty.

Same man, same basic description. Better phrasing. Although salt-and-pepper is cliché.

B to D balding, beautiful , bleached, bouncy, bristly, broken, brushed, buoyant, burnished, burnt, bushy, cascading, clean, clipped, clumpy, coarse, coiffed, combed, cropped, curly, damaged, damp, delicate, dirty, dull, dyed

F to P feathery, fine, flat, flowing, fluffy, frizzy, fuzzy, gelled, gleaming, glossy, greasy, groomed, heavy, highlighted, kinked, ironed, lacquered, limp, luscious, moussed, nappy, nubby, patchy, permed, plush, polished, puffy

S scorched, scraggly, severe, shaggy, shimmery, shiny, short, shoulder-length, silky, singed, slicked-back, slimy, sparse, spiky, springy, stiff, straggly, straight, straightened, streaked, sweaty

T to W teased, thick, thin, trimmed, uneven, unkempt, untamed, velvety, voluminous, wavy, wet, windswept, wild, wiry, wispy

Hair is usually a combination of a base color with highlights and lowlights that appear different in light or shadow. Study people on the street and in shopping malls. Visit YouTube. Scrutinize the offerings in a wig shop.

Some colors are considered cliché. Whenever you’re in doubt, click over to Google.

For instance, try the following searches, leaving the phrases in quotes for accuracy. The figures in parentheses are the number of results I received as I wrote this post.

“bleached blond” (1,010,000)

“champagne blond” (641,000)

“wheat blond” (348,000)

“bottle blond” (277,000)

“sun-kissed blond” (834,000)

“electric blond” (29,800)

Considering the frequency of each phrase, electric blond would be a more suitable choice than bleached blond.

Note: Although blond can describe the hair of either males or females, many writers prefer blond for males and blond e for females. Likewise with the hair or fur of gender-identified pets and animals.

Better than direct replacements, however, try exploiting the following suggestions as kernels, and brainstorm new color descriptions.

Blond/blonde amber, ash, blanched, bleached, bottle, brassy, bronze, champagne, dirty, electric, flaxen, frosted, gilded, ginger, golden, honey, peroxide, platinum, sand, straw, strawberry, sunkissed, Trump blond/e, wheat

Brown almond, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, dun, espresso, fawn, mahogany, mocha, mouse, nut, russet, sienna, taffy, tawny, umber

Black anthracite, charcoal, coal, crow, ebony, ink, jet black, midnight, obsidian, onyx, pitch, raven, sable, soot, tar

Grey/gray ash, charcoal, dove, graphite, gunmetal, iron, pewter, salt-and-pepper, shark, silver, slate, steel, tweed grey, wolf-grey, zinc-grey

Red auburn, brick, burgundy, candy, carrot, copper, crimson, fire red, fire-engine red, flame, flaming, ginger, maple-leaf red, pepper red, pumpkin, roan, rouge, rust, rusty, sorrel, titian, tomato

White angel, chalk, eggshell, foam, frost, gardenia, ghost, ivory, lily, lotus, paper, porcelain, Samoyed, sheet, skeleton, snow, starch, sugar, talc, wedding veil

See also 1000+ Ways to Describe Colors .

Styles and Cuts

A bowl cut imparts an instant image. Can you think of other everyday objects that would do the same?

Revise. Innovate. Invent.

A and B afro, beehive, Bettie Paige, Bieber cut, blunt cut, bob cut, bouffant, bowl cut, braided, brush cut, bun, burr, butch cut, buzz cut

C Caesar cut, chignon, chonmage, comb over, conk, cornrows, crew cut, cropped, crown braid, Croydon facelift, curtained

D to F devilock, dice bob, Dido flip, dreadlocks, ducktail, emo, Eton crop, extensions, fade, fallera, feathered, finger wave, fishtail braid, flattop, flipped, French braid, French twist, frosted tips, full crown

G to M G.I. cut, half crown, Harvard clip, hime cut, hi-top fade, induction cut, Ivy League, Jheri curl, layered, liberty spike, marcel waves, military cut, mod cut, mop-top, mullet

O and P odango, oseledets, pageboy, parted in the middle, payot, pigtails, pinned up, pixie cut, plaited, pompadour, ponytail, Princeton cut, psychobilly wedge, puffball, punk

Q to W queue, quaff, rattail, razor cut, recon, shag, shape-up, shingle bob, side parted, spiked, surfer hair, taper, tied back, tonsure, topknot, undercut, updo, wings

Hair damaged by over-perming won’t sway; it might ruffle, snarl, or tangle. Short hair could fluff, frizz, or spike. Curls might bounce, coil, or twist. Try the words here as starters for alternative suggestions from your favorite thesauruses.

B to R bounce, cascade, coil, curl, drape, drip, dangle, draggle, drift, droop, flap, flow, fluff, frizz, flutter, glide, knot, pour, puff, ripple, ruffle

S to W slap, slop, smother, snag, snarl, spike, spill, spiral, spring, stick, straggle, stream, sway, swing, tangle, trail, twist, unravel, wave, whirl, wiggle

Hair absorbs scent from the environment. House painters, garage mechanics, busy mothers, and hairstylists could smell of paint, grease, sour milk, or perm chemicals. You can often show readers a protagonist’s occupation without using a single word of tell.

Start with these ideas and analyze your characters’ environment for others.

A to C ammonia, antiseptic, apples, an ashtray, a bakery, bar vomit, beer, blackberries, bleach, car exhaust, cheap perfume, cigarettes, cigars, citrus, cotton candy

D to J death, decomposition, a forest, fresh-cut grass, a garage, gardenias, grease, gunpowder, honeydew melons, honeysuckle, a hospital, jasmine

L to S lavender, lemon cleaner, lilac, magnolia, mint, mold, moss, outdoors, paint, peaches, perm chemicals, pine, raspberries, roses, smoke, sour milk, sweat

Frequent Repetitions of Hair Will Annoy Readers

What about replacing it with nouns from this list?

B to W bristles, cap, cascades, coils, cloud, corona, corkscrew curls, fall, hairpiece, halo, mane, mass, mop, ribbons, ringlets, river, rope, snakes, spikes, spirals, sheet, spill, straw, stubble, tendrils, torrent, toupee, tresses, tufts, waterfall, weave, wig

Props to Augment Your Descriptions

Think of people you’ve met. What did you notice about their hair? What do you know about your own? Try these props.

• dandruff, flakes, flecks, lice, nits
• hair transplant, hair plugs
• fringe, bangs
• receding hairline, high forehead, sideburns
• split ends, humidity frizz, bald spot, alopecia
• itchy scalp, burning scalp, hives in hairline
• hairpins, barrettes, tiebacks, elastics, headbands
• feathers, flowers, garlands, bows, ribbons
• hats, berets, caps, kerchiefs, scarves, crowns, tiaras, fontanges

Now can you explain Lily Tomlin’s quote about hair? “If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in the library?”

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12 thoughts on “ 400+ Words to Describe Hair: A Word List for Writers ”

Please help me with this; describing a long luscious braid.

Well, Mahnoor, that would depend on context.

A long braid could be tight or loose, messy or neat, flyaway or smooth …

Does your character respond impulsively? Maybe make the braid flyaway and swinging.

Is your character priggish? The braid could be neat and secured by several elastics or bows.

The possibilities are many.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe!

Kathy, this is my attempt at describing hair. A tad unconventional possibly: “To tell the truth, Tulip didn’t feel exactly qualified for the post of beautiful maiden right now. After her tortuous trek through the Swamp, getting scratched by thorns, caked in mud, covered in evil, stinky, sticky slime, perhaps she wasn’t as attractive as she might have been. Worst of all, she could feel some creepy-crawling thing had taken up residence in her hair. She didn’t like to think what her once-beautiful hair looked like now. Probably like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards. The toad was thinking along similar lines. His idea of a beautiful maiden fitted the traditional view. Modern thinking had not reached as far as the Swamp. He had been expecting her to turn up a supreme vision of loveliness in a pretty dress, looking fresh and clean, and smelling of roses. She’d have long, shiny black hair, an ample bosom and, most important, full, red, luscious lips especially designed, with one kiss, to rid unfortunate creatures like him of witches’ curses. The sight of this mud imp, however, was a bit of a shock. He wasn’t thinking her hair looked as though it had been dragged through a hedge backwards; rather it looked more like the hedge it had just been dragged backwards through!”

I love it, Peter. A touch of the familiar with a twist of humor. Or maybe the prince-turned-toad is a Brit? It’s humour then. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

thanks! I’m writing a book about alienation and being ‘nomal’ and this has really helped.

Great to hear from you, Lu. Good luck with your book!

Thank you for sharing with us this very helpful post! I’m a romance writer working on my next book, looking for new ways to describe hair. And I found the perfect resource here! Kindest regards Jackie

Thanks, Jackie.

Best of luck with your next book!

It really helped me do my descriptive Essay

Thanks, Lusanda!

I’m looking forward to your book of all of these!

Thanks, David. It should be released by the end of the month if all goes well.

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Hair - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

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Gentle hair that tumbled in such rich autumnal hues, was the restful visual poetry of my soul, for that is how she was upon the day we fell in love.

If the origins of her hair were the black heavens, if the divine universe were woven into such buoyant threads and placed upon her head, it would explain so very much.

Hair sits in neat yet wild waves upon her dreaming head, for beneath it all is an ocean of creative conjuring.

Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights.

The soft curls fell in cinnamon swirls to a face that was as sweet as a white chocolate button.

His hair moved in the wind as if it felt the need to add an exclamation point to his cuteness.

His hair was curls as jubilant as any storm-whipped sea.

When the grey roots of mama's hair began to show, she took to wearing a vibrant headscarf. She looked beautiful every day, the breeze billowing the ends of the long silk as if they were the ribbons of a kite.

Sarah's hair moved much as soft beach grass in the wind, back and forth, revealing and hiding the gold of her eyes.

One hand scrunched into that tumble of hair, those curls that defied rules and gravity with equal contempt. As she pondered, that great brain of hers solving problems that had defied geniuses for all our age and more, she'd never been more beautiful... my philosopher...

If a beam of light could weave itself into a strand, that was her hair; I always felt it glowed from within rather than relying on the sunshine. It was as if the universe had conjured her matter in a ripple of laughter - as if all she was composed of was a sort of musical and loving happiness.

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Tricks for Describing a Character’s Appearance (With Examples)

Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give readers a good (and memorable) first impression of that character. One of the ways you can do this is by giving them a distinct appearance, but many writers tend to fall short of describing appearance well. 

We’ve all heard the same cookie-cutter descriptions for characters a million times before. Golden hair, a heart-shaped face, a chiseled body, piercing eyes, yadda yadda… The problem with these descriptions is that they’re bland, they’re cliché, and they don’t really help your characters stand out. 

However, if you break from clichés, you can create uniquely vivid descriptions that will give your characters life. There are endless ways you can describe characters, and I’m not going to walk you through how I would describe every single possible human feature (or humanoid, animal, alien, etc). For one thing, that would take too long, but for another thing, descriptions are based on more than just the character’s physical appearance—their personality plays a part too. 

Tips for Describing a Character’s Appearance in a Story

There are a number of things to keep in mind when describing a character’s appearance. Here are just a few general tips before we dive into some more specific techniques for describing different parts of a character’s appearance. 

Don’t Make Everyone a Supermodel

This is probably one of the most (if not the most) important things to remember when describing a character. You should never objectively describe your characters as flawless. Humans aren’t perfect, so if you describe your characters like perfect little supermodels, they just won’t feel authentic. Worse still, they won’t stand out from the protagonists of every single young adult novel out there. You need to make them distinct, and to do that, you need to give your characters flaws . And I mean real flaws, not fake flaws that are actually just endearing traits packaged like flaws. 

Don’t Dump Everything Out at Once

Describing your characters is important, but you need to be able to keep it concise. No one wants to read a 7-page summary of every detail of a character’s appearance. You can go in-depth, sure, but don’t put your readers through a word-avalanche just for them to figure out what the character looks like. 

Remember, you can reveal more about the characters over time. When you introduce a character for the first time, you should focus on the things a person would naturally notice first, such as their face, hair, clothing, voice, and general energy. You can further elaborate on their appearance later when it is relevant, and describe their gait, posture, temperament, and more. 

There is one exception here I want to highlight. If you are telling a story from the first-person perspective, and you want to illustrate a character’s obsession with another person, hyper-fixating on the details can be a good way to show this. It can make the character seem creepy , and it can foreshadow the protagonist doing something bad to the person they are obsessing over. 

Don’t Sell Them Short

Opposite to the point above, you shouldn’t make your introductions too short. To some extent, it can be good to leave some parts of the character’s appearance up to the reader’s imagination. However, you should give them something to help them visualize the characters in the beginning. Otherwise, if you later reveal that the character has dark hair, all the readers that imagined them with light hair might have a difficult time accepting that. 

