Are hair salons really experiencing a recession in appointments?

In this report Teen Vogue contributor Maria Poggi explores the controversy surrounding hair salons and the hairdresser’s popularity on social media, talking to stylists and content creators to hear from both sides about how things have taken a turn for the worse.

Over the past year, dozens of TikTok videos have gone viral, showcasing major changes in the beauty world. Hair stylists and their potential clients are logging on to the app to share their observations about why fewer people are making appointments at hair salons than they were decades ago.

On the consumer side, many say that outrageous deposits for an initial hair appointment and wide variations in hairdresser prices on social media make it seem impossible to find a stylist you can reasonably afford. Not to mention finding a stylist who is Also is ready for long-term acquisition of new customers. “It all really starts with the rise of hairdresser on Instagram in the mid-2010s,” says content creator Cedoni Francis. In generations past, most visits to the hairdresser were based on word of mouth or a salon conveniently located in your area. “When I was growing up, if I wanted to try a new hair salon, there would be a sign outside the door, you walk in and you see who’s (styling hair) and you think: it works perfectly. The trust was immediate or you got a recommendation from a friend of a friend,” says Francis Teen Vogue.

Now that stylists are becoming internet personalities with a cult following themselves, many of them are finding clients online, luring them with photos and videos of their work on their Instagram grids. Booking hair appointments can also be easily done directly via Instagram or TikTok. Still, it’s important to remember that booking hair appointments with unlicensed social media stylists comes with risks, as there are fewer restrictions than those that professional salons would require when it comes to pricing, cosmetology licensing, hygiene, and more . One of the main problems that many customers face is being charged hidden fees that they were not previously aware of. Many stylists have also introduced the idea of ​​advance payment and booking windows to secure appointments. Some even include separate prices for washing, drying and styling hair, or only provide services such as extensions if customers buy hair directly from them.