Our latest Yelp Economic Average report, released this week, reveals that the beauty industry has been hit incredibly hard by COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders. Though, like many industries that rely on brick-and-mortar locations, we’ve seen that beauty businesses have been resilient, with many pivoting to offer virtual consultations, mobile salon treatments like manicures and waxing, and to-go hair color kits, as they work to stay in business and continue to provide valuable services to their customers.
In fact, we’ve seen nearly 4,000 beauty businesses indicate they’re now offering virtual consultations as part of their services. Since introducing new ways for businesses to communicate the health and safety measures they’re taking on their Yelp pages, more than 15,500 beauty businesses have updated this information. Some of the most popular safety measures being taken include sanitizing between customers, requiring staff to wear masks and providing hand sanitizer.
If local beauty services have reopened in your area and you decide to try some of the below trending treatments, please keep the safety of employees and other customers in mind by wearing a mask, and check both your local COVID-19 guidelines and CDC guidelines.
The Beauty Services We’re Searching
It’s no secret that almost everything about our beauty and grooming routines has likely changed since COVID-19 shutdowns in March. This left us wondering what searches were trending on Yelp when states began to reopen.
A few things are clear: Americans are eager to support Black-owned businesses in the beauty & wellness space (searches for Black-owned beauty salons is up 163% in the last month, and Black skin care is up 133%, coinciding with the introduction of Yelp’s Black-owned business attribute and partnership with My Black Receipt); after months of shelter-in-place, people around the country are searching for high-impact beauty treatments that create a lasting effect, like cheek filler and Clear and Brilliant laser; grooming services that minimize the need for makeup, like eyelash extensions, are in high demand; and hair services spanning from Brazilian laser hair removal and sugaring, to braids and keratin treatments, are experiencing a spike in interest.
Searches for acne treatment increased by 37% during the month of June, as some battled stress-related breakouts, and interest in blonde highlights increased 33%, as people considered going back to hair salons.
Take a look below for more of the beauty terms with significant increases during the month of June:
Makeup & Skincare
- Clear and Brilliant, up 227% in the last month, has also risen in popularity 116% since 2019 and 178% in the last two years
- Black Skincare, up 133% in the last month, has also risen in popularity 261% since 2019 and 554% in the last two years
- Microdermabrasion, up 42% in the last month
- Acne Treatment, up 37% in the last month
- Green Beauty Products, up 29% in the last month
- Laser Facial, up 27% in the last month
- Korean Beauty, up 24% in the last month
- Lip Blushing, up 22% in the last month
- Chemical Peel, up 21% in the last month
Cosmetic Procedures & Filler
- Cheek Filler, up 71% in the last month, has also risen in popularity 110% since 2019 and 218% in the last two years
- Lymphatic Drainage, up 50% in the last month
- Dysport, up 42% in the last month
- Juvederm, up 36% in the last month
- Lip Flip, up 31% in the last month
- Coolsculpting, up 29% in the last month
- Botox Brow Lift, up 26% in the last month
- Breast Fat Transfer, up 25% in the last month
Body Treatments
- Tattoo Shops (Open Late), up 134% in the last month
- Nose Piercing, up 95% in the last month
- Acrylic Toes, up 85% in the last month
- Piercing Shop, up 81% in the last month
- Vajacial, up 65% in the last month
- Tanning Salon, up 38% in the last month
- Spray Tan, up 36% in the last month
- Gel-X Manicure, up 29% in the last month
Eyebrows, Lashes & Hair Removal
- Natural Lash Lift, up 120% in the last month
- Brazilian Laser Hair Removal, up 71% in the last month
- Sugaring, up 67% in the last month
- Bikini Wax, up 63% in the last month
- Lash Extensions, up 55% in the last month
- Eyebrow Waxing, up 53% in the last month
- Eyebrow Threading, up 49% in the last month
- Brazilian Wax, up 31% in the last month
Hairstyles & Salon Services
- Black-owned Beauty Salons, up 163% in the last month
- Shag Haircut, up 119% in the last month
- Dry Cut, up 93% in the last month
- Balayage, up 72% in the last month
- Blowout, up 69% in the last month
- Keratin Treatment, up 69% in the last month
- Black Hair Salon, up 56% in the last month
- Bangs, up 42% in the last month
- Pixie Haircut, up 42% in the last month
- Hair Salons for Curly Hair, up 40% in the last month
- Hair Braid, up 37% in the last month
- Natural Hair, up 35% in the last month
- Blonde Highlights, up 33% in the last month
- Cornrows, up 27% in the last month
- Hair Color, up 32% in the last month
Methodology: We looked at the percentage of searches with the term from the month of June 2020, and compared that to the percentage of searches from May 2020. In order to showcase the biggest trends, we only included terms searched for 100 times in the month of June 2020 and at least a 10% increase in interest in the last month.
