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The true cost of beauty - 80% of Brits admit to spending £1200 on beauty treatments per year

We did some digging to reveal the true cost of beauty, and what we found may shock you!

After surveying 2000 UK adults, we found a whopping 80% of Brits admit to spending £1200 a year on beauty treatments, that’s over a thousand pounds keeping their hair colour fresh, eyebrows laminated, eyelashes lifted and more.

With an industry worth £39 billion, the UK’s beauty industry is proof that Brits will spare no expense on looking and feeling good, with our results revealing the most popular treatments are hair (85%), and nails (19.4%).

Most popular beauty treatments to get done by a professional:

Hair: 85.1%
Nails: 19.4%
Eyebrows: 15.6%
Massage: 13.8%
Facials and Aesthetics: 9.1%

It appears Brits feel as though getting their treatments done correctly by a professional is a worthwhile investment. The survey data tells us that nearly half (49.7%) believe getting their hair done is worth the money, whilst 12.6% believe a massage is.

Who is spending the most on their beauty treatments?

Whilst it is clear that most Brits are happy to spend the big bucks when it comes to beauty treatments, our study showed spending differences between age and gender.

Our research found that millennials are the most willing to spend money on their beauty treatments, with 20% of our survey admitting to spending up to a whopping £400 every month. Compared to this, nearly all (96%) of the over 65’s surveyed said they would only be willing to spend up to £100 per month.

If you want to keep up with the kids, nail extensions were revealed as the most popular treatment with the younger generations as 21% of Gen Z keep up with their trips to the manicurist. There were discrepancies in which ages were willing to spend money on beauty treatments, when we took a step back, we could see that overall, all age groups rated haircuts as the most worthwhile investment.

More specifically, the data showed that 35% of millennials and over half (53%) of those over 65 thought paying for their haircut is the beauty treatment most worth their money.

When we took a closer look at the research, we found that typically men spend a lot less than women on beauty treatments. In fact, 70% of men are only willing to spend up to £25 on hair and beauty treatments compared to over a quarter of women spending £100 every month.

Only trust the professionals

Our research revealed that the more invasive the treatment, the less likely Brits are willing to try it themselves.

Treatments clients will only have done by professionals.

Aesthetics e.g., filler, Botox: 42.1%
Eyelash Extensions: 36.4%
Microblading: 35.8%
Brow Lamination: 31.8%
Lash Lift: 30.2%

How did the data compare regionally?

When looking at the data regionally, we can see that Sheffield residents love to switch up their hairstyle the most, with over half (58%) of the cities’ residents having haircuts in the last 3 months!

If you’re looking for a ‘bouncy blow dry’ then you may be from Leeds… as over a fifth (21%) of those from the city opt for this treatment regularly.

According to the survey, residents in Belfast are the most likely to get aesthetic filler, with 16% of the city having this treatment in the last 3 months.

And those in Belfast love a false lash, as nearly a fifth (17%) of survey respondents from the Northern Irish capital keep up with their eyelash treatment infills.

It seems Londoners are feeling the stress of the big city and are most in need of a massage! Survey data shows that nearly a fifth (19%) of those in London have had massage treatment in the past 3 months.

On the other hand, the cities spending the least – up to £100 per month - were Liverpool (96%) and Norwich (93%).

Our tips for picking your professional

To conclude, when spending hard-earned money on beauty treatments, Brits want them done right. Our data revealed that there are certain treatments some will only have done by professionals, and rightly so!

These are our top 3 attributes to look out for when picking your professional:

Reviews

Always look for reviews! Whether these be online or through word of mouth, the opinion of past clients is always important. They offer a rounded view of how their experience was from start to finish. From that, you can determine if that professional is right for you.

Skill and knowledge

The right professional will have all the correct knowledge to make you feel comfortable. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the service, the process, the ingredients, whatever makes you comfortable. Usually, knowledge equates to skill, someone who knows their craft inside and out is the perfect professional for you.

Good customer service skills

Professionals who proactively engage in good communication with their clients show positive signs of willingness and professionalism. From the first communication, you are building an opinion of the professional and their overall service. Upholding a high standard of customer service is a positive sign that you will receive good-quality results.

Additional source: globaldata.com