How the Recession Blonde Hair Trend is Spilling the Tea on the UK Economy

Let’s be real—when your roots are creeping in but your next salon visit is still weeks away, it’s not just a style choice. It’s financial strategy. Enter recession blonde—the subtly grown-out, low-fuss look that’s taking over salon chairs and social feeds. It’s effortless, it’s cool, and it’s saying a lot more than “I skipped a toner.”

This isn’t the first time beauty has mirrored the economy. In the early 2000s and again after 2008, we saw the lipstick effect—lipstick sales booming as people cut back on big luxuries but still craved a feel-good fix. But this time, it’s not lipstick doing the talking. It’s roots.

In the UK, cost-of-living pressures are lingering even as inflation slows. People are watching their spend, and hair colour is one of the first luxuries to face the chop. According to stylists and trend forecasters, recession blonde is the 2025 equivalent of saying, “I’m stretching my money—but I’m still showing up.”

But this look doesn’t scream “budget”—it whispers intentional. Szindy Ballai, blonde specialist and co-founder of GLAMHAIR Studio, explains that the name may be new, but the technique isn’t: “Recession blonde is what we’re seeing clients refer to as their grown out blonde service when they leave it a little longer between appointments. As colourists this isn’t something to fear – it’s what we’ve been doing for years with balayage!”

She adds that communication is key when embracing these low-fuss looks. “It’s important we’re realistic at consultation with what clients can commit to, so if they want a low maintenance balayage then talk to them about how long they can leave between those colour appointments, but recommend blonde maintenance packages that include regular toners, treatments, and trims at a bundled (but not discounted) price. Low-maintenance blonde techniques are also more sustainable as they require fewer touch-ups and less product over time. These approaches deliver beautiful, long-lasting results, and they build client trust and loyalty—everyone appreciates a stylist who prioritises their hair’s health and makes maintenance easier. Finally, educate clients on how to care for their colour at home with professional products, helping them maintain their look without over-processing their hair.”

Techniques like root smudging, shadowing, and root melts aren’t just trending—they’re the evolution of blonde. Marcos Verissimo, founder of The Six in Mayfair, has been steering his entire team toward smarter, more sustainable colour. “Years ago, when blonde hair techniques relied more on foils and similar methods, the result was often a very solid blonde with harsh regrowth. Over time, trends evolved — people started embracing techniques like root melting, smudging, and blending the roots of highlights. One of the biggest benefits of these methods is that they make regrowth look more natural, allowing longer gaps between retouches.”

Verissimo breaks it down: “There are two main approaches. For people with naturally light hair — say, levels 6 or 7, like natural blondes — we lift the roots after highlighting. Then, between highlight sessions, we just do a root lift, which costs around £50–£70 (about the same as a toner), rather than spending £250–£500 on a full highlight. This root lift with colour helps stretch the time between major appointments.

The second method is root smudging, or shadowing, which darkens the fresh highlights instead of lifting. This also avoids harsh regrowth and creates a more blended look. When dyeing hair blonde, the goal is always to choose a technique that prevents harsh regrowth — it’s not only more economical, but also far healthier for the hair. Instead of dyeing every 8 weeks, as we used to do 4–5 times a year, people now typically dye only two or three times annually. The difference in hair quality is dramatic, especially for those with darker bases. Dark hair can’t handle highlights every 8 weeks — it’s just too damaging. European hair tends to lift more easily and withstand more frequent dyeing, but even then, overprocessing is risky. So the ideal now is 2–3 sessions a year.”

Verissimo is also championing a return to more traditional, skilled approaches to colour. “That’s why it’s so important to invest in a good professional — someone who gets it right. If you break the cost down over 12 months, your hair stays how you want it: blonde, fresh-looking, and low-maintenance. You keep the look without constantly needing retouches or spending a fortune.

Now, about old money blonde — what is it, exactly? It’s creamy, golden, and natural-looking. Over the past 15 years, the way people colour blonde hair has completely shifted. In the past, colourists were highly trained to achieve the perfect blonde straight from bleach — that was the standard. It required real skill and years of experience. But as more people entered the industry, brands like L’Oréal and Wella adapted. To sell more products and simplify the process, they shifted the trend towards using toners after bleaching. That way, even less-experienced hairdressers could achieve something close to blonde, by correcting their lift with toner.”

But not all blondes are created equal. “The result is what I call the ‘dream blonde’ — a shade with no shine, no life. Then came the ash trend, especially for people with dark hair trying to go blonde. Every time you lift natural hair, you reveal its undertone — from red to orange to yellow. Many try to cancel those undertones with ash toners, but it rarely works well. I’ve seen so many people trying to be blonde, but ending up with an unflattering result. When golden blonde is done right — old money blonde — it’s incredibly flattering and gives you a real lift. It’s taken years for people to realise that getting the right blonde isn’t just about lifting and toning.”

At The Six, that realisation is reshaping the salon’s signature. “That’s why I’m steering my team at The Six in that direction. I’ve been having this conversation with all my colourists, telling them, ‘We need to produce this.’ And honestly, they don’t even know what I’m talking about. Two of our newest colourists joined just two weeks ago, and I told them, ‘Stop using toner excessively.’ They’d gotten so used to toning everything, they didn’t know how to do hair without it. I told them to go back to old-school methods — bleach, wash, blow-dry, and see the colour.”

The effect was immediate - “They were shocked at how different the result looked. I said, ‘Yes — it’s a completely different colour, because this is the real colour. This is how it’s meant to be.’ You’re not just layering tone on top — this is what we call old blonde. It’s the old-school, golden, shiny blonde.”

So yes, your roots may be showing. But in 2025, that’s not a faux pas—it’s a flex. Recession blonde isn’t about skipping maintenance, it’s about smart maintenance. It’s about spending less often but spending smarter, embracing softness over perfection, and choosing techniques that are good for your hair, your wallet, and your peace of mind.

After all, a well-timed root lift or a low-key shadow smudge can still give you that just-left-the-salon glow—even if your last appointment was months ago.