Trends on the Rise
Searches on Yelp often reveal the beauty services that are beginning to take off throughout the country. For example, searches for Lip Blushing, a form of semi-permanent makeup that enhances the natural lip color and creates a more defined and full lip shape, have risen 606% since June 2019, and 6,787% since 2018, meaning it was virtually non-existent two years ago.
The beauty services and treatments we search for are constantly changing to reflect current trends and shifts in the world around us: Searches for Mobile Nail Salon are up 359% and Mobile Waxing is up 453% since June 2019, and we expect demand for these services to rise due to COVID-19; and Brow Lamination, a treatment that provides full brows with a high-shine finish, à la Bella Hadid, is one of the most popular searches both in month over month and year over year calculations.
With the rise of “Instagram Face,” injectables are being used for much more than treating the appearance of wrinkles. Botox Brow Lifts, jaw filler and tear trough filler are on the rise as people look for ways to create more defined brows, chins and cheekbones, and get rid of under eye bags, all without going under the knife for surgery.
A few surprising beauty services that have been steadily increasing since 2018: Breast implant removal, a treatment Chrissy Teigen recently underwent, perms (yes, the 80’s hairstyle), and vajacials, a bikini line treatment which includes cleansing, exfoliation, extractions of ingrown hairs, a soothing mask, and a skin brightening serum or spot treatment.
These searches have been on an upward trajectory in the last two years, and are continuing to rise:
Makeup & Skincare
- Lip Blushing, up 606% in the last year and 6,787% in the last two years
- Korean Face Mask, up 93% in the last year and up 102% in the last two years
- Vitamin C, up 84% in the last year and 55% in the last two years
Cosmetic Procedures & Filler
- Hyaluron Pen, up 1,219% in the last year and and even more when compared to the same month in 2018
- Lip Flip, up 572% in the last year and up 2,369% in the last two years
- PDO Thread Lift, up 296% in the last year and 1,406% in the last two years
- Vajacial, up 212% in the last year and up 823% in the last two years
- Botox Brow Lift, up 187% in the last year and 410% in the last two years
- Chin Liposuction, up 185% in the last year and 535% in the last two years
- Breast Fat Transfer, up 152% in the last year and up 199% in the last two years
- Sculptra Butt Lift, up 147% in the last year and up 259% in the last two years
- Lipo Cavitation is up 128% in the last year and 283% in the last two years
- Buccal Fat Removal, up 114% in the last year and 414% in the last two years
- Wood Therapy Massage, up 80% in the last month, and searches for the treatment have risen 179% in the last year and 912% in the last two years
- Breast Implant Removal, up 53% in the last year and 710% in the last two years
- Non-surgical Rhinoplasty, up 42% in the last 1 year and up 86% in the last two years
- Jaw Filler, up 42% in the last year and 122% in the last two years
- Tear Trough Filler, up 29% in the last year and 80% in the last two years
Eyebrows, Lashes & Hair Removal
- Brow Lamination, an almost non-existent search term in past years, is up 86,196% since 2019, and even more when compared to the same month in 2018
- Mobile Waxing, up 453% in the last year and 447% in the last two years
- Brazilian Laser Hair Removal, up 75% in the last year and 54% in the last two years
Hairstyles & Salon Services
- Perm Services, up 2,416% in the last year and even more in the last two years
- Black-owned Beauty Salons, up 558% in the last year and 929% in the last two years
