The sound of silence has been replaced by the hum of blow dryers and lots of conversation inside hair salons across the US. Consumers are back in the chair, getting cuts, color and treatments from their favorite hairdressers—although they may not be going as frequently, according to analysts and experts. Allen Ruiz—the 2023 “Master Stylist of the Year”— contends the salon category is almost back to its pre-pandemic feel, but consumers are still harboring some of the behaviors thrust upon them during the shutdown.

“I think it’s just getting people out of habits that were formed during covid and getting them out of their house again. People started going longer between cuts and colors during covid and a lot are continuing to do that now. People still aren’t 100% back at work and therefore are less focused on their appearance, not having to interact regularly with co-workers and clients in person,” said Ruiz.

Data from industry tracker Kline backs his assessment. According to Kline’s salon panel data (Kline PRO), revenues from salon services in 2022 were up, although the number of services performed declined 2.5%. Styling services, in particular grew at a dynamic rate—+33% in value growth, according to Agnieszka Saintemarie, director, consumer products, Kline.

Happy customers leave with a great new look—beit jellyfish, Wednesday Adams or the skullet—but chances are, they are leaving empty handed. In fact, consumers are more often shopping elsewhere for the shampoos, conditioners and styling products applied during their appointment.

According to Kline’s Salon Hair Care report—which captures all channels of distribution of professional hair care products—sales of professional hair care products in the US market grew by a healthy rate of 5.8% in 2022. But as in other beauty categories like skin care and makeup, consumer shopping strategies are impacting salon retail.

Although Q1 was very strong for salon retail in 2022, the year ended with negative performance, with slight decline compared to 2021, according to Kline. Meanwhile, sales of professional products to consumers through channels outside salons (both brick-and-mortar stores and online platforms) increased 12% in 2022. 

“In addition to inflation, salons battled increased competition from online sales and other brick-and-mortar outlets,” said Saintemarie. “For salons, competition from other channels remains a key challenge.”

New Developments

While retail dynamics are changing, there’s a constant in the R&D lab. Chemists working on salon formulas must build products that meet the needs of demanding stylists who have high expectations for quality and performance. From the backbar to the final spray, they expect formulas that improve hair health and help bring their creative vision to life.

Today’s stylists have a bevy of options ranging from high-profile brands under the umbrella of industry stalwarts like L’Oréal Professional and Henkel to fast-growing indies like K18.

According to Kline, K18’s sales more than doubled in 2022—and analysts predict the company may stay on that trajectory.

“The brand is still in its nascent stages of development,” said Saintemarie, citing the fast-rising hair care company’s expanding product roster. K18’s focus was on treatments in 2021. Last year, it expanded in shampoo with products like its Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo and Peptide Prep pH Maintenance Shampoo.

Further, K18’s expansion in Salon Centric last November had an enormous impact on its performance, which will continue to have a positive impact this year, Saintemarie asserted.

Kline’s experts are also closely tracking brands like Amika (owned by Bansk Group), which is showing dynamic growth in both salon and in retail.

Last month Brooklyn-based Amika launched into more 900 Cosmo Prof locations and on CosmoProfBeauty.com in the US.

The move is designed to make the brand more accessible to hairstylists in North America (Cosmo Prof has been a distributor of Amika in Canada since 2015). The hair care company cited a Mintel study from October 2022 that found the number one barrier to purchasing Amika products was that they weren’t widely available.

“Amika is a salon-raised brand, and now more than ever, we are investing in our professional channel. This expansion allows us to further our brand promise of being a friend to hairstylists by becoming more accessible to our No. 1 customer—meeting them where and how they shop,” noted Chelsea Riggs, brand president. 

Riggs said the alliance will allow Amika to “double down on programs and products to advance the professional industry forward.”

For example, Amika plans to start initiatives focused on supporting professional hairstylists and salons, such as an updated salon loyalty program with a direct rewards portal and a salon ambassador program to drive in-salon retailing. Further, Amika plans will scale its educator network, unveil a new artistic team to expand and diversify its educational offerings, and host its first education event in the Fall.

It’s A 10 Haircare, which has carved out success in the consumer space, is also placing greater emphasis on its professional business. The company recently launched a new professional-only website, Itsa10pro.com, which has been specifically designed to provide licensed professionals with exclusive salon pricing and other special offers.

