Perms And Relaxants Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Perms And Relaxants Market Trends and Insights

Rising demand for texture management solutions

Consumer demand for texture modification remains a central driver in the haircare market; however, the underlying motivation has shifted from uniformity to versatility. Industry professionals observe a growing preference for temporary or reversible texture changes, such as perms to enhance volume or relaxants to improve manageability, rather than permanent alterations. This trend is reinforced by social-media platforms, where users frequently display multiple hairstyles over short periods. By late 2024, TikTok’s #RelaxerTok had garnered over 600 million views, highlighting that, despite health advisories, a segment of consumers prioritizes aesthetic control. For manufacturers, this signals a clear requirement: product formulations must strike a balance between performance and safety, while marketing strategies should emphasize flexibility over permanence, reflecting the episodic styling behaviors of digitally native consumers.

Growth in professional salon services

Professional channels accounted for 56.28% of market distribution in 2024, underscoring consumers’ readiness to pay a premium for expert application when chemical treatments present potential health risks. Salon professionals receive specialized training to minimize scalp contact and limit exposure duration, capabilities that over-the-counter kits often struggle to match. Under the EU’s Regulation 1223/2009, thioglycolic acid is permitted at concentrations of up to 11% for professional formulations, compared with 8% for consumer-use products, effectively embedding a regulatory advantage for salon-based services. Nevertheless, the professional segment is experiencing margin pressures driven by rising labor costs and growing competition from direct-to-consumer brands that provide instructional content and virtual guidance. These dynamics indicate that the salon channel will need to adopt integrated digital engagement strategies to maintain its competitive position.

Expanding influence of beauty and social media trends

Social-media platforms have significantly shortened the time between trend emergence and measurable market impact. Procter & Gamble reported a 4,000% increase in Google searches for “how to moisturise scalp” during the four weeks ending 17 October 2024, following a series of TikTok posts linking scalp care to hair-texture outcomes, an example of how platform algorithms can rapidly stimulate demand in adjacent product categories^{[1]Source: Procter & Gamble, “Scalp Health Trends,” pg.com}. Similarly, the “glass hair” trend, characterized by highly reflective, straight styles, drove volume growth of 10.9% for L’Oréal’s Elvive shampoo and 13.6% for its conditioner range in 2024, underscoring the capacity of aesthetic movements to reinvigorate mature product lines. For the perms and relaxants category, these dynamics necessitate shorter formulation and innovation cycles to align with accelerated trend velocity, as well as agile influencer collaborations capable of adjusting brand messaging as consumer preferences oscillate between sleek and textured looks.

Innovation in low-damage and clean formulations

Regulatory scrutiny and heightened consumer skepticism are catalyzing a broad reformulation cycle across the haircare industry. L’Oréal’s Colorsonic, introduced in June 2024, exemplifies this transition: protected by 29 patents, the device omits ammonia, silicones, parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, appealing to consumers seeking color innovation without perceived chemical compromise^{[2]Source: L’Oréal, “Colorsonic: Automated Hair Coloring Device,” loreal.com}. In March 2025, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety issued an advisory linking glyoxylic acid, commonly used as a formaldehyde substitute, to cases of acute kidney failure, highlighting that ingredient substitution strategies entail their own safety considerations and that “clean” claims must be grounded in robust toxicological evidence. In parallel, China’s National Medical Products Administration expanded its cosmetic-ingredient database from 2,234 to 3,608 entries in February 2025, indicating greater regulatory receptivity to novel actives capable of delivering texture modification with improved safety profiles. Companies advancing bond-repair technologies, which aim to reconstruct disulfide bonds disrupted during chemical texturizing processes, are well-positioned to capture demand for premium, high-performance solutions.

Concerns over chemical safety and hair damage

Heightened health concerns and expanding legal exposure are reshaping the chemical straightening category. NIH research in 2022 linked frequent straightener use to a 4.05% lifetime uterine cancer risk versus 1.64% for non-users, helping trigger more than 8,500 consolidated federal lawsuits alleging undisclosed endocrine-disrupting hazards. The 2023 Black Women’s Health Study reported a 30% elevated risk among Black women using lye-based relaxers seven or more times per year for over 15 years, an acute concern for a demographic with 60% current usage and lifetime penetration of 84% to 95%. Trust eroded further when New York State’s Department of Health detected formaldehyde in products labeled “formaldehyde-free,” prompting additional class actions against major manufacturers. As litigation pressures margins and accelerates reformulation, even as companies dispute causation, closing the credibility gap will require transparent ingredient disclosure, rigorous safety validation, and independent third-party testing.

