How Consumers Spend Their Money in the Beauty Industry

It’s safe to say that beauty trends are constantly evolving year-over-year. One minute we’re strutting our stuff with wavy, lavender locks, the next minute we’re channeling our inner Anna Wintour and rocking a sleek bob with blunt bangs. The same thing can be said about men. Are beards in or are they out? Exactly which style of mustache is en vogue this season?

Are the consumers in America suffering from a beauty identity crisis? Maybe. Are there stellar beauty business owners (such as yourself) out there to help them conquer this battle? Absolutely. 

And we’re here to help you with that. 

Whether you just opened a beauty business or you’ve been in the biz for years, it’s essential to the success of your business to know which beauty trends your clients are gravitating towards now and what they are eager to try next. A recent survey of over 20,000 consumers helped shed some light on what people are willing to shell out the big bucks for. Here’s what we discovered. 

A glimpse into the trendy beauty industry

Here’s something that may surprise you—men get more beauty and grooming services than women, with American men getting 10 services per year and women getting 7.8 services on average.

However, women tend to spend more—with the average woman spending $44 per month on services while men spend $39. On top of those stats, the age groups spending the most money on beauty services are Millennials and Gen X with each group spending $51 or more per month to get professionally coiffed and averaging nine salon visits per year.  

Those numbers speak for themselves—the majority of Americans want to treat themselves to the services your beauty business offers. You already know who your target demographic is for your beauty business, so let’s break the numbers down by age and gender.

What women are interested in now

As it is to be expected, the top beauty services women currently partake in varies across the board. Which beauty services did women partake in at least four times a year?

• Manicures/pedicures: 71%
• Hair cutting: 70%
• Hair color: 55%
• Eyebrow waxing or threading: 46%
• Facials: 32%
• Body hair removal: 32%
• Hair services for textured hair: 21%
• Lash extensions: 17%
• Airbrush/spray tanning: 13%

What men are interested in now

Not surprisingly, men participate in basic grooming more frequently than women since men’s services usually require a monthly visit. But here's something that may surprise you—nearly a quarter of men you regularly get services also get facials and mani/pedis on the reg.  Here are some other ways men are keeping it fresh. 

• Hair cutting: 67%
• Barber services: 53%
• Facials: 22% 
• Manicures/pedicures: 21%
• Hair styling/blow drying: 18%
• Hair color: 15%
• Body hair removal: 13%
• Full-body skin treatments: 11%
• Eyebrow waxing or threading: 10%
• Advanced skin care: 10%

What Americans want to try next

Now that we’ve covered our bases on the current state of affairs within the beauty industry, it’s time to reveal what services women and men are wanting to try next. Contrary to the stats of our current beauty trends, similar services have piqued the interest of Americans across all age groups.

Older Gen Z (18-22 year-olds):

• Facials
• Full-body skin treatments (mud wraps, detox body wraps, etc.)
• Advanced skin care (laser treatments, microneedling, peels, etc.)
• Body hair removal (waxing, laser hair removal, sugaring, etc.)
• Lash extensions

Millennials (23-38 year-olds) and Gen X (39-54 year-olds):

• Full-body skin treatments (mud wraps, detox body wraps, etc.)
• Facials
• Advanced skin care (laser treatments, microneedling, peels, etc.)
• Body hair removal (waxing, laser hair removal, sugaring, etc.)
• Lash extensions

Young Boomers (55-65 year-olds):

• Facials
• Full-body skin treatments (mud wraps, detox body wraps, etc.)
• Advanced skin care (laser treatments, microneedling, peels, etc.)
• Manicures/pedicures
• Permanent makeup or eyebrow tinting/microblading

How beauty business owners can benefit from these trends

Consumers who make beauty and grooming services a habit are important clients for salons, spas, and barbershops. Here are some tips to help you maximize on current and upcoming beauty trends: 

• Download the 2020 Beauty in America report to get a complete look at trends and identify which ones may complement your beauty business.
• Make sure you’ve defined and outlined your target client and construct your service menu offerings based on their needs.
• Ask your current clients what beauty trends they are interested in trying next–if you see a trend within their responses, think about adding that service into the