The new site features an extensive range of It’s A 10 Haircare products, including the brand’s Miracle Leave-In products, shampoos, conditioners, masks and styling products, and provides detailed product information, usage tips and a user-friendly interface to assist professional hairstylists in selecting the right products for their clients’ needs.

For It’s A 10 Founder and CEO Carolyn Aronson the salon category is home; she’s a stylist by trade.

“When I was designing the site, I knew I wanted it to reflect who I am and the overall brand of It’s A 10. I am It’s A 10 and the brand is me. Thinking from a stylist’s perspective, I kept in mind different strategies outside of selling products that would ultimately help stylists with their careers including sharing my personal tips for growth and favorite product cocktails.
Keeping stylists in the know with what I’ve learned over the years allows them to not only use It’s A 10 Haircare but learn the best tricks of the trade to practice at home with their clients,” she told Happi.

In addition, Aronson pointed to changing buying habits that were accelerated during covid, and how stylists too need easy access so they can get back to what they do best: serve clients.

“Since the pandemic, the world has changed and that was apparent for all businesses. People began ordering online more than ever because of the instant accessibility to items as well as offers such as next-day or free shipping. As a stylist, I understand firsthand how purchasing products online is super convenient especially when most of your time is spent taking care of your clients. Every moment taken away from standing behind the chair to restock products can cost a stylist lost wages,” she said.

Tools for the Trade

Epres offers a Professional Bond Repair treatment for salons that it says can be mixed in with all major professional services. The brand’s founder is Eric Pressly, who was instrumental in the creation of Olaplex.

“The Professional Bond Repair formula is simply added into each chemical service with no added processing time or steps. Salons get more revenue and clients get better hair,” he told Happi.

The one-step, patented bonding treatment delivers deep repair without affecting the pH of the chemical service. The formula repairs existing damage and disulfide bonds that are broken during the chemical service, according to the company.

“Disulfide bonds are critical as they are the bonds holding the keratin together when the hair is wet as it is during a chemical service. Repairing them during the service greatly reduces any chance of hair breakage,” said Pressly.

“Generally, for all services, hair is repaired leaving it stronger with natural shine and softness. For select services there are additional benefits: perms benefit from the ability of the hair to be washed directly after the perm, balayage formulas have reduced water evaporation, and color and bleach have no slow down as the formula is acid-free,” he added.

No matter where a product is used during a client’s time in the chair, professional hair care products must meet the elevated expectations of stylists and their customers.

Quia Querisma, a stylist and textured hair specialist based in Dallas, uses Bed Head by TIGI products on her clients.

“I love that Bed Head by TIGI offers high-quality products that are easily accessible. I give my clients a regimen to properly take care of their hair, and if the products are easy to find, then they’re more likely to stick to their regimen,” she told Happi.

“Some of my favorite looks are big, soft, high-volume curls and smooth silk presses with lots of bounce and movement. For the silk presses, I like to prep the hair with After Party Smoothing Cream before blow-drying it straight. Then, I flat iron the hair to achieve maximum smoothness and finish with loose curls using a 1-inch barrel curling iron. I use the Keep It Casual Flexible Hold Hairspray for curls that last but don’t feel stiff and weighed down,” Querisma shared.

Querisma is part of a new campaign at Bed Head by TIGI called “Creativity Without Compromise.” In it, the brand is following 10 creatives—hairdressers, artists, storytellers, musicians and athletes—through “the exploration of creativity as a thread that connects them, an artistry that fuels them, and a tool that enables them.” 

The campaign also features fellow stylist Adriana Papaleo, who is based in New York.

In terms of what looks are trending now, Papaleo said there are nods to classics but with “strength”—think blunt bobs of various lengths, fuller fringes and lots of length.

Papaleo knows that today’s consumers are more confident about expressing their individuality, especially when it comes to their hair.

“Clients are pushing the barriers of what they feel they ‘need” to do and are doing what they want to do, with their styling and how they wear their hair. So, there’s an unapologetic nature to it even if the hair stays long,” she said. “I will always love Bed Head by TIGI for this, it’s what it’s made to do.”

