If your haircare routine is starting to feel like a luxury spa treatment you can no longer afford, welcome to the era of Recession Hair, where root regrowth, DIY trims, and drugstore swaps are the new glam squad.
Originally coined during the 2008 financial crash, "Recession Hair" was the name for a stripped-back beauty movement fueled by economic anxiety and budget cuts. Fast forward to now: inflation's up, salon visits are down, and once again, TikTok is buzzing with users turning their financial fears into follicular content, like recession blonde, budget-friendly buzz cuts, and shaggy grown-out layers all becoming viral signals of the times.
But here's the good news! Going low-maintenance doesn't mean going low-style. You can absolutely ride this wave like a pro, with less stress on your wallet and your ends. Michelle Phillips, Celebrity MUA and Keranique Ambassador, told HOLA! USA, "As a celebrity stylist and beauty expert, I’ve seen women embracing more low-maintenance hair styles not just out of necessity, but also as a way to simplify and cut the cost of going to the salon as often as they normally do."
What Is Recession Hair?
It's more than a trending hashtag. Recession Hair is a response to the collective belt-tightening that happens during economic uncertainty. It's not just about skipping a haircut; it's a shift in values. It's about sustainability, practicality, and pushing back against beauty standards that expect constant upkeep. It's also proof that necessity really is the mother of reinvention.
Recession Hair means stretching out the time between salon visits, investing in large haircare containers, or swapping $60 shampoos for drugstore heroes that still get the job done, like Dove Intensive Repair Damage Therapy. It also means getting comfortable with root regrowth and natural textures.
And while it's blowing up now thanks to TikTok, it's a tale as old as economic downturns. Financial flux hits, and beauty routines adapt.
TikTok's DIY Hair Economy
Scroll through #RecessionHair and you'll find a new kind of beauty influencer; one armed with kitchen scissors, a claw clip, and zero budget for Olaplex.
People are turning hair maintenance into an art form, including tutorials on how to trim split ends with nail scissors (not recommended, but entertaining). Transformation videos showing "recession blonde" going natural. Duets where someone reveals their 6-inch roots and another responds, "Same, bestie."
Even the jokes double as economic commentary. One user declared, "The longer my roots, the lower the Dow." That's practically a Bloomberg headline.
How to Navigate Recession Hair Like a Pro
Hairstylist and Creative Education Director for Scruples, William Whatley, told HOLA! USA: "When asking your professional stylist for a recession hairstyle, common terms that will help with getting more time between appointments include 'lived-in hair,' where you intentionally have more visible root area. Balayage or root smudging are other ways to ask for recession hair. These techniques blend highlights and roots more to a natural look requiring less touchups," the expert suggests.
"I am seeing clients select a hair color that is closer to their own natural color (not just blondes) that you want to just create body and shine, so you don't have to touch your roots up as often allowing you to go with more time in between salon appointments," Whatley adds.
Recession Hair isn't about abandoning beauty. It's about redefining it. "My take on recession blonde is it has become a situation in our economy that allowing more time between salon visits is becoming another aspect of our salon clients by giving the services. You are still keeping them in the salon but allowing them more time between visits rather than losing them completely to the consumer market," the hairstylist said.
Adding: "I mean let's face it, we all want to feel and look beautiful. Going to the salon should be an uplifting experience, not one trying to figure out how to cover the expenses of getting your hair colored while juggling grocery money for hair services."
However, rituals like styling your hair or making a budget-friendly swap can feel downright empowering when the world feels unpredictable. Plus, there's a weird solidarity in knowing your six-inch roots are part of a nationwide trend.
So, if your beauty budget is feeling the squeeze, don't panic. "If you are looking to recession-proof your hairstyle, embrace your natural texture, go for less layered cuts, blunt bobs, or soft shoulder-length styles that grow out beautifully and don’t require frequent trims. Try heatless styles like braids, buns, or air-dried waves," says Phillips.
"Invest in high-quality hair care products like the Keranique System as it's specifically formulated to help restore thicker, fuller, healthier-looking hair. The Lift & Repair Treatment Spray acts as a heat protectant and allows you to go longer between blowouts without sacrificing style."
According to Phillips, " the recession hair look is about maintaining and improving how we look and feel."