Descriptions are important, and they help to include a reader in the narrative. Like a well-described setting, vivid characters can help immerse readers into the world and make them part of the story. 

Use Their Personality

A character’s personality can have a large impact on how they are perceived, and therefore should alter the words you use to describe them. Two characters might have similar features, but based on their personality, you would describe them differently. 

For example, two characters might both be tall, but one would be described as “awkward and long” while the other is “towering.” In this case, the characters’ levels of confidence impact how they are perceived. For another example, think about two characters who both have light skin. You could describe one as looking like “porcelain” and describe the other one as “pasty,” depending on their other traits. Those two descriptions create very different perceptions from each other.   

Use the Point of View

If the character in question is being described from the first-person perspective of another character, then the protagonist’s opinions should sneak into the description. Your protagonist probably isn’t going to objectively evaluate the other person—they’re likely to rely on stereotypes, biases, and things they have heard from others about the character they’re looking at. Rely on that to make the description fit into the story more organically. 

Here are some examples: 

• She had no right to have such a disarming smile.
• His expression was empty—just like his head.
• His dark, tangled hair reminded me of a swamp.
• She didn’t even wear any makeup! But even more frustratingly, she didn’t really need it.
• They looked divine… like I wasn’t even worthy to look upon them. 
• He looked like the type of person to stare at his own reflection before getting in the shower. 
• They were short and stocky, but they could still probably beat me in a fight. 

Remember, your protagonist can make speculative judgments about the character they’re looking at. You’re telling the story as they experience it, so their judgments are part of the narrative!

“…he was greeted by the barista—a young teen who had not yet matured enough to be handsome. Once his soft cheeks hollowed and his jaw squared, and the childish optimism fled his eyes, then he would have the chance to smolder. That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not just yet.”  – excerpt from a draft

Keep the Description Balanced

A good rule of thumb when describing characters (or anything else really) is to create a balance of concrete details and flowery imagery. You should alternate between those two, as well as general and more specific details, to make the description flow more naturally, and to make it more interesting to read. 

Imagine reading a description like: 

“His hair was red and curly. His eyes were large and green. He had freckles, but they weren’t that noticeable. He was tall but very thin.” 

That’s so dry, and it’s not fun to read. Compare that to a description that varies how the information is provided:

“His hair was like a massive red bush surrounding two wide, green eyes. Freckles faintly dotted his cheeks, but they were only really visible in the sunshine. His long, lanky body and large hair made him look a bit like a big red lollipop—which was only heightened by his tendency to blush often.”

Wasn’t that a lot more fun to read? Not only does it make the character description more interesting, but it also influences a reader’s perception of what the character is like. Certain words help readers to gauge what kind of person this character is. The first example gives no indication of personality, but the second one uses words like “sunshine” and “lollipop” to associate the character with lively, happy things. Additionally, using words like “lanky” and “blush” suggests that the character is awkward or shy, saving you the time of having to spell that out for readers. 

Give them Something Special

One helpful thing that I’ve learned over the years is that you should give your main character some distinctive feature that sets them apart from the other characters around them. Diverse descriptions are great, but it never hurts to make your main character a little more unique. This could be something like a distinctive scar, a tattoo, a weird eye color, a patch of silver or white hair, a missing or extra finger, a birthmark, or something else along those lines. That can make them stand out more, and it can be a really clear indicator that they are special. 

Although your story won’t suffer if you don’t give your main character a distinct feature like this, it is usually a good bet—especially if you think your story could ever conceivably be adapted into a visual medium, like a comic, animation, or film. That character could become iconic. People may just see your character somewhere and that alone could motivate them to read or watch the whole story. As another plus, it could give you a cool opportunity for your story’s cover. 

How to Describe a Character’s Face

When describing a character’s face, the easiest way to do that is to first break the face down into its essential parts: the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the facial structure.

So let’s start with the eyes since they are the focal point of the face. Stay away from the descriptions you’ve heard a million times, like “piercing” or “doe-eyed.” The eyes are the window to the soul, and they can tell a reader a lot about a character. Instead of “piercing,” try “icy” or “sharp,” and instead of “doe-eyed,” try “wide,” “innocent,” or “full of wonder/awe.” The goal is to describe the character in a unique way to make it more interesting to read, while still creating a vivid image of that character. 

You can describe the shape, color, and depth of a character’s eyes, but you should be careful not to rely on insensitive generalizations. For example, instead of “Asian” eyes, use “almond-shaped” or “mono-lid.” Not all Asian people have mono-lids, so simply using the word “Asian” to describe the character’s eyes doesn’t actually narrow down what they look like. 

That goes for all the other features of the face, too. Though it is true that some features are more prominent in certain races, nothing is inherent. You shouldn’t rely on the character’s race or ethnic background alone to be the basis of your description. Saying that a character is Japanese or Jamaican without giving other details doesn’t do any more for the character’s description than saying they are European or white. Doing this only encourages your readers to stereotype your characters, even if that wasn’t your intention. 

With that said, don’t get too caught up in describing every detail of a character’s face. Give the most important information, such as the eyes, face shape, scars, and other notable details or imperfections, then move on. If a character has an exaggerated feature, such as a large nose or bushy eyebrows, then that’s important to mention too.

How to Describe a Character’s Hair

There are lots of different types of hair colors, textures, thicknesses, and shines, so try not to make all your characters have the same kind of hair—unless they’re related or part of a small, isolated community, of course. Hair can be curly and blond, sleek and black, coily and auburn, and even dyed wild colors. Making your characters’ hair more distinct will make them easier for readers to visualize, especially if you introduce many characters at one time. 

Beyond the basics, you can use words to describe a character’s hair that reflects who they are as a person. For example, describing a character’s hair as springy or bouncy could indicate the character is upbeat and moves excitedly. Slick, greasy, or wispy hair could suggest an untrustworthy or sneaky character. The words you use to describe the character’s hair will be subliminally applied to the character themself. 

How to Describe a Character’s Clothes

Clothing is an important element of self-expression, and what your character decides to wear can reflect a lot about them. However, unlike with the character’s face, you should not spend a lot of time describing their outfit. For one thing, they’re probably going to change their outfit at some point in the story—likely more than once. Secondly, readers just won’t care unless you give them a good reason to. 

If you want to describe what your character is wearing, make sure to keep it short. If it’s just a simple way of helping the reader visualize the character’s style, present the information objectively and in only a paragraph or two, such as: 

“She wore short-shorts and a denim jacket, and pink thigh-high socks that she had to keep pulling up because they always slipped down to her knees. Her tennis-shoes were white and bulky, as was the belt bag she wore off to one side. This free, laidback style was completed by the two messy buns her faded purple hair was pulled up into.”

However, there are a few times in which you can use clothing to explore more complex ideas in the story. For example:

• An article of clothing might have special significance to a character. It could have been handed down from a relative, it could be a favorite shirt, or it could be meaningful in other ways. That would merit drawing more attention to it. 
• An article of clothing might have special significance to the story. This could be a type of ceremonial outfit, a piece of magical armor, or something along those lines. That would require a more thorough in-depth description of the item. 
• An article of clothing may be unfamiliar to most of your readers, such as a specific cultural outfit or an unusual costume, in which case a descriptive explanation could help illustrate what it looks like. 
• A particular outfit could draw attention to a character, such as an attractive or surprising outfit, that could merit taking more time to describe it (and explain why it garners the character extra attention). 

How to Describe a Character’s Body

Describing a character’s body is fairly straightforward. Like with many other aspects of a character’s appearance, there are a few methods you can use to approach describing their body. You could take the objective approach, which would do just fine in most cases, or you could toy with your readers’ perceptions. 

I’ll start out with a word of caution. Too many times, I’ve seen unrealistic descriptions of characters’ bodies. Whether it’s a waist that’s impossibly thin or muscles like a bodybuilder on a teenager, people tend to push the boundaries of what the human body is even capable of. You need to keep your characters within the limits of what’s actually possible, unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise (genetically modified supersoldier, not actually human at all, etc). 

Now, as with some other aspects of the character’s appearance, you can get away with a simple, objective description, like “tall and muscular” or “short and curvy.” Honestly, that’s usually all you’ll need to do. However, bodies are commonly associated with physical attractiveness, and if attraction is the point of your description, you need to take a different approach. 

Writing about attraction is tough (which is why I go more in-depth about how to write about attraction in my other article, Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love ). You’ll want to highlight the positives of the character’s body—the elements of them that have caught your protagonist’s attention. Whether it’s biceps, legs, or a large chest, you’ll want to describe it in detail, as well as highlight what it is about them that has the protagonist so interested. Here’s an example:

“He was tall and sturdy, and even in this relaxed environment, his pose held power. The way his shirt stretched taut around his shoulders when he shifted snagged and held my attention—I couldn’t help but stare. Did he pick that shirt on purpose? He had to know the thin fabric clung close to his body, showing off every rippling muscle underneath…” 

How to Describe a Character’s Posture and Body Language

Body language is an often overlooked element of describing a character, but you should give it some thought even if you don’t intend to draw a lot of attention to it in the story. How does your character stand? How do they emote? Do they gesture when they speak? Do they fidget? Try to envision what they look like when they are waiting, actively engaged in a passionate conversation, and when they are uncomfortable. 

People move in different ways, even if they aren’t thinking about it. Come up with a list of movements and behaviors that are typical for the character, and utilize those movements to make dull scenes and conversations more interesting. Instead of just dialogue, you can give readers more to imagine as your character shifts their weight, runs their hand through their hair, or twists the hem of their shirt. This can also help to establish the tone of the conversation.  

A person’s body, personality, and mood will all influence how they move. If you establish a baseline for how the character stands and behaves when they are in a neutral mindset, this will help you keep them consistent over time by casually mentioning their body language throughout the story. As a bonus, it can also help you tip readers off if you want them to notice that something is bothering the character. If you have established that a character is pretty relaxed in most situations, readers will instantly notice if they exhibit anxious body language even if you don’t draw a lot of attention to it. 

How to Describe an Attractive Character

Describing an attractive character isn’t all that different from describing any other character. You still shouldn’t make them flawless, but you can put off mentioning their more negative qualities until later—especially if another character is looking at them through rose-colored glasses . 

One recommendation that I have for describing a character who is supposed to be extremely attractive is to keep their description vague. Beauty is subjective, so each reader is going to have a different idea of what “attractive” means. By all means, describe the basics of their appearance, such as hair color, eye color, skin tone, and whatnot, but don’t dive deep into the shape of their features. This will leave a little bit up to the reader’s imagination, and they will fill in the gaps in the character’s description with the traits that they find most attractive. 

Another helpful tip is to utilize the reactions of background characters to establish that the character is, in fact, attractive. Other people staring at the character or nudging and whispering to each other about them would help your reader understand that the character is good-looking, and alter their mental image of them accordingly. 

The Importance of Creating Vivid Visual Descriptions for your Characters

Creating vivid visual descriptions for your characters is incredibly important for a number of reasons. For one thing, being able to imagine the characters will help draw your readers into the story and immerse them in the world. Additionally, by giving your characters more distinct appearances, they will stand out more from each other, and from characters in other stories. The more complex and interesting the character, the more likely they are to stick in a reader’s mind for years after they finish reading the story. 

Good luck with writing your descriptions! I know you’ll write something great.

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus , a companion to The Emotion Thesaurus , releases May 13th.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Physical Attribute Entry: Hair

March 9, 2013 by BECCA PUGLISI

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel ‘list-like’, while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight.  One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help ‘tell the story’ about who your character is and what they’ve been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character’s physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions. Descriptors :  curly, ringleted, straight, kinky, wavy, wild, lank, blunt, tame, bushy, frizzy, silky, long, short, flowing, buzzed, cropped, chopped, coifed, styled, gelled, loose, flat, shiny, dull, bouncy, thin, thick, wiry, dyed, streaked, layered…

Things Hair Does  (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)

• Flip : toss, jerk, flick, shake,
• Blow (in the wind) : float, flutter, sail, waft, fly, skim, whip, tear, thrash, twirl, buffet, lash, shimmy, sway, slap, flap

Key Emotions and Related Hair Gestures:  

• Though hair doesn’t do much on its own, people often touch their hair to indicate certain emotions. When nervous or feeling insecure,  people do pretty much anything with their hair, such as touching, patting, twisting, pulling, compulsively braiding/unbraiding, pulling, jerking, and finger-combing their locks.
• At times of high anxiety or stress.. .

Clichés to Avoid : Bleached blondes that are dumb or gullible; sexy, sassy redheads; lice as a sign of dirty hair…

HINT:   When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty.  Example:  I tried not to stare at the matriarch’s hair but didn’t quite succeed. It was the color of rich loam without a hint of white—a glossy shade that inspired both envy and debate among the village women. My mother liked to say that no one Bentri’s age kept such hair naturally .

