
ASCP, ISPA and PBA Receive 2026 Power of Associations Award for Esthetics Licensure Compact
This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.
While women generally make up a higher percentage of the population in most areas across the nation, only 22 out of 250 metro areas in the U.S. report women under 30 earning the same amount as or more than their male counterparts. A new study by WalletHub names the 10 Best and 10 Worst cities for working women.


In order to determine the best places for women to thrive, WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key indicators of living standards for women.
With the women's labor force participation rate reaching 57.7% in August, the highest it has been since February 2020, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Cities for Women, as well as expert commentary.
To identify the most women-friendly cities, WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from the median earnings for female workers to the quality of women’s hospitals to suicide rates for women.
Columbia, MD
South Burlington, VT
Irvine, CA
Fremont, CA
Santa Clarita, CA
Seattle, WA
Gilbert, AZ
Overland Park, KS
Yonkers, NY
Pearl City, HI
Jackson, MS
Gulfport, MS
Brownsville, TX
Huntington, WV
Shreveport, LA
Augusta, GA
Charleston, WV
Laredo, TX
Mobile, AL
New Orleans, LA
Best Vs. Worst
Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living), $51,526, which is 2.8 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest at $18,351.
Pearl City, Hawaii, has the lowest share of women living in poverty, 4.10 percent, which is eight times lower than in Huntington, West Virginia, the city with the highest at 32.90 percent.
Anchorage, Alaska, has the highest share of women-owned businesses, 26.44 percent, which is 3.9 higher than in Charleston, West Virginia, the city with the lowest at 6.78 percent.
South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest female uninsured rate, 1.80 percent, which is 16.5 times lower than in Brownsville, Texas, the city with the highest at 29.70 percent.
Portland, Maine has the lowest unemployment rate for women, 2.04 percent, which is 6.6 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 13.51 percent
To view the full report and your city's rank, click here.

This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.

In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.

In October, volunteers plan to walk and take the plunge during at the annual event, HairToStay Does the Bay. Find out how you can participate and support the organization that grants subsidies to cancer patients so they can receive cold cap treatments to save their hair during chemotherapy.
At Premiere Orlando 2026, SALON TODAY catches up with Easihair Pro's Angela Gilmore, who talks about why stylists lose clients who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss, and how their new Hairlosophy line can help.

Illuminated Paths is a boxed set of 52 cards, a guidebook, and an Oracolor Wheel, a visual framework that helps readers reconnect with the qualities they want to bring into everyday life.

In this rare essay, the president of a haircare brand takes us behind-the-scenes into a world we never see when we pick up a product off the shelves--the arduous, thought-probing, second-guessing journey of rebranding a legacy product line. Not only is her reflection fascinating, but it is also incredibly useful for any salon owner or manufacturer contemplating their own brand.

Twenty lucky winners will be selected July 30th, and each will be able to choose from three different service tray models.

Motivated by loved ones who have battled cancer, Phorest's Barry Quinn and two friends will embark on a three-day trek to the summit of the highest peak in North Africa in September, raising money for HairToStay. Find out how you can help them.

The company's Back to Business Sweepstakes is a direct investment in the stylists and salon owners who are building something that lasts.

Owners start to worry when a month's sales come up short compared to the same period last year, but that may have more to do with the days in the month than with an actual decline. The KIM Report's Alain Audet points to May 2026 as a prime example.