“Recession Hair” Is Trending—Here’s What It Means and How to Practice It

The word “recession” has been floating around pretty much every facet of the economy in recent months, and the beauty industry is not immune to these weird times. While we can’t know for sure where things are headed, we can make smart choices when it comes to spending our dollars. Enter: “recession hair,” a buzzword making the rounds on TikTok, forums, and elsewhere. So what is recession hair, how do you practice it, and exactly how much money can it save you? We’ve got answers. 

What Is Recession Hair? 

Recession hair has nothing to do with a receding hairline and everything to do with cutting back on the costs of having your hair cut, colored, and styled. This doesn’t mean DIYing everything (like we did in the COVID times) or switching to box dye, but it does mean opting for hair colors and styles that grow out more easily and don’t cost as much in the first place. 

It also means leveraging the hair care products you buy to your full advantage, and even learning how to do certain styling techniques yourself (like a great blowout) so you’re not routinely doling out cash from sitting in a salon chair. Basically, recession hair is all about strategizing your hair routine for maximum longevity, minimal upkeep, and smarter spending. Recession or not, what’s not to love?

7 Ways to Practice “Recession Hair” 

With the cost of a woman’s haircut easily hovering around $100 and a dye job ranging anywhere from $100 to $600 a pop, reducing how frequently you go to the salon by even half can save you hundreds of dollars. Sounds pretty sweet, yeah? Here are some ways you can practice “recession hair” starting right away. 

Choose Low-Maintenance Color 

The further away you venture from your natural hair color, the more expensive your salon visits will be. Do the opposite, and you’ll save more. Think recession blonde or bronde—a darker shade of blonde that’ll grow out more subtly, or switching to ultra fine, minimal highlights around the face versus all-over color, says Matt Rez, celebrity colorist and Epres Beauty collaborator. “Try and avoid changing and/or bumping your base or natural color,” he says. “This will create one less color demarcation as the hair grows out, which will buy you more time between touch ups.”

Tone at Home

Toning your hair between appointments is a way to stretch your color even longer. This is something you can have done at the salon, but there are also amazing, professional-level products you can use at home. These neutralize orange tones, add high-shine gloss, and add brightness or warmth depending on the look you’re going for. 

Use Color-Safe Shampoo 

Along with toning your hair in-between appointments, make sure you’re not doing a disservice to your hair service by using shampoo systems that strip your color. “If you are getting colored less frequently, preserving color in between appointments will require keeping tones and shine from fading,” Rez says. His secret weapon is sulfate-free shampoos that are designed for color-treated hair.

Opt for Easy-to-Upkeep Haircuts

In the same vein, choose haircuts that grow out with ease versus styles that require constant upkeep. Think long layers, soft shags, or blunt cuts that maintain their shape as they grow, so you can stretch the time between salon visits without your hair looking unkempt. These styles offer flexibility, work with your natural texture, and don’t demand frequent trims to stay flattering. 

Nourish Your Strands Between Appointments 

Healthy hair doesn’t just look better—it holds styling products better, won’t fade as fast, and ensures you don’t have to hit the salon as frequently. Rez says, “Healthy hair that’s properly bonded is always going to be shiny and more reflective.” Opt for strengthening shampoos and treatments and never skip out on your deep conditioning day.

Get Smart About Covering Grays 

Heading to the salon every two to four weeks for your routine gray coverage is the opposite of recession hair-friendly. Instead, Rez says to get strategic about your color in the first place. His tip is to ask your colorist for a mix of highlights, midlights, and low lights to help blend gray away. 

“The balance of those three colors will deflect the eye from seeing the white as ‘gray’ and [create] a more seamless growth,” he says. Also: at-home root touch-up sprays, powders, and glosses come in clutch between appointments. 

Learn How to Give Yourself a Great Blowout

If you live for a great blowout and find yourself sitting in a salon chair every other week (or more often) to get your fix, learning how to give yourself an amazing blowout can save you so much money. Visit YouTube videos and peep your fave stylists on social media to learn the ins and outs of a round brush, styling cream, and blow dryer.