There are some moments in your career that you know you’ll remember.
For me, being invited to speak at Salon International 2026 was one of them.
I’ve spent most of my career behind the chair, in the salon, working directly with clients and my team. So swapping the salon floor for a stage at ExCeL London and joining the Business Panel was a very different experience — and one I was genuinely excited to take on.
The panel discussion focused on “The Future of Professional Colour – Are Client Habits Changing?”, exploring how the way clients think about, choose and maintain their colour is evolving, and what that means for salons.
I was joined on the panel by Steven Smart and Cheryl Bowes, with the discussion expertly hosted by Chris Moody. It was great to hear such different perspectives from across the industry and explore everything from changing client expectations and social media to maintenance, hair health and how salons can adapt their services.
And there was certainly plenty to talk about.
Are clients colour habits really changing?
My answer would be a definite yes — but perhaps not in the way we might initially think.
I don’t necessarily think clients are becoming less interested in colour. If anything, colour is more visible and accessible than ever thanks to social media.
What has changed is what clients expect from us.
Clients are more informed. They arrive with inspiration, questions and sometimes a very specific idea of what they want. But they’re also increasingly conscious of maintenance, cost, hair health and whether a particular colour actually fits their lifestyle.
For me, that means the consultation has never been more important.
We’re not simply recreating a photograph someone has brought into the salon. We’re taking that inspiration and translating it into something that works for that individual person.
Their hair history, lifestyle, budget, maintenance expectations, natural colour and condition all have to form part of that conversation.
I think we’re moving from trend-led colour to identity-led colour.
Colour that works around real life
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in the salon is the demand for colour that works with people’s lives.
Clients are busy. They don’t necessarily want to spend hours in the salon every few weeks maintaining a look.
That doesn’t mean they don’t want beautiful colour. It means they want us to think differently about how we create it.
Lived-in colour, dimensional colour and softer regrowth can all give clients beautiful results while allowing much more flexibility between appointments.
The question isn’t always:
“What colour do you want?”
Sometimes it’s:
“How do you want your colour to work for you?”
That’s a very different conversation.
Hair health has become part of the colour conversation
Another really positive change is the increasing awareness around hair health.
Clients are more aware of the importance of maintaining the integrity of their hair, and I think that’s something we should embrace as an industry.
Being a great colourist isn’t about how far you can push the hair.
It’s knowing when you can, when you shouldn’t, and how to get the best possible result while protecting the hair.
Sometimes the most professional answer is not today.
That might mean changing the plan, spreading a transformation over several appointments or finding another way to achieve the overall look.
That’s where technical knowledge and a really strong consultation become so important.
Adapting the salon experience
One of the areas I was particularly keen to bring into the conversation was the fact that adapting our offering isn’t just about the colour services themselves.
Our clients don’t all experience a salon in the same way.
There is growing awareness around neurodiversity and different sensory and communication needs, and I think the industry has a real opportunity to become more flexible.
For some clients, a busy salon, loud music, mirrors, lots of conversation or unexpected touch can make the experience difficult.
At We Are, we’ve started looking at ways we can give clients more choice around their experience — including things like mirrorless and silent appointments.
It isn’t about creating a completely separate service for particular clients.
It’s about recognising that one salon experience doesn’t suit everyone.
And if we can make small changes that make someone feel more comfortable, why wouldn’t we?
The future of professional colour
Ultimately, I came away from the panel feeling really positive about where professional colour is heading.
The industry is changing, but I don’t think that means we’re becoming less relevant.
Quite the opposite.
As clients become more informed, more individual and more conscious about what they want from their hair, our role becomes more valuable.
We aren’t just colourists.
We’re consultants, educators, problem solvers and, increasingly, people who need to understand the individual sitting in our chair.
For me, the future of professional colour isn’t simply about chasing the next trend.
It’s about better consultations, healthier hair, personalised colour and creating salon experiences that work for more people.
And if Salon International gave me anything to take back to We Are, it’s that there is always more to learn, question and improve.
Oh — and getting to stand on a stage and talk about something I’m genuinely passionate about with my team there supporting was the icing on the cake. 🎤
