What it means
آرایشگر (arayeshgar) is the standard Persian word for a hairdresser or barber. It is formed from two native Persian elements: آرایش (arayesh), meaning adornment, makeup, or styling, and the suffix گر (gar), which attaches to nouns to mean the person who performs that action, as in آهنگر (blacksmith) or کاشیگر (tile-maker). The root آرا (ara) goes back to Old Iranian and carries the sense of decorating or arranging. The salon or shop where an آرایشگر works is called آرایشگاه (arayeshgah). In everyday speech, men’s and women’s salons are strictly separate in Iran, and each has its own آرایشگر.
How to use it
- آرایشگرم موهامو خیلی کوتاه کرد. (Arayeshgaram muhâmo kheyli kutah kard.) “My hairdresser cut my hair really short.”
- باید وقت بگیرم از آرایشگاه. (Bayad vaght begiram az arayeshgah.) “I need to book an appointment at the salon.”
- آرایشگر گفت رنگم تا دو ماه دیگه دووم میاره. (Arayeshgar goft rangam ta do mah digeh davam miareh.) “The hairdresser said my colour will last for another two months.”
- برادرم آرایشگره و خودش یه آرایشگاه داره. (Baradaram arayeshgareh va khodesh ye arayeshgah dareh.) “My brother is a barber and owns his own salon.”
Cultural note
In Iran, آرایشگاه for women (آرایشگاه زنانه) and for men (آرایشگاه مردانه) are kept completely separate, and women’s salons must operate behind opaque curtains or doors to maintain privacy. Women’s salons are significant social spaces where friends catch up and major life events, such as wedding hair and makeup, are prepared. Male barbers are often admired for their precision in beard shaping and traditional straight-razor work. The profession carries solid everyday respectability across all social classes.