Split ends and shifting trends: the state of haircare in 2025

Our latest research dives deep into what’s driving haircare purchase decisions in the US and UK, revealing a market that’s not just fragmented by hair type, but by age, values and buying behaviours.

Here we explore what really matters to haircare consumers right now – what’s causing frustration, what’s sparking brand loyalty (or not), and where there’s opportunity for brands to better connect.

Quick summary

• Scalp health and hair loss are top concerns, especially for men.
• Millennials are the most brand-curious and social media-influenced.
• Younger shoppers care most about sustainability in haircare.
• Price drives salon visits, but 25-34s want speed, expertise, and eco options.
• Brand loyalty spans all ages – and under-35s stick with trusted names, too.

US results

Hair loss and scalp health are top concerns

Among Americans, the top hair goals or concerns our respondents reported were:

• Preventing hair loss or thinning – 37%
• Scalp health – 34.5%
• Growth or length – 34%
• Repairing damage or breakage – 32%
• Adding volume or thickness – 28%

Growth or length is particularly important to people aged 25-34 – a sizable 45% say this is one of their top three concerns. This age group also under-indexes for color maintenance – just 11% say this is a concern, compared to 17% of the general population.

When we look at the gender split, we see males are overwhelmingly concerned about scalp health – 47% said this is a top concern, compared to just 22% of women. 

We also see that men slightly edge out women in another category. Perhaps a surprise – men are more concerned about shine and smoothness than women (28% of men chose this, compared to 27% of women). 

Millennials are an untapped new market for brands

It seems people aged 35-44 are most likely to try new haircare brands. A statistically significant 38% say they regularly try new products from different brands (compared to the national average of 26.5%). 

And this section of millennials are also most influenced by social media – 19.5% say they buy what they see recommended online, compared to 13% of the general population.

Meanwhile shoppers aged 18-24 are less interested in product claims when they’re buying haircare products. We found that less than one in five (19.5%) make a choice based on this, compared to 27% of the overall population.

And this youngest age group is also least likely to try new products from brands they don’t know – 18% said this, compared to the US average of 26.5%. Interestingly they share some common ground with 55-64-year-olds here – the same percentage (18%) of people in that older group said they regularly try new brands. 

Age and sustainability correlate 

Common opinion would have us assuming that young Americans are more concerned about sustainability than older groups – and our research confirms this.

With a US average of 71% saying sustainability is important to them, here’s how that breaks down by age:

• 18-24 – 77%
• 25-34 – 78%
• 35-44 – 78%
• 45-54 – 63.5% 
• 55-64 – 61%

And two fifths (39%) of 55-64s say sustainability isn’t important to them, compared with 29% of the overall population.

Of the US shoppers to whom sustainability is important, the top haircare product features that’d make them likely to switch brands are: 

• Chemical-free/natural ingredients – 52%
• Minimalist formulations (fewer, simpler ingredients) – 35%
• Ethically or locally sourced ingredients – 31.5%

How to get shoppers into salons

For brands who rely on their products or services being used in salons and barber shops, it’s price that’s the key driver. A chunky 47% of respondents say this is one thing that would encourage them to book more salon services. And this jumps to 54% for women when we split by gender.

There are some interesting strategies that might get specific age groups into salons. We found that 18-24-year-olds would be more tempted than other groups by faster services and easier appointment booking. 

And people aged 35-44 would like stylists to better understand their hair type, and for salons to use more sustainable and ethical products.

UK results

Scalp health and hair loss are Brits’ top concerns

When asked to choose their top three hair goals and concerns right now, our UK respondents chose:

• Scalp health – 37%
• Preventing hair loss or thinning – 36%
• Repairing damage or breakage – 32%

Scalp health is particularly concerning to men – 46% are concerned about this, compared to 28% of women. And we see a pique in concern for scalp health among millennials – 45% of 35-44-year-olds chose this (driven largely by men in this group). 

Age doesn’t necessarily lead to increased loyalty

More than half of UK shoppers (51%) say they stick with trusted haircare brands they know. We might have expected younger shoppers to show less brand loyalty, but we’ve actually found that under 35s are as loyal to brands they know as older people.

Working up the age groups, the percentage of Brits who said they stick to trusted brands they know was:

• 18-24 – 52%
• 25-34 – 54.5%
• 35-44 – 48%
• 45-54 – 48% 
• 55-64 – 54%

Digging into the 25-34-year-old group, we see that they’re also more open to new brands and products than other groups. Most significantly, 29% of this age group would buy what they see recommended online – compared to a British average of just 14%.

Haircare sustainability is important to young shoppers

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we found that young people are more concerned about sustainability when choosing haircare products. 

Compared to a national average of 71%, a sizable 78% of 18-24s and a whopping 87% of 25-34s said sustainability is important to them. This decreases when we look at older groups, with 59% of 45-54s and 57% of 55-64s saying the same.

The top product features that would compel Brits to buy more sustainable haircare products are:

• Chemical-free/natural ingredients – 49%
• Plastic-free or recyclable packaging – 38%
• Ethically or locally sourced ingredients – 38%
• Refillable packaging – 36%
• Vegan and cruelty-free ingredients – 31.5%

How to boost Brits’ salon visits

Overall, it’s lower prices and more offers that would bring more Brits into salons and barbers. Over two fifths (41%) chose this. However, 28.5% of consumers are happy with the frequency of their salon appointments and couldn’t be persuaded to visit more, so it’s worth bearing that in mind if your products or services are used in salons. 

We found an interesting uptick across almost all options for the 25-34 age group. Compared to the national average, this group is significantly more likely to book more salon services when:

• Stylists better understand my hair type – 44% vs. national average of 24%
• Services were faster or more efficient – 37% vs. 21%
• Appointments were easier to book online – 31% vs. 20%
• They offered personalized product recommendations – 33% vs. 16%
• Salons used more sustainable/ethical products – 29.5% vs. 15%

Don’t forget, you can cut the data in a bunch of interesting ways over on our interactive dashboard.