BONUS TIP: The  Color, Texture, and Shape Thesaurus  might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

Describe your character’s features in a way that reveals more than just a physical description. Show what he looks like while also reinforcing his personality and emotional state, thereby doing more with less.

Need concrete examples of how to describe your character in a compelling, magnetic way? Good news!  This thesaurus has been integrated into our online library at  One Stop For Writers . There, you can find help with  metaphors and similes , as well as the best ways to  describe your character using movement.  The entire Physical Feature collection is cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a  free  sampling of the updated Physical Feature Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!  

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

November 6, 2013 at 9:44 pm

I used to chew my hair. I liked the crunchy texture.

March 10, 2013 at 6:01 pm

Great one Becca–there is so much we do with our hair–it really is a way of expressing who we are!

March 10, 2013 at 3:26 am

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

March 9, 2013 at 4:55 pm

Cynthia, you’re right. That’s a point I hadn’t considered, which would bring the percentage of redheads higher. Even considering that, though, I stand by my opinion that there are far more redheads in literature than are represented in the general population :).

March 9, 2013 at 3:27 pm

Nice. This is the kind of thing I try to work on with on edit pass.

March 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

Always find these posts very useful. Thank you=)

March 9, 2013 at 1:12 pm

My character does tons of stuff with her hair. How much is too much!Trying to figure it out. It is definitely her tic. Great post.

March 9, 2013 at 11:33 am

Are red heads really that rare? That makes me feel special 🙂 Stereotypes aside I think certain hair colors DO give impressions. I gave each of my characters their hair and eye color for a reason. My heroine has big brown eyes, because I wanted them to capture, and be all-encompassing. Her honey-blonde hair too, was meant to give an impression of softness.

March 9, 2013 at 10:21 am

My cheerful counter to the 2% statistic is that it doesn’t seem to consider that not all redheads have been that way since birth.

There was an MFA class at Vermont College that had a half dozen redheads.

Many of my friends are redheads. How many of them are natural? I’d never ask. But if you’re scanning the general U.S. populace…

March 9, 2013 at 10:20 am

Good stuff. Keep ’em coming:)

March 9, 2013 at 9:25 am

Thanks for sharing your tips.

March 9, 2013 at 8:07 am

Excellent, as always.

March 9, 2013 at 6:14 am

Great one!!

March 9, 2013 at 5:58 am

This comment has been removed by the author.

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How to Describe Hair in Writing: Tips, Examples & Techniques

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Writing effective descriptions of hair can be challenging, but it is an important skill to master if you want to write vivid, captivating stories that draw readers into the world you’ve created. Whether you’re describing a character’s hair or the setting of your story, it’s essential that you know how to accurately portray this important element. In this article, we’ll explore several tips and techniques to help you describe hair in writing with clarity and precision.

Using Sensory Language

When describing hair, it’s important to use words that evoke the senses. This will help readers get a clear image of what you’re trying to portray. For example, when describing curly hair, you could say “it was tightly coiled like a spring” or “it cascaded down her back in gentle waves.” You could also use words such as “silky” or “lustrous” to evoke a feeling of smoothness and shine. Additionally, you could incorporate sound and smell into your descriptions by saying things like “the wind made her hair rustle like a field of grass” or “her hair smelled of freshly cut lemons.”

Comparing Hair to Elements in Nature

Nature is full of wonderful elements that can be used to effectively describe hair. To find the best comparisons, think about the texture, color, and movement of the hair you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing dark, straight hair, you could say “it was as black as a raven’s wing” or “it hung like a curtain of midnight.” You could also use elements from the sea to describe wavy hair, such as “it crashed against her shoulders like a stormy ocean” or “it shone like the sun on a ripple of waves.”

Focusing on Texture and Color

Texture and color are two of the most important aspects of hair that need to be accurately portrayed in writing. When it comes to texture, there are many different types, such as curly, wavy, straight, coarse, fine, and more. Make sure to use specific words that clearly convey the texture you’re trying to describe. For example, you could say “her hair was a wild tangle of curls” or “it was as soft and silky as a feather.” When it comes to color, try to use words that accurately describe the hue. For instance, you could say “it was a deep mahogany brown” or “it was a bright, fiery red.”

Incorporating Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes can be incredibly effective when describing hair. They provide readers with a vivid image of what you’re trying to portray. For instance, if you’re describing long, blonde hair, you could say “it was a river of golden silk” or “it cascaded down her back like a waterfall.” To make your metaphors and similes even more effective, you could use elements from nature, such as “it shone like the sun on a field of wheat” or “it was as wild and untamed as a thunderstorm.”

Utilizing Personification

Personifying hair can help make your descriptions even more vivid and captivating. To do this, you could give the hair its own personality or characteristics. For example, you could say “her hair was rebellious and unruly” or “it seemed to have a mind of its own.” You could also use words such as “playful” or “mischievous” to give the hair a unique personality. Additionally, you could use verbs such as “dancing” or “twirling” to give the impression that the hair is alive and has a life of its own.

Describing the Way It Moves

The way hair moves is an important aspect of hair that needs to be accurately described in writing. To do this, you could use words such as “swirling” or “undulating” to give the impression of movement. You could also use words such as “billowing” or “flowing” to evoke a sense of gracefulness. Additionally, you could use phrases such as “it swayed in the breeze” or “it blew in the wind” to give the impression that the hair is being moved by an outside force.

Describing hair in writing can be a challenge, but with the right techniques, you can create vivid, captivating descriptions that draw readers into your story. By using sensory language, nature comparisons, metaphors and similes, personification, and descriptions of movement, you can accurately portray any type of hair. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to craft beautiful descriptions that bring your stories to life.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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How To Describe Hair In Writing

By dakota kellermann.

As a creative writer, describing hair is an essential skill that you need to master. Whether it’s the color, texture, style, or length of your character’s hair, how you describe it can draw readers into a scene and make them feel more connected with your characters.

In this article, we’ll discuss some tips and techniques for describing hair in writing so that you can enhance your storytelling skills.

Tip 1: Observe Different Hair Types

The first tip in learning how to describe hair in writing is observing different types of hair. Take note of the various textures such as straight, wavy or curly. Notice the colors ranging from ebony black to blonde gold or ginger red. Pay attention to whether the strands are thick or thin because this will affect their appearance. Be sure also to consider length – long enough to be braided into intricate knots or cropped short?

By understanding all these factors and incorporating them into your descriptions when appropriate (e.g., “Her beachy blonde waves swayed freely around her face,” versus “His slicked back dark locks were tamed by gel”), you’re better equipped at painting readers a clear image of what’s happening on the page.

Tip 2: Use Sensory Language When Describing Hair

One way writers successfully help readers connect with narrative elements like descriptions of luscious locks involves creating super-vivid sensory language through words used as seductive aromatic prompts which encourage re-reading specific sections once again!

When discussing hair as it relates specifically towards touch-hair care should be tended regularly-clips make those layers appear thicker than they actually are; while perms add curl without hairspray chemicals damaging styles post-curling madness overnight wearing masks helps strengthen roots allowing highlights hopefully even last longer often mixed throughout seasons-no worries though–hair always grows back for those sunny summertime photographs where flowers adorn evenings stargazing-enjoy momentary reminiscences recollecting people’s descriptions as vividly depicted scenes within this novel chapter.

Tip 3: Incorporate Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes are literary devices of comparison frequently used in creative writing. By using these techniques when discussing hair, you can draw a more vivid picture in your reader’s mind.

Consider examples like curly hair described as spiraled cinnamon or wildflowers swaying against the wind when describing someone who has long untamed tangle-free locks. Conversely, short cropped hair might be compared to thistles on an autumn day or steel wool that has just been scrubbed raw and wire-brushed to remove rust stains from silverware.

Whether you decide to use poetic comparisons for your character’s standard brushing routine or with each strand that comes loose- it is essential never lose focus on relatable terms that add compelling metaphoric value without getting too ‘ artsy-fartsy’ about things which can distract readers from what actually matters: storytelling at its core!

Tip 4: Context Matters When Describing Hair

When deciding how to describe hair properly, it is critical always consider context because the same hairstyle could have different connotations depending on circumstances surrounding them. If portraying somebody nursing post-traumatic stress disorder by illustrating tangled unkempt strands; they may live that way intentionally since combing their mop of curls reminds them of times when all was not well–perhaps much simpler times before war broke out leaving irreversible life changes behind forevermore-unable return back to regular lifestyles easily anymore either physically stunning looks once heralded walk-tall instantly vanished suppressed emotions hidden deep inside psyche waiting clearings brighten up minds ultimately finding peace alongside family friends eventually materialized after everything became overwhelmed temporarily-but did get worse around certain Holidays sooner rather than later subsiding before January blues arrived with chilly winds blowing outside both doors windows lined draft excluders long forgotten coats masks mittens trampling carpet beneath snowy boots delightfully disrupting Monday mornings leafy memories.

On the other hand, that same unkempt hair could signify rebellion or an individual who is ‘different from the rest’ to someone whose socio-cultural norms promote neat, orderly behavior-imaginable by recognizing particular definitions individuality. Considerations like this allow authors to find ways that make their writing much more complex and authentic because they recognize variations between readers and actual societal values coming into play with each narrative fragment.

Tip 5: Use Specifics When Describing Hair

Another vital tip when describing hair in writing involves utilizing specific details effectively. Adding detailed imagery improves clarity on how people’s hair feels to your character while expressing distinctiveness for different types of strands.

For instance, using phrases like “The silky threads trailed down her back as she moved,” detailing elegant flowing lines versus simply stating “Her brown locks reached her waist,” instantly makes a difference when multiple characters with similar physical features described–it adds depth otherwise just listing attribute descriptors without significant impact!

In summary, creating realistic descriptions of hair requires blending usable tidbits involving texture, length color palate used alongside sensory language metaphors similes within contextual limits all combined together allowing fluid narratives come alive compelling readability! By experimenting different techniques over time until you discover one most effective means accomplish goals mentioned here; through constant practice strengthening skills through constructive feedback self-evaluating approach every writer possesses welcoming newcomers elevating potentials immense creativity filed away waiting release onto blank slate vision story development plotting depths characterization complexities necessary achieving universal appeal-all wrapped up within beautiful domestic packages filled human emotions allure promises dreams ultimately enlightenment journey worthy capture word form…

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How to Write Amazing Hair Descriptions

Trying to describe a character can be one of the biggest challenges of writing. Let’s say you have a character who is loud and brash. You may know that, but saying, “Jackson was a loud, brash man,” doesn’t make for an engaging story.

So how do you talk about who a character is without talking about who a character is? One of the best ways to do that is through hair descriptions. It may seem strange, but describing a character through their hair can be powerful.

Maybe there’s a proud landlord who has some super hair pieces hiding in his closet. Maybe there’s a little girl whose dirty, matted hair tells you everything you need to know about her life.

No matter who the character is, describing their hair in the right way can add amazing depth to your story. Read on to learn about more great ways to describe hair in your story.

Make It Describe the Character

The first and most important thing you want to do when talking about a character’s looks is make sure they aren’t just that – looks. Every aspect of a character should tell you something about them. If you show the reader what a character is like through what they look like , you won’t have to tell them later.

For instance, let’s say you’re writing about a warrior woman who worries about her father’s expectations and wishes she could be gentle as well as fierce. When this woman is in battle or around her father, she’ll have her hair pulled back into a tight braid. She’ll have discipline, and there won’t be a hair out of place.

But when she’s on her own, she’s likely to let her hair fall down loose. She might worry about anyone else seeing it down. But she’ll take good care of it and keep it clean and strong.

You see, in a few sentences, we’ve given the reader a sense of this character’s deepest fears and desires without talking about them. Showing what the character is like in this way, rather than telling the reader makes the reader connect with the character and will help your story flow. Hair descriptions can be an important part of this.

Use All Five Senses

When describing hair , the instinct of a lot of writers is to only describe the way it looks. It makes sense. Unless it is your own hair, it’s likely that you’ll only ever look at hair, rather than experiencing it with all five senses.

For a character, you want to make sure the reader had as much sensory detail as possible. (A note here: make sure you work these details into the story. You don’t want to pile a bunch of descriptions on a reader all at once.)

When you’re describing hair, make sure to use all five senses. Let’s go back to our warrior woman example. We know that when she’s around people, her hair will have tight braids, perhaps so tight it’s pulling at her scalp. When she’s alone, it will look soft and shiny.

Her hair will also probably feel soft, like silk or water running over your hands. When she’s in battle, her hair may smell like sweat, blood, or even smoke. When she moves, her braid may smack against her armor, or it may whisper when she takes it out of the braid.

Using all your senses to describe how a character’s hair looks will give the reader a richer experience of that character. Again, be sure to work these details into the story naturally. But you’ll find yourself with a much more captivating story for including those descriptions.

