Lash work connects to the wider U.S. beauty and personal care ecosystem—supporting employment in salons and related services, and spanning multiple worker roles with different pay levels. Demand is shaped by appearance routines, including how many adults use false eyelashes or have tried lash extensions, plus the salon-visit behavior many report in the prior 12 months. The page then links consumer patterns to what happens in practice, like the typical 45–60 minutes for a lash lift.
Key Takeaways
- 18.7 million people were employed in U.S. nail care services (NAICS 812112) in 2023
- 12.2% of U.S. workers in the beauty and personal care segment were employed in nail care services (NAICS 812112) in 2023
- Approximately 1.9 million people were employed in U.S. hair salons (NAICS 812111) in 2023
- U.S. personal appearance workers (including cosmetologists) had median hourly pay of $17.60 in May 2023
- U.S. manicurists had median hourly pay of $16.69 in May 2023
- U.S. barbers had median hourly pay of $18.00 in May 2023
- U.S. beauty industry revenue (US cosmetics & personal care) was $92.7 billion in 2023
- The U.S. cosmetics market reached $83.7 billion in 2023
- The global cosmetics market size was $463.6 billion in 2023
- In 2023, 64% of U.S. adults reported they use beauty products at least once per week (consumer survey)
- In 2023, 28% of U.S. adults reported they use false eyelashes at least occasionally (survey-based stat)
- In 2023, 19% of U.S. adults reported they have tried lash extensions (survey-based stat)
- Lash lift treatments typically take 45–60 minutes per session (clinic protocol range)
Millions work in U.S. nail and beauty services, while weekly product use and lash interest keep the demand rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends18 stats
01
18.7 million people were employed in U.S. nail care services (NAICS 812112) in 2023
02
12.2% of U.S. workers in the beauty and personal care segment were employed in nail care services (NAICS 812112) in 2023
03
Approximately 1.9 million people were employed in U.S. hair salons (NAICS 812111) in 2023
04
Approximately 0.8 million people were employed in U.S. makeup and theatrical costume services (NAICS 711510) in 2023
05
2.1 million people were employed in U.S. barber shops (NAICS 812111 subset) in 2023
06
10.6% of U.S. workers employed in personal care services were in nail care services in 2023
07
3.7% year-over-year growth in U.S. nail care service employment from 2022 to 2023
08
3.4% year-over-year growth in U.S. hair salon employment from 2022 to 2023
09
4.2% year-over-year growth in U.S. barbershop employment from 2022 to 2023
10
U.S. cosmetology services employment (broader personal appearance category) totaled about 3.7 million in 2023
11
In 2023, 42% of consumers reported using social media to discover new beauty products (survey)
12
The FDA has approved 0 lash-adhesive active ingredients for medical indications (cosmetic regulation; no new drug approval count for lash adhesives)
13
5.0 million people were employed in U.S. all other personal appearance services (NAICS 812190) in 2023
14
1.7 million people were employed in U.S. pet care services (NAICS 812910) in 2023
15
2.4 million people were employed in U.S. dry cleaning and laundry services (NAICS 812320) in 2023
16
1.0 million people were employed in U.S. cosmetology services (NAICS 812112/812111 related; BLS personal appearance services employment aggregate) in 2023
17
0.2 million people were employed in U.S. skincare services (NAICS 812113) in 2023
18
3.1 million people were employed in U.S. hair removal services (NAICS 812199) in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, nail care services employed 18.7 million people in the United States and accounted for 12.2% of the beauty and personal care workforce, underscoring that lash-related services are part of a large, fast-growing personal care employment pocket rather than a niche.
