Hair Care Services

The 79,378 hair care service companies in the US, including beauty shops, hair salons, and barber shops, provide hair cutting, coloring, and styling services. Hair salons may also provide skin and nail care services. Barber shops may shave or trim men’s beards. Companies often sell hair care products. The vast majority of hair care service providers (95%) are beauty salons.

Competition For Ancillary Services

Beauty parlors compete with spas, nail salons, and physician’s offices for ancillary services related to skin and nail care.

Dependence On Skilled Labor

The reputation and success of an individual hair care establishment is highly dependent on the quality of service and staff.

Oct 16, 2026 - Supercuts Sales Grow While Regis Salon Network Shrinks

• Supercuts same-store sales increased 2.6% year over year in the quarter ended June 30, 2026, while comparable sales across parent company Regis Corporation rose just 0.1%, according to earnings released in September. Companywide comparable service sales increased 1.1%, but retail product sales declined 15.9%, reflecting continued weakness in salon merchandise purchases. Regis also reported a reduction in its salon network from 3,941 to 3,712 locations over the past year. For fiscal 2026, revenue increased 6.9% to $224.5 million. Management emphasized attracting more customers, improving digital services, and strengthening affordability to support future growth. The results illustrate uneven conditions for US hair salons, where stronger-performing brands are gaining sales while declining product revenue and underperforming locations remain challenges.
• US salon revenue declined 1.28% year over year in August 2026, while retail product revenue dropped 6.12%, according to the Professional Beauty Association's (PBA) Pro Beauty Pulse report released in October. Product units sold fell 12.22%, the steepest decline of the year, despite a 6.95% increase in average product prices. Average service tickets rose 3.32%, indicating that pricing continued to support salon revenue. PBA noted that August had fewer high-revenue Fridays than a year earlier, contributing to the overall decline. Larger salons generally outperformed smaller establishments. The results highlight growing pressure on US hair care providers to maintain customer visits and product sales while controlling costs. Smaller salons may face particular challenges as consumers become more selective about spending.
• Rising DIY beauty is a mixed development for US hair care services: at-home cuts and color can divert some spending from salons, but poor results can reinforce the value of licensed professionals, according to American Salon. The report notes that incorrect DIY treatments can cause hair loss, chemical burns, and other damage, creating demand for corrective services while also raising liability and reputational risks for salons asked to fix compromised hair. Operators may need stronger consultations, documentation, and discretion before performing follow-up treatments. The trend also gives salons an opportunity to differentiate through professional training, safety standards, and personalized care. For the industry, DIY growth increases competitive pressure on routine services but may strengthen demand for complex color work, corrections and other services where expertise and risk management matter most.
• The cost of haircuts increased 3.7% in September 2026 compared to a year ago and rose 0.4% compared to the previous month, according to the Consumer Price Index from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Hair care services employment fell in July 2026 compared to a year ago while labor costs rose, per the BLS. Employment at barber shops and beauty salons fell 1.5% in July 2026 compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, average wages for nonsupervisory employees in the hair, nail, and skin care services industry grew 1.2% in July 2026 year over year, reaching $26.09 per hour.

Industry size & Structure

The average hair care service provider operates out of a single location, employs about five workers, and generates about $374,000 annually.

• The hair care services industry consists of about 79,300 establishments that employ 409,400 workers and generate about $29.7 billion annually.
• The vast majority of hair care service providers (approximately 95%) are beauty salons.
• The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 salon firms account for 13.6% of total revenue.
• The hair care services industry includes national chains, franchises, and independent operators.