Describe How It Moves

One of the most common ways to describe hair is by how it moves. And it’s no surprise. Showing how a character’s hair moves can help inform a lot about them.

Once again, let’s look at our warrior woman. Her braid may jut out from the base of her neck stiffly. When she’s fighting, it may whip around behind her. The end of it could flick like a lion’s tail when she’s stalking towards an enemy.

When she has her hair loose, though, this character’s hair may flow down her back. It may cascade over her shoulders and cover her face. It could hang in dripping strands when it’s wet.

The way a character’s hair moves can be an extension of the way they themselves move, and that can inform a lot about them. Again, show who your character is through how they carry themselves. That will carry over to the way their hair moves, and your reader will have a better picture of who your character is.

Don’t Forget the Body Hair

When you’re describing a character’s hair, it can be easy to forget their body hair. Granted, this is less likely to come up in normal descriptions than head hair is. But it can be a powerful tool to set a scene when it does.

For example, our warrior woman might come out of a fiery battle to find her eyebrows singed. Her eyebrows could even be thick and straight. When they’re furrowed or knit, those close to her might know that it’s time for them to get out of her way.

Or if she sees a friend fall in battle, all the hair on her arms might stand up. She might feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle if someone’s watching her while she has her hair loose. Or she could have to wash the blood and sweat out of her leg and armpit hair after a fight.

Body hair descriptions will be sparingly used. But in the right places, they can add yet another dimension to your reader’s experience. You want to use every tool at your disposal to immerse the reader in the story, and body hair descriptions can be one of those tools.

Writing Powerful Hair Descriptions

For many people, their hair is a huge part of their outward identity. Think about how good you feel about yourself when you get a great new haircut. That same sense of identity tied to hair carries over to your characters, as well.

Using hair descriptions to talk about a character can be a powerful way to immerse the reader in who this person is. Follow the tips above, and you’ll have an amazing character ready to guide your reader through the world you’ve created.

For more interesting articles like this one, visit the rest of our site at LaTeet. We have articles on amazing science, interesting places, useful tips , and more. Visit us today for your small dose of interesting.

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How to Describe Hairstyles in Writing

By Isobel Coughlan

Do you need some help in describing the hairstyle of a character in your story? In this post, we explain how to describe hairstyles in writing using the following 10 words.

1. Extravagant

Something that’s impressive , elaborate, or costs a lot of money.

“The young girl looked into the salon and admired the extravagant hairstyles. She wished she could have her hair professionally styled.”

“Your hair is looking rather extravagant this morning. Did you take inspiration from the latest fashion show?”

How it Adds Description

“Extravagant” shows that the character’s hair is elaborate and detailed, and therefore, it might impress other characters in the book. An “extravagant” hairstyle might have more volume, lots of color, or many accessories. Sometimes, “extravagant” hairstyles might cost a lot, and this may frustrate the character who has to pay for the service.

2. Conventional

Something that’s normal or ordinary .

“John’s hair was always conventional . Many thought he was a square for ignoring the trends, but he wasn’t comfortable with taking risks.

“Penelope secretly wished her daughter would opt for conventional hairstyles. But she had to admit, there was a strange charm to her neon yellow mohawk.”

Not all hairstyles are dramatic or unique, and you can show a character plays it safe with their locks via “conventional.” Characters with “conventional” hairstyles might follow the rules and avoid making controversial statements. They could also value tradition, and therefore, they don’t try out any modern hair trends.

3. Flammable

Something that catches fire or burns easily.

“Do you need any more hairspray, Ella? Your hair is positively flammable !”

“Wendy had to steer clear of the smokers outside of the club due to her flammable hair.”

If a character’s hairstyle uses a lot of hairspray, it’s more likely to catch fire . In pop culture, it’s common to call these kinds of styles “flammable.” This shows they’re at risk of burning, but it also portrays how much time and effort has gone into styling it via hairspray. Characters with “flammable” hair might value style over comfort, which shows they care what others think of them.

Something that might shock or anger others.

“Andrew stocked up on bleach, dye, and scissors. He was ready to create the most daring hairstyle in the world.”

“The woman looked around the room at the young students. Each had a daring hairstyle, and she wondered how they all persuaded their parents to approve the cut.”

Hairstyles that are deliberately shocking can be called “daring.” For example, this could include bright colors, shaved patterns, or experimental cuts. Sometimes, a “daring” hairstyle will even anger a more conservative character, as it doesn’t fit within their traditional worldview.

5. Minimalist

A style that takes inspiration from minimalism and uses simple elements.

“The boy wanted his life to be simple and straightforward, so he opted for a minimalist haircut.”

“Verity’s blunt bob was endearingly minimalist . Not many people could pull off such a simple hairstyle.”

You can show a character has a very simple hairstyle via the adjective “minimalist.” This shows that the cut is very simple or doesn’t include over-the-top details. A “minimalist” cut doesn’t mean they’re boring, though. It can be a style statement that illustrates their commitment to being fashionable without effort.

6. Feminine

Something that had qualities associated with women .

“Grace tied an ornate bow onto her head to complement her feminine haircut. She instantly felt silly and longed to cut it all off.”

“Billy’s long, hippy locks made everyone stare. Some even called his hair feminine , but he knew he was channeling the rock legends of the past.”

The adjective “feminine” can show your reader that the hairstyle in question mimics qualities typically associated with womanhood. This could be because it’s long or delicately styled. Some characters might embrace the “feminine” style. In contrast, others might be uncomfortable with it, especially if they don’t resonate with womanhood.

Hair that looks shiny, smooth, and healthy .

“The TV showed images of dancing girls and their sleek hairstyles. This enraged Jenny, even though she knew their hair didn’t really look like that.”

“Maintaining sleek hair was Beth’s only life goal. Every morning, she woke up, brushed her tresses fifty times, and generously applied argan oil.”

“Sleek” describes hairstyles that are very healthy and shiny, which further implies that the character either takes care of their hair or uses expensive products to keep it looking smooth. Other characters might be jealous of someone with a “sleek” hairstyle, as they may secretly wish their hair looked better.

Something that is very firm and doesn’t bend.

“Hailey, you’ve gone overboard with the gel again! Your hairstyle’s so stiff that it’s not even moving with the wind!”

“The makeup artist made sure the actor’s hairstyle was stiff enough to withstand the on-set wind machine.”

If a hairstyle has lots of products in it (e.g., gel, mousse, or hairspray), it becomes hard or “stiff.” “Stiff” hairstyles are great if you want to keep everything in place, but they don’t always look good. Therefore, a character with “stiff” hair might be unhappy with their look, and others might laugh at their failed hairstyle.

Hair that’s very tightly curled or unruly .

“Sam wanted to leave the salon with beachy curls, but instead, she was left with a rushed and frizzy hairstyle.”

“We need to get out of the humidity now. My hairstyle has turned frizzy !”

When a hairstyle becomes “frizzy,” it means the style is either losing shape or becoming curlier than planned. This can happen due to humidity, time, or lack of product. A character will probably become annoyed or upset when this happens, as “frizzy” hair isn’t usually in fashion.

10. Voluminous

Something that’s extremely large .

“Every day, Simon backcombed his hair until it reached his trademark voluminous style.”

“As the old man walked down the street, he couldn’t help but notice the kids were all wearing their locks in voluminous hairstyles.”

“Voluminous” shows that the fictional hairstyle is very tall or wide to the point that it stands out from the rest. If a character chooses to wear a “voluminous” style, they might like attention and look different. This may also imply that they’re confident, as they’re not scared of being different.

BRYN DONOVAN

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• Writing Inspiration
• Semi-Charmed Life
• Reading & Research

Master List of Physical Description for Writers

I created this list of ways to describe people

because physical description, when done well, helps the readers see characters in their minds. But sometimes when you’re in the middle of writing, it can be hard to think of physical adjectives and distinguishing features for characters. I find that describing facial features can be especially tricky!

That’s why I created this long list of physical characteristics. It’s kind of like a character description generator, and it’ll help you when you’re trying to think of how to describe a character’s appearance.

Eyes – General

 For all the words about describing facial features, I’m focusing more on physical descriptions rather than emotional expressions, though there’s a little crossover! You can also check out my long list of facial expressions.

heavy-lidded

fringed with long lashes

with sweeping eyelashes

with thick eyelashes

By the way, this post on how to describe (and not describe) the eyes of an Asian character  is really great. Check it out.

Eyes – Color

Brown is the most common eye color by far. Green is quite rare.

chocolate brown

cocoa brown

coffee brown

sienna brown

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cornflower blue

Arctic blue

glacial blue

crystal blue

electric blue

slate blue / slate gray

storm blue / storm gray

silver / silver gray

concrete gray

gunmetal gray

Skin – Color

Josh Roby made a great chart of skin tones and descriptor words, and I got a lot of these words from him. You can get that here .

The quote from N.K. Jemisin interested me: “I get really tired of seeing African-descended characters described in terms of the goods that drove, and still drive, the slave trade—coffee, chocolate, brown sugar. There’s some weird psychosocial baggage attached to that.” 

cream / creamy

rose / rosy

Skin – General

Some of these are better for the face, and some are better for other parts of the body.

translucent

luminescent

with large pores

weather-beaten

Face – Structure

heart-shaped

high forehead

broad forehead

prominent brow ridge

protruding brow bone

sharp cheekbones

high cheekbones

angular cheekbones

hollow cheeks

jutting chin

pointed chin

receding chin

double chin

dimple in chin

visible Adam’s apple

People don’t write much about noses, but they can be distinguishing features for characters!

Cupid’s bow

straight teeth

gap between teeth

gleaming white teeth

Facial Hair (or lack thereof)

clean-shaven

smooth-shaven

mutton-chop sideburns

a few days’ growth of beard

five o’ clock shadow

Hair – General

I threw a few hairstyles in here, though not many.

shoulder-length

neatly combed

slicked down / slicked back

buzzed / buzz cut

widow’s peak

Hair – Color

There are some repeats here from the eye color section!

salt and pepper

charcoal gray

brown sugar

tawny brown

toffee brown

Titian-haired

strawberry blonde

butterscotch

sandy blond

fair-haired

Body Type – General

average height

barrel-chested

heavy / heavy-set

pot-bellied

full-figured

leggy / long-legged

broad-shouldered

sloping shoulders

stubby fingers

long fingers

ragged nails

grimy fingernails

ink-stained

This list and many more are in my book Master Lists for Writers: Thesauruses, Plot Ideas, Character Traits, Names, and More . Check it out if you’re interested!

And if you don’t want to miss future writing posts, follow the blog, if you aren’t already — there’s a place to sign up on the lefthand side of the blog. Thanks for stopping by, and happy writing!

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127 thoughts on “ master list of physical description for writers ”.

Thanks, Bryn! This list has sparked a spark in my brain. I haven’t seen one of those for a while. I was getting worried I’d lost my flint!

I’m so glad you like it!

I love this, do you mind if we share on our blog WritersLife.org ?

Thanks for the positive feedback! You can’t reproduce it on your blog, but you can share an excerpt of 200 words or less plus a link to my site.

As a new novel writer all I can say is thank very much for sharing with us this wonderful list.

Ah you’re welcome! Thanks for visiting!

This is amazing! Thank you very much!

Thanks for the kind words–glad it seems helpful!

Reblogged this on looselyjournalying.

Reblogged this on Of Fancy & Creativity .

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Aw thank you for this it helped so much! I’m 15 and I’m trying to write a novel and this was sooooo helpful so thank you a billion 🙂 Best wishes.

Ah you’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Good for you for working on a novel, and good luck–I bet it will go great!

Hi, Bryn Thank you for doing these lists. They helped me a lot. Can you make a list on how to describe emotions like sadness or anger.

It’s funny you should ask 🙂 There’s a list like that in my book MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS coming out this fall! I haven’t officially announced it yet, but hey 🙂

You can get a free copy when it comes out if you agree to give it an honest review. SIgn up for my newsletter if you’re interested!

Reblogged this on Kalynn Bayron and commented: Yes! This is great!

Was just looking for this type of lists.Great work.

This is so helpful.

I love your blog, btw. Your posts are informative and/or inspirational.

Are you on any social medial where I can follow you?

Oh, thank you so much! I just checked out your blog — I love the dream casting post! http://sbhadleywilson.com/blog/pull-ideal-cast-2/

I’m @BrynDonovan on Twitter, just followed you!

VERY helpful. I need to get basic descriptions of people done and out of the way to move on with plot. This quickens any details that might have taken me a long time to think through, or strain a sentence. Yuck. I know my females characters would pay attention to lots of physical details. not so with the males. Thanks!

Oh, so glad it’s helpful! That’s always what I’m trying to do with my lists — speed things up. I hate getting stuck on a detail and losing my momentum 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

godsent list! Bryn, I wish you more brains.

