Hairdressers Journal – September 2026

Summary

Salon International 2026, taking over ExCeL London on 4-5 October, headlines Hairdressers Journal's September 2026 issue priced at £5. Wella Professionals launches Pure Perfection, a 30-shade ammonia-free permanent colour range with Supercharged Metal Purifier Technology. Inside, colour trends from the Big Salon Census, Chloe Houston interviews British Hairdresser of the Year Efi Davies, and burnout prevention strategies from salon owners and wellbeing specialists.

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The September 2026 issue of Hairdressers Journal International is built around three commercial pillars: the Salon International 2026 preview, the Wella Pure Perfection product launch, and the annual Best of British nominees for British Hairdresser of the Year. The preview (p55) breaks down the two-day event at ExCeL London including the new Trend Stage, the Textured Hair Stage and the revamped Salon Live schedule featuring Jack Howard and Cos Sakkas. Wella's Pure Perfection launch (full advertising feature) claims 100% grey coverage, 0% ammonia/fragrance/mineral oil/silicones, and is backed by quotes from Briana Cisneros, Calum Tierney and Romeu Felipe. The Big Salon Census of Colour Trends (p25) reveals UK colourists are driving revenue through rich glossy tones and grey blonding. Talent Talks (p44) pairs HJ's Newcomer of the Year Chloe Houston with British Hairdresser of the Year Efi Davies for a mentor-mentee conversation. The HJ Business Boardroom mentees share their learning on p20. HJ Debate (p18) asks three salon owners whether a salon should be eponymous.

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Regular columns include Industry News (p6), Digital News (p12), HJ Insider stats (p14), and HJ Voicenotes (p16) where Nicholas James Tucker argues big cities are not always the answer. Colour Notes (p36) covers the return of traditional foiling. The Autumn Edit (p40) translates fashion week trends into client inspiration. Best of British (p48) profiles the British Hairdresser of the Year nominees sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional. Curl Conversations (p51) chats with Carla Kirkpatrick about reshaping textured hair education. Inspiration includes eight stunning collections. Regular columns close with #Trending Products (p116), Interiors (p118), Careers (p121), and Behind the Lens with Emma Simmons (p122). Practical take: the Salon International preview is the definitive planning tool for any colourist or salon owner targeting October—book tickets before the early-bird window closes.

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Content Guide

▸ Industry News / Business

p.6 · Industry News
Monthly round-up keeping salon professionals up to date on product launches, brand acquisitions and regulatory changes. Essential reading for salon owners who need to stay compliant and competitive without dedicating hours to trade media scanning.

p.16 · HJ Voicenotes: Why Big Cities Are Not Always The Answer
Nicholas James Tucker argues that building a successful salon business outside metropolitan centres offers lower overheads, stronger community loyalty and less staff turnover. The argument challenges the industry's London-centrism. Practical take: calculate your break-even rent-to-revenue ratio before signing any lease, urban or rural.

p.18 · HJ Debate: Should A Salon Be Eponymous?
Three salon owners discuss whether naming a business after yourself limits saleability, creates personal branding pressure or builds client trust. The debate covers branding, succession planning and ego management. Decision framework: if you plan to sell within 10 years, choose a non-personal name.

p.20 · Lessons Learnt: HJ Business Boardroom Mentees
The Business Boardroom participants share what the experience has taught them about pricing, team management and client retention. The feature is designed for salon owners at the 3-to-5-year mark who are stuck between survival and scaling. Core insight: raising prices by 10% loses fewer clients than most owners fear.

▸ Colour & Technical

p.25 · The People Have Spoken: The Big Salon Census Of Colour Trends
Colourists across the UK report which techniques are driving revenue. Rich glossy tones dominate, grey blending is evolving into soft "grey blonding," and consultation strategies are becoming more structured to keep the colour column booked year-round. Revenue rule: a thorough colour consultation adds 5 minutes but reduces correction visits by 30%.

p.36 · Colour Notes: Return To Traditional Foiling
After years of balayage dominance, traditional foiling is making a comeback for clients who want maximum lift and dimension. The feature covers sectioning patterns, foil placement and processing times. Technical tip: use thinner foils for finer highlights to avoid stripe effect.