Regulatory scrutiny on ingredients

Regulatory fragmentation is intensifying compliance challenges for the hair-straightening and perm segments. The U.S. FDA proposed a ban on formaldehyde-releasing agents in April 2024; however, repeated delays have left the timelines uncertain. Meanwhile, California and Maryland implemented state-level prohibitions, effective in 2025, forcing brands to manage multiple formulations. In Canada, thioglycolic acid esters were added to the prohibited list in February 2025, directly affecting perm products^{[3]Source: Health Canada, “Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist,” canada.ca}. The EU’s Regulation 1223/2009 limits thioglycolic acid to 8% for general use and 11% for professional applications, and France plans a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ban by early 2026. Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution 907, effective September 2024, requires registration for all hair-styling products, raising entry barriers but legitimizing compliant brands. These overlapping rules escalate R&D costs, extend the time-to-market, and give an advantage to large multinationals with dedicated regulatory affairs teams over smaller innovators.

*Our forecasts treat driver/restraint impacts as directional, not additive. The impact forecasts reflect baseline growth, mix effects, and variable interactions.

Segment Analysis

By Product Type: Perms Outpace Relaxants Despite Smaller Base

In 2025, relaxants accounted for 53.02% of the market, reflecting entrenched demand in regions that favor straight-hair aesthetics. Meanwhile, perms are projected to grow at a 4.68% CAGR through 2031, driven by wave and curl trends amplified on Instagram and TikTok. This divergence highlights a generational shift: older consumers maintain relaxant routines for manageability, whereas younger cohorts seek texture for volume and movement. L’Oréal’s April 2025 patent for an aerosol-based dye system with potential perm applications illustrates the company's investment in delivery innovation to capture faster-growing segments. Regulatory changes, such as Canada’s February 2025 ban on thioglycolic acid esters, are prompting manufacturers to adopt alternative reducing agents like cysteamine or enzymatic processes, aligning with clean-beauty positioning. 

Relaxants face added complexity from litigation over elevated uterine cancer risk, with over 8,500 federal lawsuits creating a margin and marketing overhang, even as TikTok’s #RelaxerTok surpassed 600 million views, demonstrating social-media influence on consumer behavior. Africa remains a growth opportunity, with countries such as Tunisia and Kenya posting ~10% sales growth over five years ending 2022, fueled by expanding middle classes and aspirational views of texture management. Strategically, relaxant brands must balance legacy formulations for mature markets with reformulated, formaldehyde-free variants tailored to regions with tightening regulations.

By Form: Gels Gain as Precision Application Reduces Irritation

In 2025, creams and lotions accounted for 61.05% of the perms and relaxants market, driven by the ease of application, consumer familiarity, and salon preference for thick consistencies that minimize dripping and uneven coverage. Gels, however, are projected to grow at 3.58% CAGR through 2031, the fastest among form segments, as precision-targeting formulations reduce scalp contact and irritation. EU Regulation 1223/2009 permits higher concentrations of thioglycolic acid for professional use, and gel formats enable stylists to apply actives to hair shafts while minimizing skin exposure, thereby satisfying both efficacy and safety requirements. Traditional liquid and solution formats, favored for perms due to their rapid penetration, are losing market share amid consumer demand for greater control and increased regulatory scrutiny of volatile organic compounds. 

The rise of gels also aligns with the “skinification” of haircare, where consumers seek formulations incorporating skincare actives such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and glycolic acid; gel systems effectively suspend these hydrophilic ingredients without phase separation. Examples include Unilever’s February 2024 Tresemmé Lamellar Shine, which combines texture modification with shine-enhancing serums for the “glass hair” trend, and L’Oréal’s Colorsonic device, demonstrating that innovative delivery can command premium pricing while bypassing traditional form constraints. The “Other” category, mousses, sprays, and powder-to-liquid systems, remains niche but is attracting R&D investment as brands pursue differentiation in a commoditized market.

By Distribution Channel: Retail Surges as E-Commerce Erodes Salon Gatekeeping

Professional channels accounted for 55.63% of distribution in 2025, supported by consumers’ willingness to pay for expert application in chemical treatments that carry health risks, while retail is projected to grow at a 4.24% CAGR through 2031, driven by e-commerce platforms and direct-to-consumer brands offering instructional content, virtual consultations, and subscription models. Deloitte’s 2024 Consumer Products Outlook found that most personal-care executives plan to expand direct-to-consumer channels, reflecting the advantages of higher margins and richer consumer insights compared with wholesale relationships. Within the retail sector, online stores are the fastest-growing sub-channel, drawing traffic from supermarkets, hypermarkets, and drugstores due to consumer demand for convenience and price transparency. 