Reblogged this on Jessica Louis and commented: This list is beyond helpful. Who knew there were so many eye colors!?

Thanks Bryn your list was amazing. I’m an aspiring writer and it really helped me a lot. When I can I’m going to get a copy of your book. I think it would help me become a better writer. My genre of choice is erotic, but it is so hard to get out there, but I’m hopeful one day I will. It’s what I love to do and I’m going to keep trying.

Hi Beth! Thank you so much for the kind words. If you do get the book, I hope you like it! And good luck on writing erotica — I’m doing a “WIP Wednesday” this Wednesday where you can share a bit of your work in progress, if you like 🙂

That would be great. I have some short stories publish on a site called Literotica. I have some editing issues that I’m trying to work out, nothing a few classes wouldn’t help. How do I share my work.

I am so sorry! I missed this comment before. The next WIP Wednesday on the blog is Dec. 2… if you’re following the blog you’ll see the post! (The follow button is on the righthand side of this page.) Hope your writing’s going well 🙂

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Reblogged this on PRINCE CHARMING ISN'T HERE and commented: what an amazing list! I always have a hard time describing features! words sometimes fail me!

i loved this list! thank you so much for making it! 🙂

So glad it was helpful!

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Thank you! This is so helpful to have for reference. Occasionally I’ll have a particular word in mind and can’t think of it, and I can usually pop over here and find it right away!

I absolutely love your master lists. They have helped me so much in diversifying the words I use when I’m writing. 🙂

Ohhh thank you! That is so great to hear. 🙂 Hope your writing projects are going great!

Thank you, and they are. I’m just about to publish a works I’ve been working on for the past couple of months, which is so exciting. XD Hope all your writing projects are going great as well. 🙂

What a wonderful and thorough list Bryn. Thanks for sharing it! I will at some point ‘link back’ to this fabulous article (I’ll let you know when I do.) I’m new to your site, but will certainly be back for more! I’m fascinated to learn that you’re also a home-grown KC girl. =0) Although, I remarried and moved to California 9 years ago, KC still tugs my heart-strings.

Hey, so glad you like it! Yeah, Kansas City is a special place. Come visit anytime 🙂 And thanks for visiting my blog! — I LOVE your username, by the way. Made me smile.

thanks for following my blog!

Reblogged this on A Bundle of Cute.

Reblogged this on A Blissful Garden and commented: I find this very important!

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Reblogged this on Insideamoronsbrain and commented: Wow!!

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Thanks for sharing this list! It is amazing and so helpful !

I’m going to save this as a favorite. You always provide great information Bryn. Continue with your success.

Oh, thank you so much, Christopher! I really appreciate the kind words. So glad you like this!

This list is so complete! I haven’t worked on fiction in a long while, but lately I’ve been wanting to get back into it. I know this is going to be a great help when i sit down to create my characters!

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This is absolutely perfect for aspiring writers so that we don’t have to use Microsoft Word synonyms that tend to nit have what we’re searching for. Your introductory paragraph about readers falling in love with characters’ personalities and not theit physical attributes was spot on. Thank you thank you, thank you!

Chunny! Thank you so very much for the kind words. I’m so glad you found it helpful!!

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This is amazing! Thank you! I hope it’s alright if I use this as a reference in a blog post for character development.

Hi Jacquelyn! So glad you like it. That’s fine, just please link to the post!

I read this over and over, thank you for creating this! Can I just ask, when thinking of clothing and how to describe it, what are some things you would put? (I’m making a book draft and have never needed clothing described to me as much as now)

Thank you! It’s so important that we don’t reuse the same words too often, so this will help a lot with that problem.

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Thanks for helping me. It really made a big difference of helping me come up with something.

Hi Joseph! Sorry for the delayed reply! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for the kind words!

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Your book “Master Lists for Writers” has helped me incredibly. I’ve always wanted to be a romance writer but didn’t have the nerve until now. I am currently working on a short story about a college girl who is assaulted by a classmate. It was based on a dream I had a few nights ago. I haven’t developed how she gets her revenge on him. I know the story line seems dark but the dream stuck with me so much, I felt the urge to turn it into a story. Thank you again for your awesome book. What a great resource

Rhonda! Thank you so much for the kind words. I am so happy that the book is helpful, and even gladder that you’re going for it and writing! Sending you best wishes on your story!

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Great advice in this post, Bryn! Thank you.

Used this for school! It was really helpful!

Oh yay! So glad it was helpful!

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This is a great list! So comprehensive, and just what I was looking for. I struggle with physical descriptions of people and have a tendency to write the same kins of attributes. So this list is fab!

This is great!

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keep up the good work

Hey thanks 🙂

This is so helpful!!!!!

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Tiptoeing out there to publish my first book (I’ve been writing a long time). This post helped so much. Thanks!

oh my gosh, thank you! You have put a lot of effort in this list. I def appreciate it 🙂

Thank you I´m always using this when I´m creating new characters.

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Incredibly helpful! Thanks a lot :3

Thank you for sharing this!

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More extensive than my general list. My wizened goatee and elder Fu Manchu thank you for sharing your time and devotion to the craft.

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Very useful for ready reference. Thank you very much.

Thanks, Mohan! So glad you liked it!

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I’ve been writing for a while, mostly for fun, but this was the one thing I could never get down, but this list is great! all around solid, and incredibly useful, I see myself using it every time I need to make a new character, good job!

You’re a legend! This is fantastic, thank you!

Hahaha, thanks for the kind words! 🙂 Glad it’s helpful!

I am following your prompts and valuable advice for writing a fantasy teen fiction novel. I think you are amazing. You might not know it but I was able to clear hundreds of my doubts through your help. Please keep up the good work and providing your valuable support to all of us upcoming writers.

Hey, thank you so much for the kind words—you made my day! It’s wonderful to hear that you’re working on YA fantasy. I’m so glad I could help, and I wish you every success!

I honestly would not recommend this as good writing advice. The focus is too much on describing someone’s physical features using analogies for food. That is not a good thing, it becomes trite and overdone. If used sparsely it’s okay but almost every word in this list is food related.

Hi, Larissa! Thanks for taking your valuable time to share your opinion.

You have done a great job preparing this Master List. Those who think such precise words for describing someone hurt their sensibilities, move on to another URL. I appreciate every bit of your effort.

Hi, Pradeep! I am so glad you like the list. Thanks so much for commenting!

Bryn, I love your master list book and use it all the time!

Ohh, thank you so much! I’m so glad it’s helpful!

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This is a godsend. I owe you my soul.

I work 20 hours per day, (regular business and writing the memoir). Just ordered the Master List–seems like having my own research assistant. I may be able to get 5 hours sleep now. Thanks

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No jaw descriptions? ;(

You saved my day with your wonderful, descriptive words! Now I’ve found the perfect features for my handsome male character. Thank you!

That is a lot of hours for books but I guess if you keep pushing it will happen.

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Hi Bryn, thanks so much for this information! I always appreciate your lists because I like comprehensive material all in one location as a reference (then if I decide to break the rules, at least I know what the rules are “supposed to be” first!). Have you considered making comprehensive lists of creative writing genre conventions (tropes, archetypes, settings, devices, etc.)?

Hello, and thank you for the valuable and useful information. I agree with Eleanore regarding the list of genre conventions. I’m more than pleased I found you website.

Thank u so much ❤️ that was so helpful

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Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

A Comprehensive Guide To Writing About Hair

The most popular post here at WITS is a very early post from Sharla Rae on writing descriptively about hair. This post is so amazing, we pulled it up from the archives and buffed it up a bit for you. What's included? Everything from basic descriptions and colors to word choices and hairstyle names. and descriptions.

Let's have a hair party!

A few basic do's and don't's.

The #1 thing about hair descriptions is Do Not overuse them. You do not want to be known as "hair girl "or "hair boy!"

#2 on the essential List: Hair descriptions are a part of the character so make them work harder by using them to describe the person “inside,” not just what the person looks like outside.

•  A tomboy might have a very short, non-nonsense haircut. Then again, she might hide long tresses under a ball cap, because secretly she’d like to be noticed as the girl she really is.
• A man who works as an executive might conform to a short, and very tailored look. Or, he wears expensive suits but he wears his hair a little too long because on the weekends he caters to his passion and joins his buddies for motorcycle road trips.

Alternative Generic Names For Head Hair

Descriptive Hair Phrases

Bangs obscured her eyes like a sheepdog Flaked with snowy dandruff Bleached, bottle baby Braid like a thick black rope Bundled at the nape Bun resembled a cow patty Cascading down her back Chemically damaged Coiled in a top-knot Crowning glory Curls foamed luxuriously Tendrils danced on the breeze Disheveled Downy hair sprinkled her arms Dramatic widow’s peak Elaborately dressed with ribbons Electrified Kewpie curls Smelled like burnt chicken feathers Snow drifts of dandruff Veiled her expression with Greased into a ducktail Flaming locks fluttered to the floor Fluffy Frizz job, bad perm Glossy locks lifted on the wind Grew like a thatch of straw on a roof Grizzled, gray hair Hair drooped around pale cheeks Hair like Rapunzel Hairy as a dog Hung like a dark river Kinky perm Knotted Left unbound to tumble Like a clown wig, artificial red, plastic shine and fuzzy Like a thatched roof Like she put her finger in a light socket Limp and lifeless Long, shaggy hippy look Lustrous as onyx stone Marcelled into fingerwaves Matted to the scalp Perm fried Prematurely gray Puffed like a bubble around her head Ragged bangs Rat’s nest Ringlets Shock of hair stood straight up Slapped her face like wet worms Sleek and chic Smooth honey dripped over her shoulders Spiky Mohawk style of a punk rocker Spilled out of the hat Spread like feathers on a pillow Standing on end Stiff in front like a cockatoo Straight as a wire Streaked, highlighted Stuck to her sweaty nape Tangled mane Tousled pixie Two-toned dye job Unconquered curls sprang loose Unruly swirl Old-lady blue rinsed hair Vibrant color and shine Wet with sweat White Pigeon Wings at temples Wispy ringlets Wondered what rubble lay beneath that mess Wreathed her face

Hair Texture Phrases

Baby fuzz Bleached hair like mushy wet works Blue feather hair of old lady Bristle top Broom chopped Cat-fur fine Cotton candy hair, fine Cottony Dandelion fuzz Down Gummy Horsetail coarse Moldy hay Short-cropped and stiff Soft and lush Soft curls and waves Yellow straw

Descriptive Hair Color Words & Phrases

Grays and Whites

Here is a wonderful link, shared with us by Erin Michelle (see comment below) from Writing With Color: Describing Natural Hair .

Professional Hair Color Descriptions

Ash blond -- Lacks red or gold highlights (verges on green tones); light mousy blond, medium and dark blond, dishwater, beige

Ash brown -- Browns lacking warm/red tones tones; light mousy brown, medium and dark brown

Black -- Different shades of black vary according to the amount of highlighting or pigmentation shadings present in the hair; black lacking all highlighting will be duller, ash shade; black containing a lot of red may appear as deep burgundy

Red -- Warm shades; berry, russet, strawberry (red-blonde), rusty orange, wine, carrot top, etc.

Towhead -- Whitish blond; usually an ash blond lacking warm tones but not always

Warm blond -- Blond with touch of gold and red; whiskey, wheat, honey, strawberry, brassy, golden etc.

Warm brown -- Brunette, dark or light brown that contains red or gold tones; varies from light to nearly black; reddish brown, chestnut, dark amber, auburn etc.

Hair Styles Modern And Historical

It’s impossible to name all the hairstyles but the selection here should be a good start. Many listed here also are known by other names.

[See of some these hairstyles here .]

Afro -- Unisex style borrowed from African-Americans; short and very curly, forming a bowl shaped profile; a pick is used to pull the hair away from the head and shape it

Asymmetric -- Hair is cut long on side of the head and short on the other.

Bedhead -- Popularized in 1990s by starlet Meg Ryan; short to mid-length shaggy cut worn jelled or moussed in tossed fashion

Beehive   -- A 60’s French twist coiled at the back of the head and rising above it to form a cone shape (see upsweep)

Bob -- Introduced in 1915 this short cropped hair style was popular during the 1920’s; also called the shingle bob, the shingle, the Eaton crop. It is often cropped at the jawline and aligned close to the face.

Bouffant -- Puffy hair style’ hair is backcombed or ratted then barely smoothed, resulting in a bubble affect

Bowl -- Most commonly worn by young boys. The bang area cut straight cross the forehead as if measured by turning a bowl upside down on the head. The top layers are longer and cut along the this bowl line around the head.

Braid -- Plaited hair

Bubble -- 60’s hairstyle, short to mid-length, ratted/backcombed to appear like a football helmet or bubble surrounding the head

Butch/flattop/crewcut -- A man’s style; usually cut with electric shears; very short and stands on end at the front of the head and his shaved close to the head on the sides; sometimes called a GI cut.

