Not too long ago, I realized I was ready to give up my platinum blonde hair. Not because of the color, which I love so much I’ve returned to it multiple times over the years, but because of the upkeep. The frequent appointments, toning sessions, purple shampoos… The cost of it all was starting to wear on me. In late 2023, I transitioned to a darker, rooty blonde—a color I now touch up about every eight to ten weeks versus every four. I’ve only grown more thankful for the switch-up as I find myself keeping a closer and closer eye on my finances. Turns out, I’m not the only one. A quick scroll through TikTok shows that people have been transitioning their hair to more budget-friendly looks for a while now—a phenomenon the internet has dubbed “recession hair.”
Although economists haven’t formally declared we’re in a recession, the layoffs and budget slashing within the federal government and the widespread heightening of prices caused in part by President Trump’s tariffs feel like signs we’re headed for one. And unlike lipstick sales, which are thought to increase during recessions, sales of hair salon services tend to dip during periods of economic uncertainty. “When times are hard, hair tends to be put on the back burner,” Kentucky-based hairstylist Jordan Ware tells Allure. That especially goes for color services; after all, getting a full head of microfine highlights or a multi-step bleach and tone—which can cost hundreds of dollars and take hours to achieve—may feel like an unnecessary vanity when a dozen eggs costs upwards of $10.
As stylists explain to me, an increasing number of clients are making fewer trips to the salon in an effort to save a few bucks (OK, more than a few). What’s more, when they do come, they’re asking for services that don’t need frequent touch-ups or that can help them transition back or closer to their natural hair color—think balayage highlights versus all-over color or partial versus full highlights.
Minneapolis-based colorist Joy Johnson says she used to see the average color client every four to six weeks; some of those clients are only coming twice a year now, while others come in seasonally. Dinah Gacon, a hairstylist and salon owner in central Massachusetts, hasn’t noticed a significant change in appointment frequency (she specializes in low-maintenance cuts and colors) but estimates that “about five percent” of her clients have said they’re nervous about a potential recession or losing their government jobs. Ware says her gray-haired clients are either growing in their gray or extending appointment times, and notes that while she primarily works as a colorist, she’s started doing more cuts. “Services being booked are noticeably different from seven or eight years ago,” she says.
(This applies to haircuts, too, by the way; Johnson says some clients at her salon are lengthening their time between cuts and requesting “very structured cuts” that retain their original shape as they grow out.)
Even Allure editors have tweaked their color maintenance routines to cut costs; while a job as a beauty editor occasionally means gratis color services, it isn’t a “free color every six weeks” kind of situation. Commerce editor Angela Trakoshis went blonde in 2021 and quickly found out that it’s true what they say: “Blondes do have more fun, but it’s expensive and time-consuming to have fun.” Trakoshis used to spend close to eight hours and shell out close to $500 every few months to stay blonde. “My watch and my wallet were over it.” She went back to her natural dark roots in 2023 and hasn’t looked back.
Like me, content director Kara McGrath lived the platinum blonde life for a few years before transitioning back to a much lower-maintenance blonde; her platinum era lasted from 2017 until 2024. "I (finally) started getting sick of spending hundreds of dollars every six weeks,” McGrath shares. She worked with her colorist to find a darker blonde shade similar to her natural color and added “face-framing highlights and a few babylights” for brightness. “Now I only go to the salon a couple of times a year, which has been good for both my wallet and my previously bleach-fried hair.”
Lexi Herrick, Allure’s senior director of audience development, said her sandy-blonde hair was “a firmly rooted part of my identity,” one she maintained with regular highlights. But when prepping for her engagement photos, Herrick swapped the highlights for lowlights, closer to naturally dark blonde. “I look forward to fewer trips to the salon and less impact on my wallet,” she says.
If you’re thinking about paring back your routine, you don’t have to abandon the salon entirely—even if you’re a bottle blonde like me. Blonde has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most high-maintenance hair colors, but you can adapt it to better fit your budget without going brunette. New York City stylist and colorist Charles Brackney Love recommends a classic balayage for long-lasting color, especially with creamy, golden, or “subtly bronzed” highlights. At-home maintenance is also essential to preserve your color, says Johnson; she makes sure her clients use color-preserving products and protect their hair at night (like with a bonnet or silk pillowcase) to stretch out time between appointments.
Economic uncertainties impact pretty much all of us. Rest assured, your hairstylist gets it. “Hair is so vital. I think a lot of our self-identities are so wrapped up in our hair, and there are ways to move into something low-maintenance that will still feel like you,” Johnson says. “There are ways to ease into this while still feeling like your best self.”
On that note, you might wind up developing a deeper appreciation for your natural hair color than you ever thought possible. McGrath says she loves the way she looks with her “natural-ish” hair color. Herrick’s lowlights helped her feel more authentic as she crossed a major milestone. As for me, I can’t honestly say I’ll never go back to platinum blonde—the siren call is still so strong—but I love my current color, and I love catching up with my colorist when I land in her chair every few months. You can’t put a price on that.
More great reads:
- Is Everyone Abandoning Their Facial Filler?
- I Got Injectables Throughout My 20s. At 30, I'm Done with Them
- Apparently, Everyone's Going Back to Drugstore Shampoo in 2025
Now, watch hair color trends evolve over a century:
Follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.
