All about lighting for hairdressing salons

In brief:

Light is very complicated. To make it as easy as possible, our recommendation is to shop lighting here, as the models are always up to date. If you need help, you can get it here. If you want to see different hairdresser lighting in real life, you can book yourself in here. If you want to learn a lot, read on below.

Good lighting is your friend

The first thing a customer notices – without knowing it – is the light in the room. The colors in the mirror, their own skin tone, the shine in the hair, and the atmosphere in the room are determined by how your lighting distributes lumen, color temperature, and contrast. Yet lighting often ends up as the last thing to be “fixed” – with a quick webshop order of cheap spots from a 100-year-old electrical company offering them at 90% discount. Do yourself a favor: buy professional hairdresser lighting.

3 types of lighting in salons

Basic lighting

Basic lighting corresponds to the canvas you paint on. It must cover the entire floor area without dark zones, so both hairdresser and customer can orient themselves. In practice, this means built-in LED panels or slim track models. The Sun LED panel is a popular choice because it delivers over 90 CRI and a neutral 3,000–3,200 K color temperature, which suits most salons. Find it under the link at the top. Place the panels in a uniform pattern, preferably 120–150 cm apart, depending on the ceiling height. The ceiling height affects how far the light reaches and thus how far apart the panels should be.

Professional lighting

Many hairdressers experience that the customer's face suddenly appears “flatter” or the hair color more dull with cheap LED; the cause is almost always low CRI and a bluish spectrum. Choose fewer, but professional lights instead. Directly above each chair — ideally 100–110 cm from the wall and right in the middle of the chair — hangs your most important light source: a linear LED bar with high color rendering, e.g. Sunbeam LED. Here you require CRI > 95, because even the smallest nuances and color differences in ash blonde vs. sand blonde otherwise get lost. The professional lighting should provide 700–1,000 lux at hair working height without glare. Many choose spot lighting for the work area, as the LED is more compact and therefore gives a more precise result than an LED bar. The downside of spots is that if they are not positioned correctly, you can glare the customer or yourself and the chance of harsh – not flattering – shadows is high.

Spotlight / Spot lighting

Once the foundation is laid, you create depth with spots on a track, e.g. the Track rail with Sun Spots. Aim the spotlight at product shelves, plants, or art to draw the eye. The main rule is to place the spot as high and far from the object as the ceiling allows, then point the light inward: this minimizes sharp shadows and avoids glaring either the customer or hairdresser. Spots can of course also be used as professional lighting.

Mood lighting

Light is also the feeling of well-being. At the reception, in the lounge area, or over the washing station, a decorative pendant can create calm and identity. Remember to choose a dimmable model so the light can be turned down during relaxing scalp massages.

Technology for nerds (and cool hairdressers)

CRI – Colour Rendering Index

CRI indicates how accurately a light source reproduces colors compared to natural daylight. The scale goes from 0 to 100, where 100 is daylight.

• Under 80 = problems
• 90 = good
• 95+ = really good

For hair color, we never recommend below 90, and for advanced color work, 95+ is ideal.

Kelvin (K) – color temperature

3,000–3,200 K is the way forward. If you go down to 2,700 K, the tone becomes very golden; if you go above 4,000 K, the room feels cool and clinical – rarely flattering for the skin.

Lux

• 300–500 lux in basic lighting
• 700–1,000 lux in the work area
• 150–300 lux in lounge/reception, but preferably dimmable down to 50 lux for spa atmosphere.

LED vs. halogen

Halogen and energy-saving bulbs emit about 90% heat and only 10% light. LED uses the opposite logic: 90% of the energy becomes light. This means you can cut your electricity bill by up to 70% by switching fully to LED. The lifespan of 50,000+ hours corresponds to eight years of operation. At the same time, you avoid UV damage to color bottles and product boxes.

Placement – mistakes we often see

1. Lamps right behind the hairdresser’s neck. Result: your own shadow covers the customer's hair. Move the light up just above the customer chair.
2. Spot points straight into the mirror. Result: the customer gets light directly in the eyes. Tilt the spot away and let it hit the shelf under the mirror instead.
3. Track too close to the wall. Less than 90 cm from the wall creates tunnel-like shadow behind the customer. Keep 100–110 cm.
4. One strong pendant as basic lighting. Creates strong shadows and exaggerated contrasts.

Maintenance – light fades slowly

LED typically drops 15–20% in lumen over the first 30,000 hours. Do an annual check: Is the basic lighting still bright enough? Do all drivers work? Clean dust on spots and panels; a thin layer of dust can remove up to 10% of the light.

Budget and financing

A complete lighting setup for a medium-sized salon can add up – especially if you also need an electrician to install everything. Many choose leasing. The monthly savings on electricity can actually cover much of the payment. At the same time, you get new lamps now, instead of settling for old halogen spots, which also cost you extra on electricity.

Find your favorite lighting

Good reading helps, but light must be experienced. In our showroom we have built fourteen separate interiors: from Scandinavian spa to retro barber. Each environment shows exactly how light works together with colors, furniture, and branding.

Do you have questions about models, technology, or placement?

Please contact us right here to get professional guidance on how to get the most joy from your work when it comes to lighting in your salon.