Buzz -  Modern slang for a hair shaved close to the head

Chignon -- Bun, usually at the nape or top of head; topknot

Conk -- African-American textured hair that is straightened

Cornrows -- Small tightly braided rows of hair that hug the scalp

Duck tail -- 50’s style worn by girls and boys alike; hair on either side of nape combed toward the center of the head; reminiscent of Elvis Presley, Fabian, Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds etc.

Farrah Fawcett -- Long layered hair flipped or feathered back off the face with a bang that feathers or rolls off the face as well; made popular by the TV star of the same name; late 70’s and early 80’s

Finger waved -- Usually short haircut in which a stylist uses lotion and her fingers to create deep waves that circle the head. Popular in the 1920s and 30s.

Flip -- Feminine hair style of the 50’s and 60’s; long hair usually shoulder length turned up at the ends, sometimes in a roll.

Fontange -- Worn 1690’s to 1710; a towering fountain of frills and complex, lacy intertwining shaped around a wire frame and considered the height of fashion; nicknamed by disdaining men, the “tower and the comet”

French twist/seam -- Hair swept back from both sides the head (front to back) and rolled down the center of the head into a roll or tucked to make a seam

Fringe -- Curly bangs worn in the 1880’s; in 1900’s worn straight; alternate name for bangs

Kiss curls -- Seen immediately after Civil War; ringlets of curls on the cheeks or forehead

London Cut -- Short female cut popular during the 1960s and early 70s. The hair was cut over the ears, leaving a fringe in front of the ears, often brushed toward the face or straight down. The nape hair was cut along the hairline like a boys but more rounded instead of squared off like a man’s neckline.

Mohawk -- Shaved head with a strip of hair growth down the center of the head from forehead to the nape

Pads -- Late 1830’s long coiled curls over the ears (looked like ear muffs); at the back of the head they were called a Grecian knot or psyche knot

Pageboy -- Introduced in late 1930s early 40’s; long, hair turned under, usually just touching the shoulders

Pigtails -- Same as pony tail only the hair is parted down middle and each section is cinched into its own tail above or below the ear

Pixie -- Female short cut; feathered around profile of face and onto cheek, short at the nape line; usually with full bang and combed forward onto face; also called an Italian cut; permed version called a poodle cut

Pompadour -- Style of wearing the hair high over the forehead usually in some type of rolled affect; in 1940’s women used rats (nylon mash) to roll the hair off the forehead and puff it; a version of this also worn during the 1700’s and early 1800’s by most and women; name comes from a lady of this era called Madame Pompadour

Ponytail -- Hair gathered together and cinched with a rubber band or barrette to make a tail at the back of the head; worn high or low; worn low it’s sometimes called a George (referring to George Washington) or a Paul Revere

Poodle cut -- Short, curly haircut

Powdered hair/wigs -- Unisex style worn from about 1760’s to 1820; after 1740 men were wearing shorter, simpler wigs and began to powder their own hair

Punk -- Usually short on top and styled with lotion to stand up off the head; often a mohawk fashion from forehead to nape; sometimes dyed bright neon colors of pink, purple, blue, orange etc.

Queue -- Pigtail, esp. that of a Chinese. (Chinese queue was braided) Men of Colonial America wore these as well, usually tied back with a ribbon and in some cases men wore a periwig styled with a queue

Roach -- Hair brushed into a roll

Sausage curl -- Long tube-like coils of hair; popular in early 1800’s; in the early 1970’s these were piled on top of the head in a cluster, esp. for formal dress for teens.

Shag -- Like a pixie, only long at the nape. Lengths vary from short to long layered cut; popular during the early 70’s

Skin heads -- Group of radical racist youths, men and women alike, who shaved their heads

Spaniel’s curls -- Late 1840’s into the 50’s; long thick curls worn by the ear (as worn by Elizabeth Barrette Browning)

Spit curls -- First seen in 1831; flat curls on women in front of the ear

Tonsure -- Shaven part of a monk or cleric’s head

Updo/upsweep -- Generic term for long hair styled high on top of head; hair might petaled (layered curls), barrel curled, arranged in a chignon, backcombed into a beehive or styled in French roll etc.

Wedge cut -- Also called Dorothy Hamill cut; short cut worn mostly by women; sides feathered off the face, back cut longer from the drown to the occipital bone, where its layered into a wedge; nape is trimmed close the head and short; a late ‘70’s and early 80’s style.

Do you see anything missing from this list? Are there modern styles we need to add? How do you decide what kind of hair to give your characters?

* * * * * *

Sharla Rae passed away earlier this year, but she (and her amazing lists) live on at WITS. She published four amazing historical romances. The latest, How To Fell a Timberman , is available on Amazon .

You can read more about her here .

13 comments on “A Comprehensive Guide To Writing About Hair”

This is too, too perfect for me because one of the questions in the reader's guide at the end of my forthcoming novel QUEEN OF THE OWLS is about how HAIR is used to convey different aspects of what it means to be a woman!! The protagonist changes her hair to symbolize a change she wants to make in her life. Her less-tightly-wound sister is always letting her hair fall, effortlessly, to her shoulders. And so on. (You'll just have to read the book to know more.) As women, hair matters to us; we say something about who we are, through our hair choices. So this is a cool dictionary! Thank you!!

How cool, Barbara! That's sounds like a great story.

What a great post! So incredibly thorough. The only thing I can think to add is black hair that has a blue sheen to it.

I find the descriptive hair phrases particularly helpful.

Yes, Sharla was amazing at this. This post is a summary of 17 pages from her "magic notebooks."

This is a great list! I want to point out one spelling error in the descriptive phrases. "Cupie" curls are actually "Kewpie" curls. Kewpie dolls were very popular in the early to mid 20th century. Spell check probably won't catch that.

Excellent catch, Belinda! I made the change. 🙂

Great idea, but this post was pretty exclusionary of POC har descriptors and I think it was neglectful to leave this out of the conversation (I'm a while lady, but I pay attention to this stuff).

Just for example -- there's a difference between dreadlocks (not even on this list) and locs, with an important distinction:

"With the trans-Atlantic slave trade in full force during the 1600-1800s, Africans brought to America (and other places around the globe) were unable to perform their normal hair grooming practices, and so arrived looking unkempt. After traveling months on ships with no hygiene available, hair appeared matted and locked. It's said that slave owners referred to the "dreadful" sight of the captives, thus the term "dreadlocks" and its negative association." ( https://www.byrdie.com/locs-or-locks-400267 )

Hair and the description of hair is such a huge part of the black community in particular, and has so many connotations for other non-white cultures as well, it was remiss to not include at least some links for white writers to explore, ESPECIALLY if you ever plan to write a POC character.

This post is a great place to start: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/94390338957/describing-natural-hair

Erin, I appreciate you taking the time to leave this thoughtful comment and point out this oversight. I've added that excellent link to Writing With Color into the post. Although many of these descriptors apply to hair from any ethnic background, the post did not pay special attention to hair from persons of color. Thank you for speaking up!

It should be noted that these descriptors come from Sharla Rae's personal notebook and she tended to write early American historicals with a focus on Norwegians and Texans.

Thanks so much for visiting us here at Writers In the Storm.

Erin, I thought you might enjoy this book a friend of mine wrote for her daughter, Ava. It speaks about African-American hair in a very unique way. (Her daughter attends school in an Orange County district that is predominantly of Asian and Middle Eastern descent and Caucasian.)

https://www.amazon.com/Have-Make-Curly-Hair-Straight/dp/154306681X

Better than Thesaurus.com!!

Thanks, Karen! And things just got even more comprehensive some some great links in the comments. 🙂

spiral curls, popular in the 80s, but some of us have that in our natural curly hair

I think you're missing the mullet.

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Vocabulary Point

Adjectives for Hair (Descriptive Words for Hair)

Describing hair can be a delightful and creative endeavor, especially for students and beginners exploring the vast world of vocabulary . The way we talk about Adjectives for hair can convey not just physical attributes but also mood, style, and personality.

This curated list of adjectives aims to enrich your linguistic palette, providing a diverse range of terms to describe hair in various contexts. Each word is a gateway to more vivid and precise descriptions, enhancing your ability to capture the essence of different hair types and styles in your writing or conversations.

Table of Contents

Adjectives For Hair

• Meaning: Shining, radiant, glossy.
• Example: Her lustrous hair shimmered in the sunlight.
• Meaning: Formed in curls, spiraled.
• Example: He sported a head full of curly locks.
• Meaning: Slightly curled, not straight.
• Example: She had long, wavy hair that flowed gracefully.
• Meaning: Forming small tight curls, unruly.
• Example: The humid weather turned her hair frizzy.
• Meaning: Smooth, soft, fine-textured.
• Example: His hair felt silky to the touch.
• Meaning: Dense, full, abundant.
• Example: Her thick hair was enviable.
• Meaning: Without curls or waves.
• Example: She had naturally straight and sleek hair.
• Meaning: Rough, thick, textured.
• Example: His coarse hair was tough to comb.
• Meaning: Thin, delicate, soft.
• Example: She had fine hair that easily tangled.
• Meaning: Springy, lively, full of volume.
• Example: Her bouncy curls bounced as she walked.
• Meaning: Shiny, sleek, smooth.
• Example: His glossy black hair was striking.
• Meaning: Full-bodied, thick, ample.
• Example: She styled her hair to make it look voluminous.
• Meaning: Cascading, smooth, fluid.
• Example: Her flowing hair was like a waterfall.
• Meaning: Easily broken, fragile, rigid.
• Example: Over-styling made her hair brittle.
• Meaning: Tightly curled, spiraled.
• Example: She loved her naturally kinky hair.
• Meaning: Lacking shine, matte, unpolished.
• Example: His hair looked dull and lifeless.
• Meaning: Thinly dispersed, scanty.
• Example: He was concerned about his sparse hair.
• Meaning: Gentle to touch, tender, smooth.
• Example: Her baby’s hair was incredibly soft.
• Meaning: Fine, feathery, delicate.
• Example: She had wispy bangs that framed her face.
• Meaning: Lightened ends, highlighted.
• Example: Her frosted hair glinted under the lights.
• Meaning: Long, messy, unkempt.
• Example: He had a shaggy mane that suited his casual style.
• Meaning: Smoothed down, glossy, neat.
• Example: He sported a slicked-back hairstyle.
• Meaning: Hair cut in layers, tiered.
• Example: Her layered haircut added dimension to her look.
• Meaning: Knotted, matted, snarled.
• Example: After the windstorm, her hair was tangled.
• Meaning: Long, thick, lion-like hair.
• Example: His mane of hair was his defining feature.
• Meaning: Light, airy, soft.
• Example: Her feathery layers framed her face beautifully.
• Meaning: Not manageable, wild, disobedient.
• Example: His unruly curls defied all combs.
• Meaning: Unevenly cut, jagged, textured.
• Example: She chose a choppy bob for a modern look.
• Meaning: Reddish-brown color.
• Example: Her auburn hair glowed in the autumn sun.
• Meaning: Very dark black.
• Example: His jet-black hair contrasted with his pale skin.
• Meaning: Naturally lightened by the sun.
• Example: Her sun-kissed highlights were perfect for summer.
• Meaning: Less vibrant, washed out.
• Example: Her once-bright hair color had faded.
• Meaning: Silvery-white, very light blonde.
• Example: She dyed her hair platinum for a dramatic change.
• Meaning: Grayish, lacking warmth.
• Example: His ashy hair gave him a distinguished look.
• Meaning: Shiny, yellowish, sun-like.
• Example: Her golden locks were reminiscent of classic fairy tales.
• Meaning: Woven, plaited, intertwined.
• Example: She often wore her hair in intricate braids.
• Meaning: Natural, untamed, free.
• Example: Her wild curls perfectly matched her adventurous spirit.
• Meaning: Oily, slick, unwashed.
• Example: His hair appeared greasy by the end of the day.
• Meaning: Styled with tight waves, ridged.
• Example: She enjoyed the retro look of crimped hair.
• Meaning: Light, puffy, airy.
• Example: His fluffy hair was soft to the touch.

