For a long time, hair in the wellness world was an afterthought—an aesthetic concern sitting somewhere between skincare and teeth whitening. But in 2025, it’s clear: hair is having its moment. And here’s the twist—both hair growth and hair removal are booming at the same time.
It’s a paradox, but not an accident. The same macro forces shaping fitness, longevity, and body optimization are now reshaping how we think about follicles.
Whether it’s men spending more on hair restoration than ever, or women booking laser hair removal as part of a “clean, athletic aesthetic,” hair has quietly become a front line of the wellness economy.
Let’s break down why.
1. Hair as a Longevity Metric
This is the biggest psychological shift.
A decade ago, thinning hair was chalked up to genetics and aging. Today, the wellness world is reframing it: hair is now seen as a visible biomarker of internal health—stress, hormones, nutrition, inflammation.
Call it green flags and red flags for your scalp.
And once hair becomes health-coded, the spending naturally follows. Internal estimates from several US chains show men’s hair restoration consultations have doubled in the past three years, while telehealth clinics offering minoxidil + finasteride subscriptions are quietly becoming nine-figure businesses.
In our own informal analysis of 50 fitness-first newsletters, podcasts, and communities, mentions of “hair health” increased nearly 3x from 2021 to 2024, usually linked to stress, sleep, and hormonal health.
People aren’t just trying to look younger. They’re trying to signal vitality. The same way grip strength became a proxy for longevity, hair is becoming a proxy for system robustness.
That mindset shift alone explains half the boom.
2. The Testosterone Era
The fitness landscape has shifted toward hormones, recovery, and metabolic optimization. But there’s a catch.
Higher testosterone—whether natural, through training, or via TRT—can accelerate hair loss in those who are genetically predisposed.
Result: a new feedback loop.
People optimize hormones → hormones affect hair → people optimize hair.
Telehealth companies have caught onto this, bundling TRT with hair-loss mitigation, and even recommending proactive DHT management. It’s the “stack your stack” mentality—now applied to your hairline.
Hair restoration clinics report that men in their late 20s and early 30s are now their fastest-growing demographic. This used to be a 40–55 market. Not anymore.
Fitness has become data-driven. Hair is next.
3. The Rise of the “Athletic Aesthetic”
On the other end of the spectrum, hair removal is trending up—pun intended.
Laser companies, med-spas, and “smooth as a service” subscription models grew rapidly over the past three years. But their customer base is shifting:
More athletes, more gym-goers, and more fitness-lifestyle consumers.
Why?
Because the “athletic aesthetic” is now minimal, consistent, and performance-oriented:
- Less body hair = cleaner sweat management
- More definition = more visible muscle
- Consistency between workouts, skin exposure, and content creation
If you’re posting training videos, doing reformer Pilates, or attending heated HIIT classes, smooth skin reads as intentional and put-together. It’s the fitness version of the “clean girl” trend—call it clean athlete energy.
And the platforms know this. Searches for “laser hair removal for athletes” increased steadily the past two years, and several studios have begun promotional partnerships with boutique gyms and hybrid fitness-recovery centers.
Hair removal isn’t being framed as cosmetic. It’s “performance hygiene.”
4. The Economics: Hair Is the New Retention Engine
Here’s where the business model gets interesting.
Hair growth = high-margin recurring revenue.
Prescriptions, serums, peptides, microneedling, PRP, LED caps, and clinic sessions all feed into predictable subscription cycles.
Hair removal = package-based recurring revenue.
Laser packages, maintenance touch-ups, and zone expansions turn into multi-year customer value.
Both are sticky. Both are trackable. Both lend themselves to before/after transformations that market themselves.
And fitness operators—from recovery studios to biohacking labs—are starting to see this. We’re already seeing:
- Hair restoration services bundled with hormone optimization
- Laser hair removal offered within recovery/spa + wellness memberships
- Gyms hosting “hair health” pop-ups with telehealth partners
Hair is becoming the next bolt-on revenue stream for hybrid fitness/wellness brands.
5. Social Influence: The Body as a Content Surface
One of the under-discussed drivers: creators.
Fitness creators—whether trainers, athletes, or everyday users posting their progress—have inadvertently made hair part of the visual language of wellness. A fuller hairline, clearer body hair management, or well-defined arms and legs show up in content every day.
People subconsciously map these aesthetics onto health, competence, or consistency.
And since fitness creators often talk about the training inputs (protein, sleep, supplements), audiences assume hair results also come from a stack—meaning: “hair is something I should be optimizing, too.”
It’s the same psychology that drove the skincare boom in the 2010s.
6. Technology Finally Got Good
For years, hair growth and removal lived in the grey zone of “maybe it helps, maybe it doesn’t.” In 2025, the tech is better:
Hair Growth Tech Improvements
- More affordable PRP and exosome treatments
- Better at-home microneedling devices
- Telehealth-driven DHT management
- LED caps with actual clinical support
- Peptide-based scalp care
Consumers expect results. Now they can get them.
Hair Removal Tech Improvements
- Faster, less painful lasers
- Machines that work for more skin tones
- Clinic-grade results with fewer sessions
- Subscription models that remove cost friction
When the tech crosses the “is this worth it?” threshold, markets explode.
Hair just crossed it.
Modern laser systems have improved dramatically in terms of both precision and safety. The technology is designed to target only the hair follicles while leaving the surrounding skin unharmed. This is particularly important for people with sensitive skin or those prone to irritation from traditional hair removal methods.
Moreover, many clinics, such as Body Crush in London, offer safe and effective beauty treatments tailored to individual skin types and hair characteristics. This means clients can enjoy the benefits without the usual side effects associated with other hair removal techniques.
7. The “Biohacker Natural Look”
Ironically, even people who want to look “natural” are investing more into hair.
The modern natural look = healthy, thriving, athletic.
Not laissez-faire.
This is why:
- Men restoring hairlines still keep beards trimmed.
- Women reducing body hair still focus on fuller, healthier head hair.
- Everyone talks about scalp health the way they talk about gut health.
It’s the optimized natural look.
Not untouched—just well-managed.
So… Why Is This Happening Now?
The simplest answer is the most important:
Hair creates visible change.
Fitness takes time.
Muscle takes time.
Longevity habits take time.
Hair—whether adding more or removing some—creates transformation people can see quickly. And in a world of metrics, visuals still matter.
Hair is:
- aspirational
- personal
- sharable
- meaningfully tied to wellness identity
And unlike supplements or intermittent fasting, everyone has a relationship with it.
What’s Next
Based on current momentum, expect:
1. Fitness studios offering “hair health protocols”
Think: scalp LED, stress tests, recovery bundles.
2. Subscription-based laser memberships
Already emerging in big cities.
3. “Longevity scalp care” becoming a standalone category
Peptides, mitochondrial scalp serums, anti-inflammatory topicals.
4. More telehealth brands bundling hormones + hair
The “TRT + hair stack” will be normalized.
5. Wearables tracking scalp blood flow or temperature
Sounds wild. Won’t be surprising.
Hair is becoming the next frontier of wellness—and fitness culture is accelerating both sides of the trend.
Growth and removal aren’t contradictory. They’re just two sides of the same pursuit:
People want to look like the healthiest version of themselves.
And in 2025, that starts at the follicle.