- Colorist for Grey Hair, up 383% in the last year and up 772% in the last two years
- Shag Haircut, up 187% in the last year and up 709% in the last two years
- Blonde Specialist, up 185% in the last year and 405% in the last two years
- Mobile Salon, up 172% in the last year and 262% in the last two years
- Mobile Hairdresser, up 162% in the last year and up 432% in the last two years
- Loctician, up 159% in the last year and 201% in the last two years
- Hair Salons for Curly Hair, up 127% in the last year and 248% in the last two years
- Root Perm, up 95% in the last year and 332% in the last two years
Nails
- Nail Salon Open Early, up 663% in the last year and 1,039% in the last two years
- Acrylic Toes, up 491% in the last year and 517% in the last two years
- Mobile Nail Salon, up 359% in the last year and up 514% in the last two years
- Nail Salon Open Late, up 287% in the last year and up 475% in the last two years
Methodology: We looked at the percentage of searches with the term from June 2020, and compared that to the percentage of searches for the team in both June 2019 and June 2018. In order to showcase the biggest trends, we only included terms searched for 100+ times in the month of June 2020 and at least a 10% increase in interest in the last year or two.
15 States with Unique Beauty Searches
We took a look at the top ten beauty categories in every state in June, and the services with the highest volume of interest likely won’t surprise you: Hair salons, nail salons, barbers, haircuts, and day spas were the sought-after search categories in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The popularity of lash extensions, brazilian bikini waxes, waxing (arm, eyebrow, bikini, etc.), hair removal and eyebrow threading was also a common thread throughout the country.
However, Yelp data uncovered interesting regional trends: Plastic surgery surfaced as one of the most popular beauty categories in Florida and Utah, Black-owned beauty salons were a top search in Georgia and Washington, D.C, spray tans were sought-after in Oklahoma, Ohio and Montana, and braids are among the ten most popular searches in Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. Microblading, a form of semi-permanent tattooing for eyebrows, was uniquely popular in Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico; South Dakotans were searching for salons offering hair extensions, and hair color was among the most popular beauty searches in Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Washington, D.C.
Take a look below for more state-by-state breakdowns of the beauty services people across the country searched for in June 2020:
Florida
- Lash Extensions
- Plastic Surgery
- Eyebrow Threading
Georgia
- Hair Braid
- Black-owned Beauty Salons
- Brazilian Wax
Hawaii
- Supercuts
- Lash Extensions
- Microblading
Louisiana
- Brazilian Wax
- Eyebrow Threading
- Hair Braid
Maryland
- Hair Braid
- Eyebrow Threading
- Natural Hair
Michigan
- Hair Braid
- Lash Extensions
- Eyebrow Threading
Montana
- Lash Extensions
- Spray Tan
- Hair Color
Nevada
- Eyebrow Threading
- Lash Extensions
- Microblading
New Mexico
- Lash Extensions
- Hair Color
- Microblading
New York
- Nail Salon Open Late
- Eyebrow Threading
- Lash Extensions
Ohio
- Lash Extensions
- Brazilian Wax
- Spray Tan
Oklahoma
- Lash Extensions
- Brazilian Wax
- Spray Tan
South Dakota
- Eyebrow Threading
- Brazilian Wax
- Hair Extensions
Utah
- Lash Extensions
- Hair Color
- Plastic Surgery
Washington, D.C.
- Black-owned Beauty Salons
- Hair Braid
- Hair Color
Methodology: We looked at the total number of searches in each state in June 2020, regardless of trendiness, to determine the top searched beauty categories.