Must Learn:

Adjectives for Friend

Adjectives For Family

Adjectives for Day

Adjectives for Dance

Adjectives for Flower

Negative Adjectives For Hair

Hair can sometimes present challenges, and certain adjectives may be required to describe these less desirable qualities. Here are 20 negative adjectives, each accompanied by three one-word meanings:

• Frizzy : Unruly, Fuzzy, Tangled
• Greasy : Oily, Slick, Unwashed
• Limp : Lifeless, Flat, Weak
• Dull : Lackluster, Matte, Unshiny
• Brittle : Fragile, Breakable, Weak
• Split : Frayed, Severed, Damaged
• Thinning : Sparse, Fading, Receding
• Dry : Dehydrated, Rough, Parched
• Tangled : Knotted, Matted, Snarled
• Unruly : Wild, Stubborn, Untamed
• Coarse : Rough, Thick, Textured
• Sparse : Thin, Scant, Limited
• Damaged : Ruined, Deteriorated, Impaired
• Faded : Bleached, Washed-out, Pale
• Flyaway : Frizzy, Static, Unmanageable
• Kinky : Coiled, Tight, Curly
• Matted : Entangled, Clumped, Knotted
• Overprocessed : Damaged, Brittle, Fried
• Wispy : Thin, Feeble, Flimsy
• Stringy : Lanky, Thin, Straggly

Positive Adjectives For Hair

Conversely, when hair is at its best, it can be described with a variety of positive adjectives. Below are 20 such adjectives, each with three one-word meanings:

• Lustrous : Shiny, Glossy, Radiant
• Voluminous : Full, Thick, Plentiful
• Silky : Smooth, Soft, Sleek
• Healthy : Strong, Vibrant, Robust
• Thick : Dense, Full, Luxuriant
• Glossy : Shiny, Sleek, Polished
• Flowing : Fluid, Graceful, Smooth
• Vibrant : Bright, Rich, Lively
• Bouncy : Springy, Lively, Energetic
• Soft : Tender, Gentle, Plush
• Shiny : Glossy, Bright, Lustrous
• Curly : Spiraled, Ringlet, Wavy
• Sleek : Smooth, Straight, Polished
• Wavy : Undulating, Curled, Flowing
• Luxurious : Rich, Opulent, Lavish
• Strong : Durable, Resilient, Tough
• Nourished : Conditioned, Enriched, Fortified
• Lively : Animated, Vivacious, Spirited
• Mane-like : Lioness, Full, Thick
• Radiant : Glowing, Shining, Sparkling

Descriptive Words For Hair

• Lustrous : Shiny
• Voluminous : Thick
• Silky : Smooth
• Curly : Spiraled
• Straight : Sleek
• Wavy : Undulating
• Coarse : Rough
• Fine : Thin
• Glossy : Shiny
• Frizzy : Fluffy
• Brittle : Fragile
• Dense : Thick
• Layered : Tiered
• Bouncy : Lively
• Flowing : Fluid
• Slicked : Smoothed
• Choppy : Jagged
• Wispy : Feather-like
• Unruly : Wild
• Braided : Plaited
• Tangled : Knotted
• Greasy : Oily
• Fluffy : Puffy
• Thinning : Sparse
• Colored : Dyed
• Highlighted : Lightened
• Mane-like : Lioness
• Frosted : Lightened
• Cropped : Short
• Spiky : Pointed

Words To Describe Hair

• Shimmering : Glowing
• Cascading : Flowing
• Luxuriant : Rich
• Majestic : Regal
• Feathered : Light
• Sleek : Smooth
• Ravishing : Attractive
• Ornate : Decorative
• Tousled : Messy
• Luminous : Bright
• Glowing : Radiant
• Flowy : Graceful
• Wispy : Delicate
• Volumized : Full
• Neat : Tidy
• Chic : Stylish
• Effortless : Easy
• Polished : Refined
• Kempt : Maintained
• Flowing : Draping

Words To Describe Hair Color

• Auburn : Reddish-brown
• Platinum : Pale blonde
• Ebony : Black
• Chestnut : Brown
• Raven : Dark
• Ginger : Red
• Caramel : Golden brown
• Ashen : Grayish
• Sable : Black
• Golden : Yellowish
• Honeyed : Sweetly brown
• Icy : Cool blonde
• Jet : Dark black
• Sun-kissed : Naturally lightened
• Burgundy : Deep red
• Sandy : Pale brown
• Silver : Gray
• Chocolate : Dark brown
• Copper : Reddish-brown
• Strawberry : Pinkish red

Words To Describe Hair Stylist

• Skillful : Expert
• Innovative : Creative
• Meticulous : Detailed
• Artistic : Imaginative
• Trendy : Fashionable
• Experienced : Knowledgeable
• Creative : Original
• Visionary : Inspirational
• Dexterous : Agile
• Stylish : Chic
• Expert : Professional
• Fashion-forward : Progressive
• Precise : Accurate
• Imaginative : Inventive
• Talented : Gifted
• Accomplished : Skilled
• Versatile : Adaptable
• Professional : Formal
• Inventive : Original
• Masterful : Proficient

Condition Of Hair

• Hydrated : Moisturized
• Revitalized : Renewed
• Nourished : Enriched
• Restored : Rejuvenated
• Resilient : Strong
• Fortified : Strengthened
• Rejuvenated : Revived
• Invigorated : Energized
• Renewed : Refreshed
• Strengthened : Toughened
• Healthy : Robust
• Vibrant : Lively
• Smooth : Sleek
• Manageable : Controllable
• Lively : Animated
• Soft : Tender
• Shiny : Glossy
• Silken : Smooth
• Moisturized : Hydrated

Length Of Hair

• Short : Brief
• Medium : Intermediate
• Long : Extended
• Cropped : Trimmed
• Shoulder-length : Mid-length
• Waist-length : Long
• Bobbed : Shortened
• Shaved : Bald
• Pixie-cut : Very short
• Extended : Lengthened
• Knee-length : Very long
• Buzzed : Closely cut
• Chin-length : Moderate
• Elongated : Stretched
• Clipped : Trimmed
• Trimmed : Neatened
• Mid-length : Average
• Tapered : Narrowed
• Flowing : Streaming

Texture Of Hair

• Velvety : Soft
• Wiry : Stiff
• Supple : Flexible
• Crisp : Brittle
• Porous : Absorbent
• Stiff : Rigid
• Airy : Light
• Kinky : Curly
• Straight : Linear
• Curly : Coiled
• Thick : Dense
• Bushy : Full
• Wispy : Flimsy
• Frizzy : Fuzzy

Fancy Word For Hair

• Tresses : Locks
• Locks : Strands
• Coiffure : Hairstyle
• Mane : Thick hair
• Follicles : Roots
• Strands : Fibers
• Ringlets : Curls
• Plume : Feather
• Quiff : Style
• Bangs : Fringe
• Braids : Plaits
• Curls : Coils
• Waves : Undulations
• Updo : Hairstyle
• Ponytail : Tail
• Mullet : Style
• Beehive : Voluminous style
• Afro : Curly
• Cornrows : Braids

Synonyms For Hair

• Curls : Spirals
• Plaits : Braids
• Weave : Extension
• Shag : Layered cut
• Buzzcut : Shaved
• Afro : Natural
• Highlights : Streaks
• Perm : Curls
• Quiff : Wave
• Crewcut : Short
• Pixie : Short
• Undercut : Shaved sides
• Mohawk : Spiked
• Dreadlocks : Twisted
• Beehive : Volumized
• Mullet : Short-front long-back
• Chignon : Bun
• Fishtail : Braid

How To Describe Hair In Creative Writing?

• Auburn tresses cascaded like autumn leaves.
• Silken strands whispered secrets in the breeze.
• Raven locks danced like midnight waves.
• Platinum curls shone like winter frost.
• Lustrous mane glowed under moonlight.
• Flowing waves mirrored the ocean’s rhythm.
• Golden ringlets twinkled like sunshine.
• Glossy bob reflected her chic persona.
• Ebony hair draped like velvet shadows.
• Chestnut braids wove tales of tradition.
• Wispy bangs fluttered like delicate wings.
• Fiery strands blazed with passion.
• Icy spikes stood defiantly against norms.
• Sun-kissed highlights whispered of summer love.
• Jet-black ponytail swished with purpose.
• Bouncy coils spiraled with joy.
• Choppy layers spoke of her boldness.
• Silver threads woven through wisdom’s fabric.
• Kinky fro crowned her in glory.
• Burgundy waves washed in mystery’s hue.

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English Words and Expressions to Describe The Colour of Hair

Home | English Vocabulary Lessons | Adjectives | Looks and Appearance | Hair Colour | Next »

blonde - pale, yellow hair.

Synonyms: flaxen hair, platinum hair ( very light blonde ), fair hair, light hair.

peroxide blonde - very light blonde hair that has been bleached.

Famous peroxide blondes include Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and Madonna.

Synonyms: bottle blonde, bleached blonde.

strawberry blonde - pale yellow hair with a hint of ginger.

Synonym: gingery blonde.

golden blonde - light brown hair with golden highlights.

Synonyms: dark blonde, honey blonde, sun kissed.

mousy - drab, mid brown hair.

Mousy is a slightly negative word to describe hair. Mid-brown is more diplomatic!

ash brown - light to mid brown hair, with cool tones.

red - hair that is orange.

A person with orange hair is a redhead .

Synonyms: ginger hair ( bright red ), sandy hair ( soft red ), auburn hair ( dark red ), carrot-top ( mildly impolite ).

brunette - dark brown hair.

Synonyms: chestnut, tawny, chocolate ( brown ).

jet black - very dark hair.

Synonyms: raven haired, ebony.

salt and pepper - an even sprinkling of grey and dark hair.

Synonyms: greying, going grey, turning grey.

silver fox - an attractive person with grey hair.

Mainly used to describe older men who have aged well, and kept their good looks.

Examples: George Clooney, Anderson Cooper.

bleached - hair that has been lightened (bleached) by one or more shades.

Lightening is a permanent method of changing your hair colour.

dyed - hair that has been changed to a different shade.

Synonyms: coloured, tinted. Semi-permanent and temporary hair colours ( or rinses ) wash out. Permanent hair colours need to grow out.

highlights ( plural, noun ) - strands of hair that have been bleached, to make hair look lighter.

Synonyms: streaks, foils.

lowlights ( plural, noun ) - strands of hair that have been tinted a darker colour.

Differences in Spelling - UK vs US English

British English: grey, colour

American English: gray, color

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How to describe hair in writing to readers [2023].

Describing hair in words is not easy for a reader without a picture.

Phrases for Hair Movement

You must find great phrases to convey a person's hair movement and hairstyle to a reader. It can also be related to the activity, whether natural hair movement or movement due to dancing.

Some phrases to describe hair movement are:

• Flowing in the wind
• Breezing in the air
• Blown on the wind
• Moving fluidly
• Featherweight 
• The wind running through hair
• Spectacular 
• Swinging side-by-side
• Lightweight

Phrases for Beautiful Hair 

To describe beautiful hair requires positive phrases and adjectives and should be used with other words on hair texture and length for readers to visualize.

Some phrases to describe beautiful hair are

• Silky smooth
• Alluring wavy hair
• Magnificant
• Lovely Tresses

Phrases for Hair Colors

For describing hair color, one tip is to look at hair dye colors for ideas too.  

How to describe hair color in writing 

• Light Golden Brown
• Umber Brown
• Ebony Brown
• Raven Brown
• Snowy White
• Silver Gray Hair
• Bleach White
• Ombre Purple
• Chestnut Red
• Crimson Red
• Mahogany Red

You should also be familiar with the different textures of the hair and different styles of hair. 

What you should keep in mind is that when using the adjectives to describe the hair, you should not overdo it, just make sure that you are giving enough description of the hair for the purpose of the writing.

You can do research about the phrases that can be used in the description of the color or the texture and the style of the hair, using the specific phrases that are understandable in the world of beauty is very important. You should also note the colors of the hair, they are different.

Tips used in writing hair descriptions

• Combination of words

You should know well how to combine different phrases to give a detailed description of the hair you are trying to describe. 

A combination of different phrases is able to give a reader a full description of the hair, for example, using a description like; ‘braided black hair’ or 'straight hair' will let a person knows more about the black hair.

• Find the work that has been done 

If you just can’t describe hair well it is advisable that you check out the descriptions that have been done to see how things are done.

The hairstyle could be dreadlocks on African American hair,  natural afro Hair common in black women, cute hairstyles with short hair, box braids, crochet braids, pixie cut, plaited, ponytail, permed hair, French braids, Dutch braids (read our posts on the different in   French and Dutch braids  and   history of European braids ).

How to describe hair texture

There are very many textures that you need to check out because you will need to know every before attempting to describe any, you should check on the thickness of the hair, check on the density, and determine how the hair is curly. There are three types of texture that you will have to dwell on in your descriptions; these are the thick texture, the medium texture, and the fine texture.

• Thick texture - this is the kind of hair that has all the layers of hair, if you make a description as thick then the hair is really a lot of the head. The hair holds water for a long time compared to other textures
• Medium texture - the hair might not be as thick as the first texture but it has just enough to cover the head well, it has two layers unlike the thick texture, The hair is lighter then the thick texture, this means that it can be changed into many styles.
• Fine texture - the hair has only one layer, this means it is very light; it is very delicate just like that one of a young child, this hair cannot be able to stand straight on the head. It can have a problem with using many products.

