The Blubber

From high-end salons in Manhattan to small-town shops in rural New England, beauty professionals are noticing a shift: longtime clients are cutting back. In Brewer, Maine, stylist Alyssa Dow said customers are opting for simpler, lower-maintenance styles—and tipping less generously. Meanwhile, in upscale Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where many clients are usually quick to touch up their roots, some are now delaying color appointments by a couple of weeks, citing economic worries tied to politics or losses in their investment portfolios, according to salon owner Michelle LaValley. “We’re not the only ones they’re pulling back from—it’s happening across the board,” said LaValley, who has nearly three decades of experience in the industry.

This tightening of personal spending appears to go beyond the general economic unease of recent years, when rising inflation and interest rates led to what some dubbed a "vibecession"—a downturn in sentiment despite steady economic growth.

Cynthia Almonor, an aesthetician based in Brooklyn with 15 years in the business, said many of her loyal clients have stopped booking services. “They’ve taken me out of their budget,” she said, drawing a comparison to the 2009 "recession hair" trend, when people turned to DIY beauty solutions during the financial crisis.

Whether this trend is a warning sign of a deeper economic slump is still unclear. Official recession declarations often lag behind reality; for example, the Great Recession wasn’t formally recognized until late 2008, even though the downturn had begun a year earlier. That’s why anecdotal signs—like empty salon chairs or skipped spa appointments—can sometimes offer an early glimpse of what’s happening beneath the surface. “Massages are usually the first luxury people drop,” noted Brian McGee, who heads the Phoenix-based beauty consulting firm BAM Navigation LLC.

Still, not everyone in the beauty industry is seeing signs of slowdown. At the New York International Beauty Show and the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference in March, the mood was upbeat. Hundreds of exhibitors showed off products and services, and attendance rose 6% compared to the previous year, according to event organizer Questex.

Some professionals say their business is still thriving. Elizabeth Ehrgood, an aesthetician in Scranton, Pennsylvania, said she remains fully booked, especially with professionals like doctors and lawyers who appear less affected by economic headwinds. And in Hamilton, New Jersey, barber Alex Romero shared a similar sentiment: “Even when times are uncertain, people still want to look and feel good.”