5 Need-to-Know Salon Trends for 2024 (Plus Our Timeless Bonus Tip!)

Here comes a new year, and with it, a new chance to stay on the pulse of the top salon trends happening in the industry. Tracking both new and long-lasting trends allows you to anticipate what guests want, innovate your operations, and stay competitive.

To keep you in-the-know and growing, we’ve pulled together 5 must-know beauty and wellness trends you should watch out for and adopt in 2024. Let’s dive in!

1. Low-Maintenance Luxury

While there’s always room for some good ‘ol maximalism, quiet luxury is one of the big salon trends on the rise. More than ever, clients want to indulge in things that feel simple and streamlined but still special. Treatments and styles should make clients feel pampered, be long-lasting, and ones they can keep up with at home.

That means more lived-in color options (a well-established beauty trend already), high-gloss and deep conditioning treatments, cuts that grow out beautifully, natural lashes, and French manis with a modern twist. For the male-identifying persuasion, it’s all about looking effortlessly well-groomed, clean, and classic.

2. Personalizing the Customer Experience

Your guests want to feel valued and understood. In fact, 76% of consumers are more likely to consider purchasing from brands that personalize, and 78% are more likely to make repeat purchases from companies that personalize. So get to it!

On top of being friendly and welcoming, pay close attention to your clients’ needs and concerns. Ask questions big and small—How do they take their coffee? What’s their dog’s name? Are they new to town? Enter these important client notes in your management software for all of your staff to see and reference so you can ensure a personal experience every time, no matter who they see.

Modern, digital conveniences continue to be the gold standard for conveying that you value your clients’ time and they’ll continue to be one of the biggest salon trends for years to come. Placing your online booking front and center on your website and facilitating things like chairside checkout and pre booking makes the guest experience easy and seamless. Tracking guest history, services, spending, and frequency of visit will also help you tailor promotions and special offers.

3. Sustainability and Eco-Care

With more and more info coming out about cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting ingredients in the beauty industry, it’s no surprise that clean beauty products are one of the salon trends that’s here to stay. This goes for everything from haircare and body care products to non-toxic nail polish and healthier hair-straightening treatments. You can even extend your efforts to include vegan and cruelty-free products and practices.

Guests and employees alike are also taking note of a business’ overall eco-conscious stance. Using non-toxic cleaning products, eliminating single-use plastics, and reducing water waste all go a long way. Don’t be shy about showing off your eco-conscious efforts and priorities on your website, treatment page, and on-premise signage.

4. Upgrading Your Add-ons

Offering paid add-ons that go above and beyond are one of the most increasingly popular salon trends because they make guests feel pampered, while increasing productivity and your average ticket. Gone are the days of getting a measly cup of water (yes, you should still have it on hand). Now, you can offer special beverages, cocktails, snack boxes, and barista drinks for a fee. Bridal parties can pre-order a bottle of bubbly, or a boxed lunch. You can even team up with a local shop to offer amenities while promoting small businesses in your community.

Extend this mentality to service add-ons by offering chair massages while a client’s color develops, hot stones for pedicures, seasonal upgrades tailored for winter cold or summer sun, aromatherapy, or reflexology. Get going by setting up customized add-on prompts in your software when guests book online and remind them of any options at check-in.

5. Inclusivity and Gender Fluid Services

Inclusivity is far more than a hot topic or salon trend, it’s a necessary change. If you want your salon to truly be a place where all types of people get to feel beautiful, then get clear on your branding and services.

With one in five consumers feeling left out of beauty advertisements, looking at your marketing efforts is crucial to becoming more inclusive. What kind of imagery are you using and do potential customers see themselves? Are you letting guests know that they’re more than just welcome, that they’ll be taken care of and pampered? Is your facility both ADA accessible and ability-inclusive?

Hold staff training sessions and meetings about your brand values, value proposition, and the meaning of inclusivity and belonging. Train staff and service providers on how all clients should be treated before, during and after services to make them feel their best and keep them coming back.

Bonus Tip: Leverage Loyalty Programs

Ah yes, loyalty programs. You can expect this to always be one of the top salon trends. You’ve seen them at your favorite coffee shop and grocery store, but they’re super effective for businesses of all kinds. They’re an excellent (and low-cost!) way to increase your frequency of visit and average ticket throughout the entire year.

Ditch the paper card you keep in a random place and can never seem to find when you need it, and take your loyalty program digital. Set up a points-based system in your salon management software and assign rewards at different point levels. Then, give points to clients for taking actions like pre-booking appointments, fulfilling their fifth visit, posting a five-star review on google, or making a successful referral.

This upcoming year is a great opportunity to expand what your salon has to offer, redefine how you approach marketing, and stay on the cutting-edge of the beauty and wellness industry. These salon trends will help keep you competitive and on the pulse of what your clients want. Wishing you all the best in 2024!