How to describe the smell of hair

Describing smell can be difficult for a reader to relate because unless you get the right words to describe the smell.

A good way is to use food like honey, refreshing cucumber which is infused in shampoo.

Observe the smell, then you will need to find the right description words to able to describe, check out for better adjectives and nouns that can fit the description. You should note that only accurate descriptions will communicate the intended message.

How to describe curly hair

Here are some ways you can describe curly hair:

• Her curly hair cascaded down her shoulders in tight, glossy ringlets.
• His voluminous, corkscrew curls gave him a distinctive and charming look.
• She had shoulder-length hair with loose, beachy curls that framed her face beautifully.
• The little girl's adorable face was accentuated by her bouncy, golden curls.
• His thick, curly mane seemed to have a life of its own, adding to his charismatic personality.
• Despite the slight frizz, her long, S-shaped curls added a touch of elegance to her appearance.
• The natural shine of her coiled curls gave her hair a lustrous and healthy look.

Hope you find this guide useful for your writing ideas.

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watermark Member

How to write descriptions of beautiful women.

Discussion in ' Character Development ' started by watermark , Jan 12, 2017 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Right now I only know how to write them like this: Jane is beautiful. Jill is very beautiful. Jenny is beautiful too. As you can see, I obviously have a problem. I don't know how to describe beauty in women! (And while we're on the topic, how to describe handsomeness on guys too.) Of course, I can pull up a thesaurus too and change them to: Jane is pretty. Jill is gorgeous. Jenny is stunning. But somehow I think there's more to it than that. How would I go about describing women? Any examples? Any advice? Thanks so much!  

Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Ok, first of all, stop telling me she's beautiful. What is her beauty made of? What are the materials? Give me that.  

Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Eyes are always a good place to start, namely the way he/she looks at you and what that makes you feel. Or the way you feel when a beautiful man/woman speaks your name. The latter is my favorite. I used to work dressing rooms in a casino and I nearly melted when Shania Twain looked at me and said my name with a smile. I was down for the count for the rest of the day. Having said that you definitely do not want to go overboard with the description. Nothing brings a narrative to a screeching halt quite like a mini treatise on what a person looks like or what they are wearing (I'm looking at you George R.R. Martin). A blurb here or there is okay, particularly if you need to fill in a dialogue beat or something.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Homer Potvin said: ↑ ...Nothing brings a narrative to a screeching halt quite like a mini treatise on what a person looks like or what they are wearing (I'm looking at you George R.R. Martin) . Click to expand...

Lifeline South. Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Now, you can start by what is fascinating to the POV character. Why does he think her beautiful? Is it something in her stance and bearing, maybe her laughter? Or the way she seems always poised and elegant of movement? What does attract you about women? What does attract the POV character? 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. I know for a fact that I, personally, have always been more fascinated by the unusual and imperfect guys. I've never been fascinated by the 'perfect', or even the usually 'handsome' called guys. Good for me and my female friend, because we have never quarrelled over the same guys  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); But descriptions can make great signposts to cue the reader later on in a story. Say, you have serial killer (or something) that always wears an orange vest (nevermind that that would make the killer easy to identify for witnesses, cops, etc). The reader is aware of it, but other characters are not. So later in the story you can have Character A interacting with the killer (say they just met) in an otherwise innocuous scene. If you are in Character A's POV then she does not know he is the killer, and we the reader do not know he's the killer unless your omniscient voice blurts it out. Then in the middle of the scene you can drop a casual reference to the orange vest (remember, you are tight on Character A's POV here) and the reader is immediately cued. Character A has no clue, maybe she just comments that she likes the color, but the audience is like, "Oh no! Stabby stabby time!"  

Seren Writeaholic

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Lifeline said: ↑ Now, you can start by what is fascinating to the POV character. Why does he think her beautiful? Is it something in her stance and bearing, maybe her laughter? Or the way she seems always poised and elegant of movement? What does attract you about women? What does attract the POV character? 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. I know for a fact that I, personally, have always been more fascinated by the unusual and imperfect guys. I've never been fascinated by the 'perfect', or even the usually 'handsome' called guys. Good for me and my female friend, because we have never quarrelled over the same guys Click to expand...

xanadu Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); I agree with @Lifeline and @Seren . Use the POV character as your basis, not only for describing beauty, but for describing anything. The last thing I want when I'm reading description is a dry objective narration from the author. Give me the description of the character through the lens of the character whose eyes we're looking through. What matters to one character is not what matters to another. Here's the thing, though. By doing this, you're not only describing the "beauty" of the target character. You're also giving us characterization of the POV character. The things he notices vs the things he doesn't, how he chooses to describe them, how brief or how detailed of a description he gives, all factor into who this character is. And that's way more valuable than a laundry list of adjectives, no matter how poetic those adjectives may be.  

ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); watermark said: ↑ Right now I only know how to write them like this: Jane is beautiful. Jill is very beautiful. Jenny is beautiful too. As you can see, I obviously have a problem. I don't know how to describe beauty in women! (And while we're on the topic, how to describe handsomeness on guys too.) Of course, I can pull up a thesaurus too and change them to: Jane is pretty. Jill is gorgeous. Jenny is stunning. But somehow I think there's more to it than that. How would I go about describing women? Any examples? Any advice? Thanks so much! Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Thanks so much for the comments so far! Another question. Any books in particular you can recommend I study to learn how to write descriptions, esp of women, better? (I'm guessing not one of the ASOIAF books... ) Perhaps romance novels?  

amerrigan Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); I'm not sure of any books that would help you. But the people on this forum know a few tricks that you could learn. One of which is the writing technique of 'using description to tell a story'. It not only applies to environments, but to people as well. The following is a classic 'writers lesson' of using description to tell the story: 'In 300 words, describe a street in such a way that you know that one of your character's mothers has just died, without ever saying it.' When beauty becomes a part of the character's story and influences the actions of the people around them, then you start to figure out ways in which to describe the beauty in a storied way. So you could change it to, 'In 300 words, describe how your character looks in such a way that you know that your protagonist is obsessed with them, without ever saying it.'  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); I couldn't help myself but have a practice run: “…then Clare sat down at the dinner table. Clare had the brownest eyes I had ever seen. When you smiled at her, her eyes seemed to light up; and, as they did, I spilled gravy on the table. She laughed. I quickly mopped it up, embarrassed, but knocked over the salt as I wasn’t paying attention, watching her broad smile. Her lips were thin, small, and the top one came together to make a perfect M. She told me that I should pinch the salt and throw it over my shoulder. I did it clumsily, on purpose, tossing it against my shoulder, and asked her if she could show me how it should be done. A stupid game, I know, but she played along. She always played along. Her fingers were slender, nails cut short, she picked up the salt, and with a graceful movement the salt flew past her bare collarbone; exposed for all to see by her strapless floral dress. I watched as a single grain of the salt landed on her dark brown skin and rolled down to her underarm. My eyes traveled along the path of her long black hair back up to her eyes. She was still looking at me, waiting for me to try again. I mumbled something dismissive and quickly picked up my fork and started playing with my food, hiding behind the other conversations, and feeling guilty for watching a grain of salt roll down my wife’s sister’s body…”  

Phil Mitchell Banned Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); watermark said: ↑ Thanks so much for the comments so far! Another question. Any books in particular you can recommend I study to learn how to write descriptions, esp of women, better? (I'm guessing not one of the ASOIAF books... ) Perhaps romance novels? Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); @amerrigan Hey I really liked how you used a "guy does something and how girl reacts to that" to describe the girl. That's something I never thought of doing before!  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Thanks. I tried to capture some of the obsessive behavior within the description. The obsessed person's manipulation of their victims behavior. And also their reading of everything their obsession does as a positive reciprocation of their dark desires. I like doing writing exercises like these. I find them to be a lot of fun.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Don't describe a character as the most beautiful or perfect using omniscient pov,  

Oswiecenie Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); 1. Look at descriptions of other beautiful literary characters. 2. Describe what would make your character stand out in this sea of beautiful literary characters.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Romance novels don't always go into huge detail in their description, often because they have the whole novel to weave in little comments about certain features of the main characters. But I'm an avid fan of them, so if you do take a look, I'd highly recommend Sarah Morgan's stories, because she writes from the POV's of both the male and female protagonists. It should help you with writing descriptions about both. (She's written a lot of them to varying degrees of quality, so I'd go for one that's still available in paperback and published with either Mills & Boon or Harlequin.)  

123456789 Contributor Contributor

JLT Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); I can only add Francis Bacon's observation: “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” Oversized eyes, nose, or ears, long fingers, whatever. They're the features that you notice, that set your character apart from the rest of humanity.  

Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Lifeline said: ↑ 'Beautiful' to one is not beautiful to another. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Sack-a-Doo! said: ↑ My wife calls me 'handsome' but most would not because I'm not even close to 'movie average' let alone 'movie pretty.' So, yeah, it's subjective as hell and Hollywood has given us a standard so out of whack as to make some cry. But... When someone is truly attracted to someone else—and I'm talking soul-mate attracted—the first bite (to quote Kryton the mechanoid) is with the eye. Eyes are what I saw when I first encountered my wife across a crowded room... literally, it was a crowded corridor at university and for the first few seconds, all I saw was her eyes and I couldn't look away. I was peripherally aware of her smile (still gives me goosebumps, BTW, even after 31 years) but mostly it was that 'hey! how do I know this person?' thing in her eyes that I was aware of. Although time didn't stand still, we both did... and simply stared at each other like we'd both found a long-lost friend. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Wreybies said: ↑ pulchritude Click to expand...

big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); Wreybies said: ↑ The way he clearly did not wash his hair on a daily basis. . Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_c9c6c75a621a19137702c8991ef49d1a'); }); big soft moose said: ↑ Seriously ? I wash mine about once a fortnight whether it needs it or not ( I do shower more often I hasten to add, its just that I'm very tall so my head doesn't go under the shower head without contortions) On the wider point I also look a bit like a werewolf , or if wearing my shapka 'like a deranged spaniel' this hasn't however over the years stopped various women from getting all fluttery over my looks and manly charm Click to expand...

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Descriptive Words List of Adjectives Word Reference

Descriptive Words for Hair Color and Styles

What are some descriptive words for hair.

Here is a list of words that describe Hair color and styles.

Total number of Hair words and adjectives: 242 words

Hair color and styles words are listed in alphabetical order.

Download Hair Words PDF: Descriptive Words for Hair PDF

40 Most Commonly Used Words to Describe Hair Cuts, Texture and Colors

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Vocabulary Boosters

By using words to describe hair, you can say a lot about a person. The texture of your hair, for example, can indicate where you come from, or your ethnicity.

The color says something about your personality, as well as your age. You can also use words to describe hair to speculate about a person’s health!

In this blog post, we will discuss 40 of the most commonly used words to describe hair based on colors, cuts and textures. Whether you’re looking for a new style to try or just want to find the right words to describe your unique look, this list is sure to help! So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready to explore the world of hair!

18 words to describe hair styles that are common around the world

  Chances are, you’ve tried at least 3 of these hairstyles before. With this many options to choose from, you should never be bored with your hair.   Hairstyles come in and out of style every few years, but these are somehow always trendy. Here are 18 words to describe hair styles around the world:  

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12 words to describe hair texture or appearance

  Hair texture comes in four types: Type 1 is straight, type 2 is wavy, type 3 is curly and type 4 is coily. Each type describes the shape of the strands and how they feel. They are largely influenced by ethnicity.   Type 1 to 2 is generally seen in Caucasian, Asian and Pacific people groups, while type 3 to 4 is generally seen in African and mixed-race groups.   Appearance on the other hand is all about what it looks like, whether kempt or unkempt, moisturized or dry, short or long, etc.   Here are some words to describe hair based on its texture and appearance:  

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10 words to describe the popular hair colors around the world

  Hair dyeing has been around for a very long time, but this is the first time in our short history that we’ve had so many colors and shades to choose from. Dyeing techniques have improved so much that people can have multiple colors in their hair at once!   Use these words to describe a popular hair color:  

Warm color tone

  Warm color tones are those in the red, yellow and orange family. Red, honey blonde and ginger are some of the most trendy warm hair colors today.  

Cool color tone

  Cool color tones are those in the blue, green and indigo/violet family. The most popular cool-toned hair dyes are shades of blue, green and purple.  

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Neutral color tone

  Neutral tones are those that lack vibrant color and don’t fall into the warm or cool color range. This includes black, brown, white, gray, cream, etc.   Jet black, platinum blonde, brown/brunette and silver are the most popular hair dye colors that fit into this category.  

  The hairstyle you choose can make or break your entire look. It’s always better to choose one that enhances your features rather than drown them out.   But that doesn’t mean you should be afraid to experiment and have fun with it. After all, your hair says a lot about you.   Use these words to describe hair when talking about the different styles, colors, textures and appearances.