Yelp’s 2023 Beauty and Wellness Trends

Yelp data uncovers hot new trends in beauty, hair care, skin care, and fitness.

In 2022, many of us got our lips plumped and blushed, nailed the almond-shaped manicures, and even helped usher in the return of the mullet and curtain bangs. With less than two months before the new year, you might be ready to try something new. Want to get ahead? Today, we reveal 8 beauty and wellness trends we expect to be big in 2023.

To help you navigate next year’s hottest beauty trends, Yelp tapped its team of Data Scientists, Community Managers, and Trend Expert Tara Lewis, to see which beauty and wellness trends are about to fill up everyone’s social media news feed. We looked at millions of reviews for words, phrases, and businesses that saw significant interest across beauty and active life categories between 2021 and 2022, in order to zero in on what to watch for next year. 

Our predictions? Get familiar with butterfly haircuts, swap your cycling workout with a stretch class, and grab a paddle for pickleball, to name a few. And if you’re looking to freshen up your locks naturally, don’t worry—new clean-beauty treatments will be trending, as well.

Whether you’re on the hunt for your next great beauty routine, a hot new fitness trend, or simply want to schedule a weekend of self-care, keep scrolling to discover our predictions for the coming year. And see all the 2023 beauty, food, and home trends here.

Hailey Bieber’s Met Gala look was outshined by her glistening set of glazed donut nails, with a milky white base and shiny chrome top coat. Since then, nail artists around the country, like the technicians at Nails Chic in Boca Raton, Florida, have invested in chrome powder as searches for “donut nails” spiked 125%.

Social media is touting hair care remedies—such as rice water, rosemary oil, scalp serums, and other clean-beauty formulations—to promote hair growth, conditioning, and brilliant shine. Some people are looking to Yelp for professional services that can help freshen up their locks. Searches for scalp treatments were up 74%. Hair care businesses like Blow Me Away Organic Salon & Head Spa in Los Angeles, with 4.5 stars and more than 300 reviews, specialize in natural beauty techniques—including Japanese head spa methods, which combine a relaxing massage and aromatherapy with customized scalp treatments.

In the year ahead, expect to see high-intensity workouts give way to lower-impact exercises, such as Pilates and yoga, with a focus on mobility and stretching. Yelp data shows searches for stretching and stretching workouts are up 61%. Users are getting their stretches in at popular spots like New York Pilates, Venice’s StretchLab, and other top fitness studios around the country.

The centuries-old practice of Gua Sha, a lymphatic massage that drains excess fluid from the face using a stone tool and lifting motions, has made its way to phone screens everywhere. While massages and beauty products (such as contour sticks) can give the appearance of a sharper jawline, some people are turning to medical spas to achieve this look more permanently. Searches for refined jawlines are up 37%.

The butterfly haircut—a term coined by celebrity stylist Sunnie Brook—gives a new twist on the once-popular Farrah Fawcett layers. Searches for “butterfly haircut” were up 55%, as Yelp users look for the best place to get the perfect low-commitment style. Beauty salons, like Spoke & Weal in Los Angeles, are helping people achieve this iconic look. 

Pickleball took the world by storm this year, and by some accounts, it’s the fastest-growing sport (and fitness trend) in the country. Celebrities like Tom Brady and LeBron James are now playing and investing in the game, which combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Searches for the best pickleball courts are up by 70%. We expect to see more courts and offerings in the year ahead.

Board games and tabletop games rose in popularity during the pandemic, as many looked for fun at-home activities. Now, consumers are eager to enjoy their favorite games while out and about. With searches for tabletop games up 106% since last year, Yelpers are looking for board game bars, cafes, and kid-friendly restaurants, like The Game Parlour in San Francisco, in the year ahead. 

The game of bingo has long been a favorite pastime. In the year ahead, variations of the beloved game—drag bingo, bar bingo—are popping up across the country at businesses like Happy Camper in Chicago and Nellie’s Sports Bar in Washington, DC. Yelp users want to join in on the fun, with searches for bingo up 199%.

—Cover photo: Courtesy of Beauty Bar Medical Clinic, West Hollywood, California