Are Hair Salons Really in an Appointment Recession? | Teen Vogue

Oct 17, 2024

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In this report, Teen Vogue's contributor Maria Poggi investigates the controversy around hair salons and the rise of the social media hairstylist, speaking with stylists and content creators to hear from both sides how things have changed for the worse.

Over the last year, dozens of TikTok videos have gone viral for pointing out a major shift in the beauty world. Hair stylists and their prospective clients alike are logging onto the app to share hot takes on why fewer people are making hair salon appointments than in the decades before.

On the client side, many say that outrageous preliminary hair appointment deposits and significant discrepancies in pricing among hairstylists on social media make it seem impossible to find a stylist you can reasonably afford. Not to mention, finding a stylist who is also available to take on new clientele for the long term. “It all really starts with the rise of the Instagram hairstylist in the mid-2010s,” says content creator Cedoni Francis. In previous generations, most hair appointments were made due to word-of-mouth recommendations or a salon conveniently located in your neighborhood. “Growing up, if I wanted to try a new hair salon, there would be a sign outside the door, you walk in and see who’s [styling hair], and you’re like, that works perfect. There was an immediate trust, or you got a recommendation from a friend of a friend,” Francis tells Teen Vogue.

Now, as stylists themselves become online personalities with cult followings, many find clients online instead, enticing them with photos and videos of their work on their Instagram grids. It's also easy to book hair appointments straight through Instagram or TikTok. Still, it's important to note that there is a risk when booking hair appointments with social media stylists who are not licensed since there are fewer restrictions than what professional salons would require regarding pricing, a cosmetology license, hygiene, and more. One of the main problems many clients have experienced is getting charged with hidden fees that they weren't aware of beforehand. Many stylists have also introduced the idea of up-front deposits and booking windows in order to secure appointments. Some are even incorporating separate pricing for hair washing, drying, and styling, or only doing services like extension installs if clients purchase hair directly from them.

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The added costs to just scheduling a salon appointment doesn't even scratch the surface of the hair service pricing discrepancy that particularly affects the Black community. “Stylists are gatekeeping their services. For example, let’s say you get a sew-in weave installed, and you come in with one and want a new one. A lot of stylists won’t take out, wash, or style somebody else’s work,” says Francis. Whereas in a traditional hair salon, you may just be required to pay an extra fee to get a previous style removed.

Not only is it more costly to style textured hair (due to the different textures, longer styling processes, and intricate techniques), but cost inconsistencies for service pricing, on top of scheduling fees, have led to salon frustration when clients are trying to book appointments for hair care, particularly if someone is on the hunt for a new stylist that does a good job and is still reasonably priced. Buying hair from some stylists can cost anywhere from $400 to $600 dollars, with an additional service cost of $300 dollars, according to Francis. “That’s $1,000 dollars just to get your hair done. The style will look fresh for two weeks, and you’ll have to take it out on the eighth week,” Francis shares with Teen Vogue. Overall, these expenses make hair maintenance a staggering incurring cost to upkeep.

While platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become virtual portfolios for stylists trying to attract new clients, Ashley Brace, hair stylist and the owner of Theory Collective, a salon in Charleston, South Carolina, attributes the newfound difficulty to a loss of genuine connection between client and stylist. “People will salon hop until they find that connection. Besides the medical field, the beauty industry is where you lay your hand down [on clients] with human touch,” Brace says, noting the inherent intimacy that comes with sitting in a chair and having someone cut, color, or style your hair for hours at a time. Brace also maintains an honest, open dialogue with her clients, especially when it comes to their budget, saying: “I know you have four kids and you work full-time, and you don’t have the time and the budget for the shade of Sydney Sweeney’s blonde hair.” A large reason as to why people have hair salon horror stories is because their stylist didn’t initially give them an in-depth and transparent consultation regarding specific hair services as well as insight into the long-term maintenance required to wear certain styles and colors. Especially when it’s become commonplace for people to use celebrity hair as reference photos for their stylist. Brace warns people who are searching for a new stylist to “not believe everything you hear on TikTok,” when it comes to hair products and services, since the internet has a lot of misinformation when it comes to safe hair care. That said, the line between being a hair stylist and influencing is blurring, as stylists and salons need an online presence for business growth, and brand sponsorship is now a legitimate stream of income.

Out of frustration, many clients have taken to sharing their stories online. For example, one woman on TikTok explained that she was charged a “thick hair fee” from a stylist who didn’t have a hair license. Another pointed out extraneous scheduling fees and instructions for incoming clients, resulting in a $1,600-dollar price tag. One user even shared that they were charged $1,000 dollars for braids by a stylist due to an online index card challenge trend on TikTok, while other clients shared viral TikTok salons like Rama Beauty African Hair Braiding in Harlem that charges just $180 dollars for “boho” braids.

Ursula Stephen, celebrity hair stylist and owner of Ursula Stephen The Salon, shares that nowadays, the biggest change in hair salon culture is the rise in stylist independence. “I came up in a time when it was a big deal to find a mentor,” says Stephen, noting that fewer stylists are salon-affiliated and instead gain clientele from social media.

The landscape of hair salon culture has changed indefinitely with the rise of social media and hair stylists taking clients at home rather than being contracted with a salon. So be wary of whether a salon or stylist has hidden service fees or scheduling charges. And when it comes to finding a good salon, Stephen says to scope out the location before your appointment “to see if the space is clean.” Other tell-all signs to gauge reputable stylists or salons include checking stylists' licenses, reviewing their online portfolios, and communicating beforehand with your stylists about all appointment fees and surprise add-ons before they put their hands on your head.