
Capri and Lee have fun with her locks using extensions of various textures.

Jenner would win first place. Jenner rarely keeps her hair the same for more than a few days at a time.






This year, MODERN SALON surveyed consumers and salon professionals on habits, perceptions, demographics, trends and opportunities shaping the evolving salon service and professional product category MODERN calls HAIR+. This sector of the industry includes trichology, thinning hair, extensions, enhancements and scalp care.
It’s not a new claim that young people expect instant gratification. They get beauty inspiration from Instagram and celebrities, wanting to channel one look at the start of the week and another by the end. MODERN’s HAIR+ Research showed clients younger than 35 truly care about hair, with both men and women willing to spend more disposable income on it. This demographic also wants to experiment more with cut, color and texture—think vibrant fashion shades, extreme color changes and thermal styling. As a result, products within the HAIR+ category provide safe, damage-free ways to achieve quick changes.
Extensions, wigs and hair pieces have shifted away from a taboo hair loss-camoflauger to a fashion statement or solution to achieving hair goals.
At industry trade shows, extensions were displayed on hangers, sending the message that hair can be changed as quickly as a shirt. Celebrities showed us the never-ending possibilities of hair—no commitment required. Media outlets were fooled by Gigi Hadid’s faux bob and Kendall Jenner’s temporary bangs, both of which were transformed back to each starlet’s signature locks in their next photo opp.
In fact, it can be argued that celebrity hairstylists and their clients are the reason why hair extensions, wigs and hairpieces have gone mainstream. Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee, with their impressive roster of celebrity clientele including Julianne Hough, Vanessa Hudgens and Emma Roberts, launched their careers by tag-teaming hair extension applications, making for a quicker service and fitting in more clients. And who knew a wig maker could become such a well-known name, even outside of the industry, until Kylie Jenner started donning Tokyo Stylez’s wigs?
The hair-enhancement category boomed in 2016 and is only going to keep growing. For more on this segment, be sure to read articles, the full research report and more by visiting the HAIR+ homepage.
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