Salon trends 2026 for salons, barbers and spas in Malaysia
What Malaysian clients search for, and what the best-rated get named for
Every trend list tells you what to add.
Few tell you what clients will judge it on. This one does both: what Malaysians search for more and less in 2026, and what the best-rated salons, barbershops and spas get named for in their reviews.
What are the salon trends 2026 in Malaysia?
Salon trends are services that clients search for more. In Malaysia, head spa searches rose 31% and lymphatic drainage massage 56% in April to September 2026 against 2025 (Google Ads estimates). "No hard selling" is a Google review topic at 25% of the best-rated salons and 6% of the lowest-rated (Highground count, October 2026).
We built this list of salon trends 2026 from two public sources. The first is how often Malaysians search for each service, comparing April to September 2026 with the same months of 2025. Most of these searches come from clients, so they show what clients want.
The second is the public Google ratings of about 1,600 hair and beauty salons, about 1,500 barbershops and about 1,400 massage and spa centres in Malaysia (October 2026). For about 400 salons and about 1,200 spas, Google lists review topics, and we compared the best-rated quarter with the lowest-rated (how we count).
Search numbers are estimates from Google's Keyword Planner, rounded by Google. Read them as a sign of demand, not a count of clients.
| Search | Trade | Apr to Sep 2025 | Apr to Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymphatic drainage massage | Spas | 17,600 | 27,400 | +56% |
| Head spa | Salons, spas | 22,400 | 29,400 | +31% |
| Thai massage | Spas | 206,000 | 243,000 | +18% |
| Textured crop | Barbers | 32,600 | 36,200 | +11% |
| Brow lamination | Salons | 5,640 | 6,180 | +10% |
| Lash lift | Salons | 10,800 | 11,300 | +5% |
| Facial | Salons, spas | 52,200 | 45,600 | -13% |
| Balayage | Salons | 19,500 | 16,100 | -17% |
| Keratin treatment | Salons | 41,100 | 33,600 | -18% |
| Eyelash extension | Salons | 34,800 | 25,800 | -26% |
| Korean perm | Salons, barbers | 25,800 | 18,800 | -27% |
| Low fade | Barbers | 228,200 | 158,800 | -30% |
| Scalp treatment | Salons, spas | 19,500 | 13,400 | -31% |
| Gel nails | Salons | 5,230 | 2,430 | -54% |
Two patterns run through the table. Clients want calm, gentle services more: head spa, lymphatic drainage, lifts instead of extensions. And they search less for last year's names, even when they still want the service.
The rest of this guide takes each trade in turn. Then it shows the habit no trend replaces.
Why is head spa replacing scalp treatment?
Head spa is scalp care sold as calm. Malaysian searches for head spa rose 31% to 29,400, while scalp treatment fell 31% to 13,400 (Google Ads estimates, April to September 2026 against 2025). "Head spa" is a Google review topic at 5% of the best-rated spas and is not among the lowest-rated spas' common topics (Highground count).
Clients still want their scalp looked after. They now search for it under a name that promises a wash, a massage and an hour of quiet, not a clinical fix.
Searches for Korean head spa rose 52%, from 500 to 760, and Japanese head spa rose 13%. Head spa had its busiest month in July 2026, at 5,400 searches.
In salons, the old name shows the opposite pattern. "Scalp treatment" is a review topic at 14% of the lowest-rated salons and 10% of the best-rated. "Head massage" sits at 12% of the lowest-rated against 8% of the best-rated.
Head spa also started showing up in salon reviews in 2025, after barely appearing before. It is new enough that few outlets near you are known for it yet.
This week. If you already offer a scalp treatment, rewrite it as a head spa on your menu and your Google service list. Describe what happens, and for how long: the scalp check, the wash, the massage, the drying. Renaming costs almost nothing.
Worked example. A salon lists "scalp treatment" and a price. The new line reads: "Head spa: scalp check, double wash, head and shoulder massage, blow-dry", with the minutes for each step. Same service, same chair. The client now knows what she is buying.
Which massage and facial services are rising?
Lymphatic drainage and Thai massage are the massage searches on the way up. Malaysian searches rose 56% for lymphatic drainage massage and 18% for Thai massage, April to September 2026 against 2025 (Google Ads estimates). Yet "Thai massage" is a review topic at 20% of the lowest-rated spas (Highground count of about 1,200 spas).
Lymphatic drainage massage searches rose from 17,600 to 27,400, with the busiest month in May 2026. "Lymphatic massage" is a topic at 4% of the best-rated spas and is not among the lowest-rated spas' common topics.