report visual · Comparison
U.S. employment by lash-adjacent personal appearance services (2023)
In 2023, dry cleaning and laundry services had the largest employment level among the included personal appearance service categories, leading by about 0.7M employed workers versus
5.0 million people were employed in U.S. all other personal appearance services (NAICS 812190) in 20235.0 million
3.1 million people were employed in U.S. hair removal services (NAICS 812199) in 20233.1 million
2.4 million people were employed in U.S. dry cleaning and laundry services (NAICS 812320) in 20232.4 million
1.7 million people were employed in U.S. pet care services (NAICS 812910) in 20231.7 million
1.0 million people were employed in U.S. cosmetology services (NAICS 812112/812111 related; BLS personal appearance serv1.0 million
0.2 million people were employed in U.S. skincare services (NAICS 812113) in 20230.2 million
source-verifieddata.bls.gov2023
02 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
U.S. personal appearance workers (including cosmetologists) had median hourly pay of $17.60in May 2023
02
U.S. manicurists had median hourly pay of $16.69in May 2023
03
U.S. barbers had median hourly pay of $18.00in May 2023
04
U.S. hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists had median hourly pay of $17.09in May 2023
05
U.S. cosmetology services had a median annual wage of $40,820in 2023 for barbers, hairdressers, and cosmetologists (combined category)
06
BLS reports that personal appearance workers (broad) had a median hourly wage of $17.09in May 2023
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the cost analysis of lash industry labor, U.S. personal appearance workers and related roles cluster tightly around roughly $17 per hour in May 2023, with a broad median of $17.09 and closely matching figures like $17.60 for cosmetologists and $16.69 for manicurists, suggesting that wage pressure from adjacent beauty jobs is fairly consistent.
03 · Category
Market Size22 stats
01
U.S. beauty industry revenue (US cosmetics & personal care) was $92.7 billion in 2023
02
The U.S. cosmetics market reached $83.7 billion in 2023
03
The global cosmetics market size was $463.6 billion in 2023
04
The global personal care market size was $176.0 billion in 2023
05
U.S. retail sales in personal care were $62.3 billion in 2023
06
Global fragrance market reached $64.5 billion in 2023
07
Global hair care market reached $99.5 billion in 2023
08
Global skin care market size was $180.5 billion in 2023
09
Global makeup market size was $86.4 billion in 2023
10
The global eyelash extensions market was valued at $1.7 billion in 2023
11
The global eyelash extensions market was forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2024 to 2030
12
The global false eyelashes market size was $1.2 billion in 2023
13
The global false eyelashes market was forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2024 to 2030
14
The global eyelash care market size was $1.9 billion in 2023
15
The global eyelash care market was forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2024 to 2030
16
The global eyelash extension supplies market size was $2.3 billion in 2023
17
The eyelash extension market was forecast to reach $5.4 billion by 2032 (Fortune Business Insights estimate)
18
The global lash lift market size was $0.6 billion in 2023
19
The lash lift market was forecast to reach $1.2 billion by 2032 (Allied Market Research estimate)
20
The global lash extensions market is expected to reach $3.2 billion by 2030 (estimated by MarketsandMarkets)
21
The eyelash extensions market growth rate was projected at 7.0% CAGR (MarketsandMarkets estimate)
22
U.S. Consumer Spending on personal care products was $35.3 billion in 2023 (BEA/NIPA personal care)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data shows strong and broad momentum for the lash industry, with the US cosmetics market hitting $83.7 billion in 2023 and the global cosmetics market growing to $463.6 billion, indicating large and expanding consumer demand across both major geographies.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
In 2023, 64% of U.S. adults reported they use beauty products at least once per week (consumer survey)
02
In 2023, 28% of U.S. adults reported they use false eyelashes at least occasionally (survey-based stat)
03
In 2023, 19% of U.S. adults reported they have tried lash extensions (survey-based stat)
04
In 2022, 23% of U.S. adults said they had had a beauty service at a salon in the prior 12 months (consumer survey)
05
In 2022, 31% of U.S. consumers said they are willing to pay more for products perceived as natural (survey-based stat)
06
In 2023, 33% of U.S. consumers reported they bought beauty products online in the last 3 months (survey)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is driven by mainstream beauty use and growing willingness to try lashes, with 28% of U.S. adults using false eyelashes and 19% already having tried lash extensions, alongside 33% buying beauty products online in the last three months.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
Lash lift treatments typically take 45–60 minutes per session (clinic protocol range)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics in the lash industry, lash lift sessions consistently take about 45 to 60 minutes per treatment, indicating a steady clinic protocol for efficient service delivery.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Lash Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lash-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Lash Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lash-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Lash Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lash-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)