'Recession hair': Hairdresser's warning as new trend sweeps Aussie salons

There is no doubt there is a cost of living crisis in Australia at the moment.

Across the country, everyday essentials such as groceries continue to rise in cost, leaving many people to make cuts to their household budget just to make ends meet.

So it makes sense Aussies are cutting down on anything they deem non-essential, including trips to the hairdresser, leading to a rise in a trend nicknamed 'recession hair'.

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Almost everyone studied basic commerce at high school and knows the difference between a 'want' and a 'need'. A trip to the hairdressers is considered a 'need' by many, while others consider it a 'want'.

But while few women in particular are likely to give up their salon visits altogether, many are taking steps to save by stretching out visits, forgoing added treatments and even choosing a hair colouring technique.

Earlier this year, Allure magazine touched on the 'recession hair' trend, which is gaining traction on social media as women look at ways to reduce costs.

According to the article, Allure editors were among those embracing the shift, with one swapping her platinum blonde locks and four-weekly colour sessions for a darker blonde, which reduced her salon visits to touch-ups every eight to 10 weeks.

Brooke Lebreux has been a hairdresser for more than 20 years and owned two successful hair salons in Sydney's south. She is also a sought-after educator.

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Lebreux, who now works alone in a studio steps from her home, says things are even tougher now than when she managed a large team of hairdressers during the 2008 recession.

"I am definitely seeing a change in people with their consciousness about money," she said, adding the most common way people are saying money is by "stretching out the weeks between colour appointments".

"For example, someone who would get a regrowth tint every six weeks might now come in every eight weeks now, so from nine appointments a year to now six appointments a year."

While she understands people may need to cut back, some are waiting until they arrive at the salon to make a change of drop a treatment or a blow dry.

"I have people book for a full head of foils then when they get in the chair they say, 'I might just have a quarter-head today' when I have put aside half a day for my client," Lebreux said.

She said this drastically reduced the time needed, leading to a loss of income for her.

"I could have booked another appointment in if I had known about the changes in advance," she said, adding she will advertise last-minute availability if given the requested 48-hour notice.

She said last-minute cancellations were also a big problem in the industry, and as a sole trader could leave her with no income for an entire day.

"Someone might have an appointment at 9am and text me right before and say, 'My child is sick'. Is their child actually sick? I don't know.

"I have a cancellation policy of 50 per cent, but if I do that they most likely won't come back."

Lebreux said there would always be customers who chased a bargain, such as package deals, coupons or freebies, but warned this could cost the client in the long run.

"If a salon is charging cheap prices, there is a reason – they're using cheap products," she said.

"Quality products are not cheap, nor is quality hair.

"Nine out of 10 times, they will be back and it will result in a 'colour correction', costing twice as much."

To help her customers spread the cost of their visits, Lebreux has introduced payment options such as Afterpay.

Her advice to clients is to "be open and honest with your hairdresser".

"We understand the cost of living is increasing," she said. "Form a plan together to keep yourself looking and feeling good but reducing the cost."

She recommended swapping "high-maintenance blonde foils every six to eight weeks for a "lived-in blonde" without the "dramatic regrowth line down your part line" and requires only four to six-monthly visits.

What people can do to save some money

• Change their service type (ahead of time).
• Ask your hairdresser if you can purchase a litre of shampoo and conditioner.
• Keep your colour looking fresh at home with custom mixed pigmented conditioner.

What you should never do

• Do not cut or colour your own hair, this may result in you having to pay twice as much to fix it.
• Do not use supermarket products – there is a reason they are cheap. Low-quality ingredients and detergents result in silicone-coating on the hair, making it more challenging for colour to penetrate the hair shaft.

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