Bed Head by TIGI’s Back It Up Texturizing Cream, Queen for a Day Thickening Spray, Head Rush Super Fine Shine Spray and Trouble Maker Dry Spray Wax are among Papaleo’s favorite products in the line.

Every stylist builds an arsenal of products that are reliable performers.

Ruiz—who has over his career netted four North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) honors including his most recent Stylist of the Year honor that was bestowed upon him in April—works with Aveda products. His toolkit includes products like Aveda Air Control Medium Hold Hairspray, which he uses to create texture in the hair, and Aveda Botanical Repair Overnight Serum.

“It’s a bond-building, leave-in product that helps strengthen hair,” he said of the serum. “I like to use it after I do a blow-dry on the baby hairs that won’t stay down. It adds a little bit of weight and ‘hold’ to make stray hairs behave.”

Right now, Ruiz’s go-to product for Summer is Aveda Botanical Repair Bond Building Styling Creme.

“It’s like a leave-in conditioner, but it not only gives great condition and compatibility, but also body and fullness. You can use it to smooth hair out and it won’t leave the hair super flat and straight.” 

Luis Gonzalez—named 2023 North American Hair Colorist of Year—works with Aveda, too. In fact, he was first artist to win the award using Aveda hair color in the award’s 34-year history.

In addition to Aveda Full Spectrum Vegan Color, which is fully customizable and allows him to easily create any color he wants for his clients, Gonzalez called Aveda’s Color Control Leave-in Treatment his new “fave.”

“It instantly detangles and softens hair leaving my client’s new color radiant and dramatically reduces fading. I recommend all of my color clients take it home,” he told Happi.

Product Development

New options for salon professionals and their customers continue to flow in the category.

Matrix expanded its styling collection to six essentials with the introduction of its new Setter Mousse. This weightless foam for volumizing lift and shine, provides moveable, texturizing hold with lasting style memory for all hair types, styles and patterns, according to the salon brand, which is available at Matrix.com, Amazon.com, Ulta, JCP and Hair.com.

Known for its professional styling tools, Hot Tools rolled out its first liquid hair care collection. It includes five products: Restorative Heat Care Cleanse And Repair Shampoo, Restorative Heat Care Repair And Protect Conditioner, Heat Defense Instant Detangling Mist, Heat Complete Protective Flexible Hairspray (to use before styling for heat protection or after styling for a long-lasting hold) and Heat Bonding Styler Recovery Styling Cream, which is formulated with adaptogenic technology. The line launched exclusively at Ulta Beauty, which stocks a range of hair care brands and operates hair salons inside its shops, too. 

This month, venerable salon brand Kérastase unveils an updated and expanded Nutritive collection—a range that’s been part of the brand for more than 50 years. The “re-inspired” range has seven reformulated products and three new additions—Nutritive Lotion Thermique Sublimatrice, Nutritive Nutri-Supplement Split Ends Serum and Nutritive Nutri-Supplement Scalp Serum.

Nutritive Lotion Thermique Sublimatrice is a light milky heat protecting leave-in mist formulated with plant-based proteins and niacinamide. ​Nutritive Nutri-Supplement Split Ends Serum provides high nutrition and acts as an ultra-sealing split ends concentrate. It is powered by a vitamin-in-oil blend that provides 2X fewer split ends and instant smoothness.

Nutritive Nutri-Supplement Scalp Serum is a hydrating scalp serum for dry scalp that has a fast-absorbing formula featuring a vitamin blend and niacinamide.

The line is available online through kerastase-usa.com and Sephora.com as well as select Kérastase salons.

The Role of the Stylist

Industry veterans recognize that the hair stylist serves as an important conduit between the brand and the consumer.

For It’s A 10’s Aronson, the education and integrity provided by the stylist are integral in the salon sector.

“Though consumers have the freedom and discretion to choose their products, it is ultimately a stylist’s responsibility to educate clients on which products to use and the best next steps following appointments,” she said.

The stylists are living through the evolution of the category.

“I think that the salon business has completely evolved since the pandemic. I don’t think we will ever go back to what it was pre-pandemic,” said stylist and color expert Gonzalez. “The ways we do business and interact with our clients has changed and improved since the pandemic. I also think that our clients also have more of an appreciation for what we do for them.”