Drugstores and pharmacies maintain their relevance by positioning perms and relaxants alongside dermatologist-recommended haircare, leveraging trust signals that are unavailable to pure-play e-tailers. Meanwhile, convenience stores capture impulse and top-up purchases in emerging markets with low salon density. The strategic challenge lies in managing channel conflict: salons resist brands that undercut their pricing, yet manufacturers require retail volume to amortize R&D investments. L’Oréal’s Colorsonic exemplifies one approach, combining premium pricing with direct-to-consumer availability that salons cannot easily replicate, while ingredient bifurcation, offering higher-concentration actives to professionals and milder formulations to retail, leverages regulatory allowances such as the EU’s tiered thioglycolic acid limits.

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific accounted for 34.05% of the perms and relaxants market in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 3.92% CAGR through 2031, the fastest among regions, driven by rising disposable incomes, a youthful, influencer-guided demographic, and regulatory frameworks in China and Japan that support ingredient innovation. China’s NMPA expanded its cosmetic-ingredient database from 2,234 to 3,608 entries in February 2025 and offers subsidies of RMB 5 million for demonstration zones and RMB 1 million per new ingredient, incentivizing localized R&D. Japan updated its Standards of Quasi-drug Ingredients in March 2025, while South Korea issued usage precautions for eyelash perm products in September 2024, reflecting proactive consumer-safety measures. 

North America and Europe face contrasting dynamics: the U.S. FDA’s proposed formaldehyde ban remains unpublished after multiple delays, while California and Maryland have implemented state-level bans effective in 2025. NIH studies linking frequent straightener use to uterine cancer have fueled over 8,500 lawsuits, creating litigation overhangs that constrain marketing and innovation. Europe enforces Regulation 1223/2009, limiting thioglycolic acid to 8% for general use and 11% for professional applications, with France banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by early 2026, while Canada prohibited thioglycolic acid esters in February 2025, collectively increasing reformulation demands and reputational risk. 

South America, the Middle East, and Africa offer growth opportunities amid enforcement challenges: Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution 907 mandates product registration and bans animal testing, though illicit products remain prevalent; Godrej, L’Oréal Dark & Lovely, and Namaste’s ORS Olive Oil dominate African haircare, while the Middle East, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, sees rising beauty spending driven by female workforce participation, despite limited market-size transparency.

Regulatory Landscape

Ingredient-safety enforcement is tightening around formaldehyde (and formaldehyde-releasing chemistries) and key reducing agents used in straightening and perming, increasing compliance complexity across major markets. In the United States, MoCRA shapes federal oversight, while hair-smoothing and straightening requirements are also being driven by a state-by-state patchwork: California’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act has been in effect since January 1, 2025, and Maryland enacted prohibitions on cosmetics with intentionally added formaldehyde/paraformaldehyde effective July 1, 2026. Washington State has also set a ban on multiple formaldehyde-releasing chemicals for manufacturers effective January 1, 2027, with retailer sell-through to January 1, 2028. Alongside these restrictions, OSHA guidance for hair salons continues to influence professional-use handling practices for products that can release formaldehyde when heated.

In Europe, the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 remains the core framework shaping permitted concentration limits and labeling requirements for cosmetic ingredients relevant to perms and relaxants. An additional compliance inflection point came with Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/78, effective May 1, 2026, which restricts certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction (CMR) in cosmetic products, pushing manufacturers to strengthen toxicological substantiation and accelerate reformulation. In Canada, the February 2025 addition of thioglycolic acid esters to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist prohibited list directly affects perm formulations and reinforces the broader shift toward alternative actives and tighter ingredient screening across North America and Europe.

Market Opportunities and Future Outlook

Regulatory divergence and delayed federal action are opening whitespace for compliance-forward formulations, professional protocols, and clearer claims backed by testing. In the United States, the FDA has not finalized its proposed approach to prohibiting formaldehyde/formaldehyde-releasing ingredients in hair-smoothing products, after missing its December 2025 target for a proposed rulemaking milestone, while state actions, including California’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act effective since January 2025 and Maryland’s restrictions effective July 1, 2026, require multi-SKU strategies. California SB 236 (2025-2026) adds another pathway toward stricter oversight by mapping third-party laboratory accreditation for relaxer testing by January 1, 2028 and directing regulations by January 1, 2030, which raises the value of validated test methods, supply-chain documentation, and product substantiation that can support claims across channels and jurisdictions.

Technology-led differentiation is also emerging in lower-damage texture modification, particularly where traditional reduction/oxidation systems face scrutiny. Patent activity points to alternative pathways: L’Oréal secured US Patent 12,324,849 B2 (reported July 2025) describing a keratin fiber reshaping process using magnesium gluconate and heat without traditional reduction or oxidation steps. Other published applications describe alkanolamine-based systems and cysteamine/cysteine approaches that streamline processing steps. Together, these signals support premium positioning around damage mitigation and can be reinforced through professional training, device-assisted application, and post-treatment bond-repair routines.