Walk into most UK or Ireland salons right now and you'll find a waxing menu, sometimes several pages of one. Sugaring, by comparison, is still a rarity, and that gap is exactly what's making salon owners take a proper look at it.
There isn't currently a dominant sugaring brand in the UK or Ireland the way there is in waxing, no single name that's become shorthand for the treatment the way certain wax brands have. That's unusual for an established beauty category, and it means salons adding sugaring now aren't competing in a crowded space, they're getting in early on one that's genuinely underserved.
Client demand is part of what's driving it too. A growing number of clients are actively searching for gentler alternatives to waxing, whether that's because of sensitive skin, a history of ingrown hairs, or simply wanting to try something they've heard about but couldn't find locally. Salons offering sugaring are often the only option in their area, which is a strong position to be in.
There's also a commercial angle worth being straightforward about. Sugaring tends to command a premium price point compared to standard waxing, partly because it's a specialist skill that's still relatively rare, and partly because clients who've felt the difference in how their skin responds are often willing to pay for it. For salons looking for a service that adds real margin rather than competing purely on price, that matters.
Adding sugaring doesn't have to mean replacing an existing waxing menu either. Most salons introduce it alongside waxing, offering it as the gentler, premium option for clients who ask, while keeping waxing available for clients who prefer it or have booked it for years. It's rarely an either-or decision.
For salon owners weighing up whether it's worth the investment in training and product, the honest read of the market right now is that being early to an underserved category, in a market where client demand for it is already growing, is a good position to be building from.