I had a 22-year-old client last week who screenshotted my Instagram grid, showed me exactly which nail set she wanted, asked what gel brand I use, and then asked if my products were cruelty-free. Before I even touched her hands, I’d been interviewed.
That interaction would have been unusual three years ago. Now it happens weekly. Gen Z clients walk in with more research, more opinions, and more specific expectations than any generation of salon clients I’ve worked with. They’re spending serious money on beauty. But they’re spending it on their terms.
They spend more than you’d guess
According to Statista, the average yearly spend on beauty products alone among Gen Z consumers in the United States tops $2,000, second only to millennials. A Bread Financial and Ulta Beauty survey found that Gen Z beauty spending grew 10% year over year in 2025, with about half saying they’d cut back on other expenses before touching their beauty budget.
That number covers products, but the services side tells a similar story. McKinsey’s Future of Wellness report found that despite making up just 36% of the U.S. adult population, Gen Z and millennials together drive 41% of annual wellness spending. Nearly 30% of Gen Zers say they prioritize wellness significantly more than they did a year ago.
The money is there. The question is where it goes.
How they find you (and how they decide)
Gen Z doesn’t pick a salon the way their parents did. They don’t ask a coworker for a recommendation and drive across town. They scroll.
Over 70% of Gen Z beauty purchases start on social media, with TikTok and Instagram leading discovery. 53.9% discover beauty content specifically through social media, and TikTok leads at 46% for engagement. For salons, this means your portfolio is your storefront. A clean, active Instagram grid with recent work does more than a Yelp listing ever will.
Where Gen Z discovers beauty services
But discovery is only step one. The filter is reviews, and Google reviews are free advertising that most salons underutilize. Zenoti’s 2025 consumer trends report found that 78% of clients check reviews before booking, and nearly half will only consider salons with a 4.5-star rating or higher. Gen Z takes this further. They don’t just read the rating. They read the comments. They look for specifics. “She listened to what I wanted” matters more than “great service.”
Values are a booking filter
This is the part that catches some salon owners off guard. Gen Z doesn’t just want good work. They want to know what you stand for.
Attest’s 2025 Gen Z beauty survey found that 67.7% of Gen Z value sustainability in the brands and services they choose. 73% prefer brands that are transparent about their ingredients and committed to ethical sourcing. And 56.2% say they’ll pay more for products that are sustainable or ethically sourced.
For salons, this shows up in questions at the chair. What gel system do you use? Is it vegan? Do you recycle your foils? I’ve been asked all of these. Two years ago, clients cared about the finish. Now they care about the finish and the supply chain.
Diversity matters just as much. Mintel research found that 25% of Gen Z feel left out of beauty advertisements, and 70% consider diversity and inclusivity important factors when deciding where to spend. A salon that only showcases one hair type or skin tone on its feed is quietly filtering out a generation that expects to see themselves represented.
✅ Small signals that matter to Gen Z clients
List your product brands on your booking page. Mention cruelty-free or vegan certifications where they apply. Post work on diverse skin tones, hair textures, and nail shapes. These aren’t marketing stunts. They’re the minimum for a generation that treats values as a filter, not a bonus.
Loyalty looks different now
The old loyalty model was straightforward: do good work, client comes back, maybe for years. Gen Z loyalty is real, but the mechanism is different.
A 2025 report from SAP Emarsys described what they call a “loyalty recession” among Gen Z consumers. 43% of Gen Z shoppers have bought a product purely because it was trending on social media. That fluidity extends to services. A Gen Z client might love your work and still try someone new because they saw a viral set on TikTok.
This sounds alarming, but the data has a flip side. Gen Z will stick with providers who continually align with their values, personalize the experience, and stay engaged. Zenoti found that 97% of salon regulars say personalization during visits is important, and 81% are more likely to rebook when they receive tailored offers. For Gen Z, “personalization” means remembering their preferences, suggesting services based on what they’ve liked before, and treating them as collaborators rather than passive clients. Building client profiles that actually work is the operational backbone behind that kind of personalization.
The stylists and techs who build real relationships with Gen Z clients report strong retention. The key is engagement between appointments, not just during them. A DM reply, a story repost of their nails, a quick check-in. Small gestures that signal “I see you” in a language they already speak.
What this means for your chair
Gen Z is not a niche demographic. The oldest Gen Zers are 28. They’re working full-time, earning, and spending on beauty at rates that rival millennials. Within five years, they’ll be the largest segment of salon clients in the country.
Adapting doesn’t require an overhaul. It requires paying attention. Keep your social media current with real work, not stock content. Be transparent about your products and practices. Ask clients what they want instead of assuming. Reply to DMs. If you work behind the chair, Instagram Reels are free billboards that speak this generation’s language. These are small moves, but they’re the ones this generation notices.
I used to think my work spoke for itself. For Gen Z, the work opens the door. Everything around it decides whether they walk through.
