These innovations shaped the last decade in the hair industry

It can seem like there are new hair innovations every week in this industry but in reality there are few that have shaped the business as we know it. It takes something special to break boundaries and change the way services are done on clients. Here we breakdown the biggest hair innovations of the 2010s.

Pulp Riot Hair Colour

Launched by Butterfly Loft Salon owners David and Alexis Thurston in 2016 Pulp Riot has seen a quick ascendance to becoming a best-selling vibrant colour brand. It caught the attention of L'Oréal soon after launch and was sold to the conglomerate for 11 million dollars in 2017. Despite the sale the brand has stayed true to its roots with its eccentric names and distinctive packaging. While these contribute to the brand's uniqueness in the market it's of course the quality of the products that have colourists coming back for more with the conditioning agents infused in the tubes leaving clients' hair super soft and healthy. In 2019 the brand hit UK shores with a bang announcing their UK Riot Squad of ambassadors and UK presence with shows and Instagram account.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Launching in 2016 the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer was a revelation for the hair industry in many ways. Firstly, it was James Dyson's first foray into anything beauty related. It also boast many impressive stats such as drying the hair faster than any other dryer on the market and doing so without extreme heat. The motor on the Supersonic is on average six times faster than other dryers on the market, however, the brand realised that the tool needed a few tweaks to make it fit for a busy salon environment and so launched the professional edition with a more robust filter, professional concentrate nozzle for better coverage and a more focused air flow.

L'Oréal Professionnel Instant Highlights

Of all of the hair innovations out there this one truly appeals to the busy salon whose columns are overfull. L'Oréal Professionnel's Instant Highlights changed the game when it came to adding value to a client's appointment without needing additional time. Launching in 2018 the system is three steps to beautifully revived hair with the kit including an iron, lightening cream and specialist foils. The system was the first of its kind to offer a service to clients looking to dip their toe in the colour world for the first time.

ghd Oracle

After seven years of testing at the Cambridge laboratory this hair innovation launched with a bang in May 2019. Unlike any other tool on the market, the Oracle looks like a hybrid between a crimper and a straightener but curls and waves hair in a variety of ways depending on how you hold it. The U-shaped barrel is crafted with the advanced technology you would expect from ghd, and the cool plate on the exterior seals the shape you have created. To get clients to use the tool correctly the tool is still only available to purchase for at-home use through salons.

Avlon Texture Release

The Brazilian blow-dry really came to popularity in the 2000s but with concerns over the health and safety of some formulas in the 2010s and regulations put in place meant that clients needed an alternative to the process. Enter Avlon. The company, which predominantly caters for the needs of Afro and textured hair launched their Texture Release Texture Management System in the summer of 2017 which achieves similar results without the harsh chemicals that were found in some straightening systems.

Olaplex

A true game-changer in the colour world, no one was really talking about bonding products or plexes before Olaplex came on the scene. Launching in July 2014 this bond-multiplying system was born from two inventors who had never worked in the hair industry before. Founder and CEO of Olaplex Dean Christal met with the two inventors and it was in a garage in Santa Barbara, California that Olaplex was created. The product has revolutionised the affect that chemical treatments have on the hair allowing more clients than ever to experiment with colour.

Color Wow Dream Coat

Humidity-resistant styling products are nothing new however when Color Wow launched Dream Coat to the market in 2017 it was something special from the offset. The ‘Supernatural Spray’ is formulated from textile technology and is activate by heat to seal in a blow-dried style for up to 3 washes. “We were trying to solve the issue of hair reverting to its natural configuration when faced with humidity.  Once wavy, curly, frizzy hair is blown dry smooth humidity is its natural enemy.  When there is moisture in the air, it seeps in and destroys the rearranged bonds of the hair.  Hair reverts to its original state. We wanted to find a solution for that,” says Joe Cincotta, executive vice president, product development at Federici Brands.