Personal grooming is an area that appears fairly recession-proof. Even when times are hard, consumers want to look good and often see personal toiletries and cosmetics as affordable treats that help to lift their mood and make them feel rewarded for their busy lives.

• Ownership of hair styling products expanded by an estimated 4.4m adults over 2007-10. In 2010, over three quarters – 30 million – adults own a hairdryer, of which some two thirds are women.
• The number of women owning straighteners rose from 4.6. in 2007 (35%) to 5.3m (45%) in 2010, as jump of 15% as more women adopt straighteners as an essential part of their regular hair regime.
• When Mintel last examined this market in 2007 there were a myriad of brands, often with little to differentiate them. Subsequently, two household names, Braun and Morphy Richards, have decided to leave the UK market.
• There has been a shift in habits over 2007-10, with fewer women visiting hairdressers, while those who do visit are tending to space out their trips. This means more women are looking after their hair at home and, arguably, keen to use appliances that give their hair the best results.
• Six in ten women shop around on price and over half are happy with own-label, but around a quarter would buy top of the range products. For 10m women, quality matters more than price when they choose hair styling appliances.
• Over a quarter of women – rising to four in ten 16-24s, say they couldn’t live without their straighteners. But one in four try not to use heated appliances too often indicating an element of caution about over-damaging their hair.