State of the Industry

Oct 13, 2025

October 13, 2025

Fall is here, and the salon industry is buzzing with change - from warm hair colors and structured cuts to biotech-infused hair products and price-conscious clients rethinking their beauty routines. If you run a salon, work behind the chair, or coach beauty professionals, here’s what you need to know right now.

What’s Hot in the Chair This Fall

Let’s start with what everyone sees first: the hair.

Color trends are leaning into dimension, depth, and comfort. Think: cider lights (a cozy espresso-meets-cinnamon blend), chestnut brunette (with just a hint of auburn), maple syrup brown, smoky espresso, and cherry cola. For the blondes, honey blonde with copper undertones is making the rounds, adding warmth without going full gold.

And yes, the cuts are getting bolder. Short hair is in. Pixies, bixies, jaw-length bobs, curly crops - clients are ready for a change they can feel. There’s also a wave of texture-forward layering going on: butterfly cuts, shags, curtain bangs, blunt micro-bangs. Hair is being treated more like fabric than sculpture.

Haircare is the New Skincare

The “skinification” of hair isn’t slowing down. Clients want products that treat their scalp like their T-zone and their ends like a serum-slicked cheekbone.

Scalp care is surging - searches for hair thinning and hair loss have skyrocketed.
Anti-aging haircare is a new category worth watching. Think: smoothing wiry texture, boosting shine, and yes, postponing grays.
Heatless styling tools and lab-grown peptides are becoming salon favorites.

Even better? Consumers are investing in high-end haircare. Prestige products priced $30+ are selling 3x faster than budget alternatives.

Goodbye Aerosols, Hello Powders

Non-aerosol dry shampoos are officially a thing. Not just because of clean beauty trends - but because they actually work better for a lot of clients.

These powder formats avoid volatile chemicals like propane and butane, making them safer and more sustainable. They use ingredients like rice or arrowroot starch, deliver better oil absorption, and last longer per bottle. Clients love the precise application, and salons love the retail margins.

The Numbers

Let’s talk dollars. The U.S. beauty industry is clocking in at over $105 billion this year. Haircare makes up 22% of that.

Salon services alone are currently worth around $116 billion, with projections pushing it to $187 billion by 2032. The average salon earns $245,000/year, but operates on slim margins (around 8%). Most are micro-businesses with 1–2 staff. In fact, 91% of stylists are women.

Clients Are Booking Differently

The economic mood is shifting. Clients are:

Pushing appointments further apart
Stretching highlights to go 3 months instead of 6 weeks
Cutting back on impulse services

Many salon owners report that product costs have doubled or tripled, and it’s changing how services are priced, stocked, and performed.

The solution? Retention and rebooking.

Clients who book online are 80% more likely to rebook. If you’re still relying on walk-ins or “let me know when you want to come back,” you’re leaking revenue.

13 Trends Reshaping the Industry

The salon world is evolving fast. Here’s what insiders say is defining 2025:

Minimalist beauty (low-maintenance cuts, multi-purpose products)
Biotech ingredients (like peptides and probiotics)
Retro nostalgia (90s bobs, red nails, powder blush)
Sustainability (refillable stations, clean beauty)
Wellness integration (meditation rooms, aromatherapy, scalp massages)
Gender and texture inclusivity
Custom experiences (personalized consultations, product pairings)
Tech-forward tools (AI booking, digital consultations)
E-commerce & retail growth
Luxury add-ons (warm towels, scalp oils)
Service diversification (adding skin, nails, wellness)
Community-first branding
Mobile and at-home services

The Big Picture

Clients are still spending - but more intentionally. Salons that adapt with smart scheduling, science-forward services, and sustainability in mind will win. It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing it differently.

The future of the salon industry? Beautiful, bold, and a little bit biotech.

Sources

Real Simple: Fall 2025 hair color trends and seasonal tone analysis
Perfect Corp.: Top 2025 haircuts and client style preferences
BeautyMatter: Skincare crossover trends, anti-aging haircare, and heatless tools
Trafft: Macro industry shifts, biotech ingredients, and experience design
BizPlanr: U.S. beauty and salon industry financial data
Boulevard: Client retention data, salon profit benchmarks, demographic stats
Made-in-China Insights: Aerosol vs. non-aerosol shampoo trends
WBRC News: Client behavior and salon cost pressures in 2025