Top 5 Beauty Salon Trends of 2022

Cara Squires, writer

Published at 31/01/2022, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Top 5 Beauty Salon Trends of 2022 — Photo © Top-5-Beauty-Salon-Trends-of-2022.jpg

Thinking about running your own business in the beauty industry via a franchise investment? Good idea! This is a lower-risk, potentially highly profitable way of starting a beauty salon. But it’s also a very competitive space. If you want to thrive in the beauty salon sector, you need to understand the industry, and keep up with all the latest beauty salon trends and developments. Read on, and discover the top five trends of the year so far...

Between 2014 and 2019, the number of beauty salons in the UK rose by a whopping 73% [PolicyBee]. This number is still growing, and if running a franchise sounds like music to your ears, there’s never been a better time to make a career change with a beauty salon franchise. Before you do, why not get ahead of the game and discover the top beauty industry trends dominating consumer conversation in 2022?

What does a beauty salon franchise do?

Before diving into beauty salon trends and the current state of the sector, it’s important to first develop a strong understanding of what, exactly, a beauty salon franchise is - and what you’ll be doing if you decide to start your own beauty salon. As you choose the right beauty salon franchise for you, you’ll see that there are lots of different sub-sectors and options available, from hair salons to cosmetic treatment clinics. Though many of the tasks will differ depending on the type of salon you’re running, generally speaking you’re likely to:

Provide customer service and handle queries/questions/complaints
Manage a team of people (beauticians, hairdressers, nail technicians, etc.)
Answer calls, arrange meetings and complete other admin tasks
Manage inventory and stock
Manage the day-to-day running of your franchise
Market and advertise your franchise

The shape of the beauty salon industry in 2022

As 2022 gets into full swing, it’s impossible to deny that the beauty salon sector has fully launched its post-COVID comeback. Gone are the lockdown days of empty salons and struggling business accounts, and here are the days of booked-out-months-in-advance, bustling-and-busy spaces. Since the end of the last lockdown in April 2021, beauty salons reported a 432% increase in bookings across the country [PolicyBee].

Whether it’s the nail parlour or the hair salon, customers are thrilled to be back in the chair and bolstered and uplifted by their beauty treatments. Though the impact of COVID-19 on the sector might make you wary of an investment in 2022, it shouldn’t. Demand didn’t go anywhere during the height of COVID, and if anything, salons are now more adaptable and income-diversified (meaning they’re better prepared for the future) than ever.

>> Read more:

The 5 top beauty salon trends right now

1. An increased focus on “natural” looks

From natural hair colours and balayage-style blends in the hairdressing realm to softer, more natural make-up looks and an increased focus on skincare in the beauty space, enhanced natural is the name of the game in beauty at the start of 2022.

Continuing to look forwards, we can also expect our make-up to act like skincare, too. A recent Mintel report reveals that 50 per cent of consumers now prefer to purchase hybrid cosmetics with skin benefits, a burgeoning beauty category that looks set to blossom next year. - Bridget March, Harper’s Bazaar

2. More technological integration

Exploring the tech trends defining beauty in 2022 could span its own article, but in short: Technology is playing an increasing role in every sector of industry right now, and the beauty salon sector is no exception. From introducing make-up products into video games and virtual reality to increasing the level of personalisation for things like skin-care products and offering virtual haircut try-outs, tech is changing the game in every corner of the space.

3. Growing use of cryotherapy

Cryotherapy, also known as cold therapy, has been a way of treating serious skin conditions for years. But increasingly, right now, it’s being adapted for beauty and skin/body care usage. Dr Yannis Alexandrides, plastic surgeon and founder of 111Cryo, named the main benefits of this kind of cryotherapy as [Elle]:

“Clarity of mind”
“An endorphin rush”
“Muscle recovery”
“A visible tightening of the skin in the most immediate term”
“A [long-term] stimulation of the body’s metabolic rate”

4. The redefining of mens beauty/male grooming

In 2022, more and more men are throwing arbitrary clichés - about caring for your body and appearance being a solely “female” thing - out of the window. The beauty and grooming sector directly marketed to men is rising in size with every passing year, and 2022 looks set to be no different. This is because norms surrounding masculinity are changing, and might also have been impacted by COVID-19, with more men becoming comfortable experimenting with products/grooming at home during the lockdowns and taking a more active interest in self-care.

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5. Influencer marketing 2.0

If you’re looking to run a beauty salon, you need to know the ins and outs of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing involves social media influencers promoting your services on their Instagram/Twitter/Youtube/TikTok pages. In 2022, influencer marketing has been around for a while - but its face is changing. Beauty brands used to target huge influencers. Now, they’ve begun to value trustworthiness over follower count and understand that they might get more business out of a trusted micro-influencer and their highly-engaged community.

According to a recent study, 82% of consumers are ‘highly likely’ to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer. Why? Because they have formed a relationship built on trust, friendship and honesty with their followers. - Emma Richardson, Influencer Matchmaker

With the latest beauty salon trends fresh in your mind, start your own beauty franchise in 2022

If you are about to invest in a beauty salon franchise, these beauty salon trends should put you ahead of the competition and at the forefront of the industry. Stay on Point Franchise to continue your pre-investment research, discovering the top four beauty salon franchises in the UK and the five biggest advantages of running a beauty salon franchise.