Among about 1,200 spas with a Google price list, about 40 list a facial lymphatic drainage, at a median of RM99. Sell it as a gentle massage, with the steps and the minutes on the menu. Don't promise detox or weight loss. Clients who feel misled say so.
Thai massage is the warning. Searches rose from 206,000 to 243,000, yet "Thai massage" is a topic at 20% of the lowest-rated spas and is not among the best-rated spas' common topics. Foot massage shows the same split: 39% of the lowest-rated, 11% of the best-rated.
The lowest-rated spas are also talked about for "strong massage" (5%) and "pressure" (4%). More demand means more first-time clients, each judging the therapist's pressure and whether a 60-minute session lasts 60 minutes.
| Service | Search change | Spas listing a price | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facial lymphatic drainage | +56% (as lymphatic drainage massage) | about 40 | RM99 |
| Thai massage | +18% | about 50 | RM250 |
| Hydrafacial | +5% | about 60 | RM169 |
| Foot reflexology | -16% | about 30 | RM63 |
| Cupping | -19% | not listed | not listed |
Cupping is the reverse case. Searches fell 19%, yet "cupping" is a topic at 7% of the best-rated spas and 2% of the lowest-rated. A falling search is no reason to drop a service clients praise you for.
Which men's cuts are rising in 2026?
The textured crop is the men's cut gaining ground. Malaysian searches rose 11% to 36,200, while low fade searches fell 30% to 158,800 (Google Ads estimates, April to September 2026 against 2025). In the Google price lists of about 60 barbershops, the median scissor cut costs RM19 (Highground count, October 2026).
| Search | Apr to Sep 2025 | Apr to Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Textured crop | 32,600 | 36,200 | +11% |
| Taper fade | 120,900 | 112,700 | -7% |
| Buzz cut | 297,000 | 243,000 | -18% |
| Two block haircut | 92,100 | 75,800 | -18% |
| Mullet haircut | 168,600 | 134,000 | -21% |
| Korean perm | 25,800 | 18,800 | -27% |
| Low fade | 228,200 | 158,800 | -30% |
The low fade is still searched more than four times as often as the textured crop. So keep fades sharp. The textured crop is the cut to add to every barber's hands.
Korean perm searches fell 27%, and 28% for the men's version. Yet perms show up more often in barbershop reviews each year. The novelty has passed and the service has stayed. Keep it on the menu with a clear price.
Searches for "trend rambut lelaki" rose 12%, and "rambut lelaki 2026" drew 1,750 searches in April to September 2026. Men's haircut searches peak in the Raya month: "gaya rambut lelaki" had its busiest month in March 2026, at 18,100 against an average of 12,050 a month.
These are the median prices barbershops list on Google:
| Service | Barbershops listing it | Median price |
|---|---|---|
| Scissor cut | about 35 | RM19 |
| Hot towel shave | about 20 | RM35 |
| Beard trim | about 40 | RM50 |
| Hair colouring | about 45 | RM150 |
This week. Make sure every barber can cut a textured crop. Add a good photo of one to your Google profile, and plan the Raya rush now.
Which lash, brow and nail services are rising?
Lifts and laminations are rising while extensions slip. Malaysian searches rose 5% for lash lifts and 10% for brow lamination, and fell 26% for eyelash extensions, April to September 2026 against 2025 (Google Ads estimates). The median lash lift costs RM150 in the Google price lists of about 500 salons (Highground count).
Lifts and laminations work with the client's own lashes and brows. Extensions need refills, and gel nails need removal. Clients seem to want less upkeep: gel nail searches fell 54%.
Colour and smoothing are cooling too. Keratin treatment searches fell 18% and balayage 17%. Hair botox rose 23%, from a small base of 1,680 searches.
| Service | Search change | Salons listing a price | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brow lamination | +10% | about 30 | RM180 |
| Lash lift | +5% | about 60 | RM150 |
| Lash perm | not tracked | about 40 | RM120 |
| Eyelash extensions | -26% | about 75 | RM118 |
| Balayage | -17% | about 55 | RM319 |
| Keratin treatment | -18% | about 45 | RM359 |
At those medians, a lash lift earns more per visit than an extension set.
This week. Train one beautician per outlet on lash lifts before you list them. Put the lift and the extension side by side on your price list, with how long each lasts, and let the client choose.
Falling searches don't mean you should drop a service that sells. They mean you shouldn't build your next promotion around it.
Why does no hard selling matter more than any trend?