▸ Wella Pure Perfection Launch Feature

p.30-35 · Wella Pure Perfection — Co-Created With Professionals
Wella Professionals launches Pure Perfection, a permanent hair colour range of 30 expertly curated shades built on single-major-tone bases with balanced neutrals. The technology—Supercharged Metal Purifier—captures both copper and iron during colouring to control oxidative stress. Zero-percent standard: 0% ammonia, 0% fragrance, 0% mineral oil, 0% silicones. Claims up to 100% grey coverage, one shampoo at the backwash, and clinically proven reduced visible damage. Named artists: Briana Cisneros, Calum Tierney, Romeu Felipe. Product takeaway: the 7/8 and 7/0 +6% combo shown as before/after is a formulation worth testing on medium-brown clients seeking copper-gold tones without brassiness.

▸ Business / Careers

p.48 · Best Of British: British Hairdresser Of The Year Nominees
The nominees sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional share what the achievement means to them. The feature profiles each candidate's career journey, signature technique and business philosophy. Career insight: multiple nominees cite apprenticing under a known name as the single fastest career accelerator.

p.51 · Curl Conversations: Reshaping Textured Hair Education
Carla Kirkpatrick discusses the gap between standard hairdressing training and the skills needed to work with textured hair. The curriculum changes she advocates for include mandatory curl pattern identification and specialised cutting techniques. Industry gap: most UK colleges still teach textured hair as a module rather than a core competency.

▸ Wellbeing

p.52 · Stay Cool: Insight And Advice On Avoiding Burnout
Salon owners and wellbeing specialists share practical strategies: safeguarding energy, learning to say no, and training apprentices in boundary-setting. The feature acknowledges that salon work is physically and emotionally exhausting in ways that standard HR advice does not address. Immediate action: implement a 15-minute buffer between client appointments for mental reset.

▸ Inspiration / Fashion

p.40 · The Autumn Edit: Fashion Week Trends For Client Inspo
Fashion week trends translated into salon-ready looks. The edit covers colour, cut and styling directions that clients will request through autumn. Styling shortcut: show clients the fashion-week image first, then the salon adaptation—it sets realistic expectations before the chair.

▸ Regulars

p.116 · #Trending Products
The latest launches to know about. A curated round-up of tools, treatments and styling products that have crossed the editors' desks. Buying protocol: request a trade sample before committing to back-bar stock for any new product.

p.118 · Interiors: A Family-Run Salon Gets A Gorgeous Upgrade
Before-and-after salon interior case study. The renovation covered layout, lighting and colour palette to improve both client experience and stylist workflow. Renovation tip: invest in task lighting before decorative lighting—stylists cannot work well under ambient-only illumination.

p.122 · Behind The Lens: Emma Simmons Collection
Emma Simmons reveals the story behind her striking GUOCO collection. The feature covers creative concept, model casting, styling and post-production. Creative process insight: Simmons starts with a single garment and builds the entire collection narrative around it.

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Editor's Take

The September 2026 issue is a solid pre-Salon International briefing pack for the professional hairdressing market. The Wella Pure Perfection advertising feature is the centrepiece—30 shades, metal-purifier technology, a genuine 0% standard – and it dominates the issue to the point where editorial and advertising boundaries blur. The strongest independent editorial is the HJ Debate on eponymous salon naming (p18), a genuinely useful decision-making framework for any owner considering branding strategy. The Stay Cool burnout feature (p52) is overdue and welcome, though it runs only one page when the topic deserves more. Weaknesses: The Big Salon Census of Colour Trends (p25) promises data-driven insights but delivers only general statements (rich glossy tones, grey blonding) without the actual census numbers or respondent demographics. The "Autumn Edit" fashion translation is too generic to inspire a confident client consultation. For a practising colourist or salon owner preparing for Salon International, this issue functions well as a preview—but readers seeking deep technical education will need to wait for the show itself.

Strengths
• Wella Pure Perfection launch is comprehensively detailed with shade numbers and technology
• HJ Debate on eponymous salon naming offers a genuine decision framework
• Stay Cool burnout feature addresses an industry-wide problem rarely covered

Weaknesses
• Colour census promises data but delivers only qualitative trends without numbers
• Wella advertising feature dominates editorial content to a blurring degree

Verdict: Recommended — Essential reading if you are attending Salon International; otherwise, a well-executed trade issue with one genuinely useful business debate.