A new service sells when clients feel free to say no. "No hard selling" is a Google review topic at 25% of Malaysia's best-rated salons and 6% of the lowest-rated, and at 9% of the best-rated spas against 3% (Highground count of about 400 salons and 1,200 spas, October 2026).
Every trend in this guide is a new thing to sell. That is the risk.
A client books a cut. At the basin, she hears about the head spa. At the chair, the lash lift. At the counter, a package with both. Each push feels small to the salon. To her, it is one long pitch.
The clients who stay say the opposite out loud. "No hard sell" adds another 11% of the best-rated salons, against 3% of the lowest-rated. "Skin analysis" (9% against 3%) and "clear explanations" (7% of the best-rated salons) point the same way.
| Topic Google lists for the reviews | Best-rated salons | Lowest-rated salons | Best-rated spas | Lowest-rated spas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No hard selling | 25% | 6% | 9% | 3% |
| Relaxing atmosphere | 10% | 4% | 12% | 7% |
| Skin analysis | 9% | 3% | 4% | not listed |
| Clear explanations | 7% | not listed | 5% | not listed |
So add each trend as a choice on the menu, with a price and a plain explanation. Never push it as a package while the client lies on the bed. Our salon marketing ideas show how the best-rated salons explain instead.
The same goes for reviews of a new service. Never offer a discount or a free add-on for a five-star review. Google's rules on fake engagement ban rewards for reviews.
How do you test a new service at one outlet?
Test a new service for six weeks at one outlet, in quiet hours. Among about 900 Malaysian spas with Google's popular times (Highground count, October 2026), 10am scores about 31 out of 100, against 52.8 at the busiest hour, Tuesday 6pm. Salons peak on Thursday at 3pm (58.4).
A new service slows a chair until staff know it. So book the first trial slots when the outlet is quiet, and keep the peak for what staff do best.
- Train two staff at one outlet before you list anything.
- List it on Google with the time it takes and the price.
- Book trial slots in quiet hours. For spas, mornings at 10am. For salons, evenings after 8pm score lowest.
- Count bookings and repeat bookings each week.
- Read that outlet's reviews every Monday for the service by name, and for any sign of pressure to buy.
- Roll out, change or drop it after six weeks.
Google lets salons, barbers and spas list each service with a description and a price on their Business Profile. The steps are in Google's help page on managing services on your Business Profile.
Our free price list maker builds a clean list for the counter and for Google.
If you run several outlets, Highground reads what clients write about each one and about your rivals, and tells you which outlet to fix. See how it works for salons, spas and barbershops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salon trends 2026: which services are rising in Malaysia?
Head spa (searches up 31%), lash lifts (up 5%) and brow lamination (up 10%) are rising in April to September 2026 against 2025. Eyelash extensions, gel nails, keratin and balayage are falling. The best-rated salons also share one habit: "no hard selling" is a topic at 25% of them.
What are the barbershop trends for 2026?
The textured crop is the rising cut, with searches up 11% in April to September 2026 against 2025. Low fade (down 30%), mullet (down 21%) and Korean perm (down 27%) searches fell, though the low fade is still searched more than four times as often as the textured crop.
Which men's haircuts are rising in Malaysia in 2026?
Searches for "trend rambut lelaki" rose 12%, and "rambut lelaki 2026" drew 1,750 searches in April to September 2026. Among the cuts, the textured crop is rising, while the low fade, mullet, two block and Korean perm are falling. Men's haircut searches peak in the Raya month. The Malay guide trend rambut lelaki 2026 goes cut by cut.
Is head spa worth adding to my salon or spa?
If you already offer scalp care, yes: rename and rewrite it first, which costs almost nothing. Head spa searches rose 31% while scalp treatment searches fell 31%. Train staff before you list it, explain every step, and never push it as a package at the basin.
Keep Reading
- Salon marketing ideas from what Malaysian clients praise
- Barbershop marketing ideas for Malaysian chains
- Spa marketing ideas from Malaysia's best-rated spas
Counted in October 2026 from public Google Maps information for Malaysia: the ratings of about 1,600 salons, 1,500 barbershops and 1,400 massage and spa centres with at least 10 ratings, the review topics Google lists for about 400 salons and 1,200 spas, the price lists of about 500 salons, 1,200 spas and 60 barbershops, and the popular times of about 110 salons and 900 spas. Search figures are Google Ads estimates of monthly searches in Malaysia, April to September 2026 against April to September 2025. How we count.
Free tools: rating check, price rise notice maker, price list maker.