Two women with curlers in their hair sit under vintage hair dryers at a salon, wearing capes and chatting; one looks surprised while the other smiles. The image is in black and white.
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Image

These vintage photos show what beauty salons once looked like, from towering hair dryers to timeless style. Step back to a time when a trip to the salon meant curlers, gossip, and a little glamour. This nostalgic collection reveals how fashion, friendship, and self-care all came together under one perfectly teased roof.

1. A Stylist Blows a Bubble While Perfecting a Towering ‘Do in a Busy Hair Salon in New York, 1970s

Black-and-white photo of a busy hair salon, with women styling and drying a seated woman's large, voluminous hair. Other clients and stylists are visible working in the background. The scene is lively and vintage.
deathakissaway/Reddit.com

2. ‘The First Licensed Female Hair Stylist, Jeanne Devereux, Photographed While Shaving a Customer, 1927’

A woman in a white dress and pearl necklace smiles while cutting a mannequin's hair in a vintage barbershop or salon, standing beside a barber chair draped with a white cloth.
dannydutch1/Reddit.com

3. Two Women Sit Under Hair Dryers While One Reads a Magazine

Two women sit under vintage pink hair dryers at a salon. One reads a magazine, while the other gestures with her fingers and looks away. Both wear patterned dresses and have their hair wrapped in nets.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

4. ‘Getting a Manicure While Drying Hair at Francois de Paris, a Hairdresser on West Eighth Street, in New York City, 1942’

A woman sits under a vintage hair dryer in a beauty salon, wearing a dark dress with a brooch. She receives a manicure from another person, with beauty products and tools visible on the table.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

5. ‘Ladies Under the Dryers in a Hair Salon in the 1960s’

A row of women sitting under vintage hair dryers at a salon, wearing capes and reading newspapers or magazines, with their legs crossed and feet resting on stools.
JAdaire/Reddit.com

6. A Young Woman Gets Her Hair Dried by What Looks Like a Pretty Intimidating Machine, 1925

A woman sits with her hair blowing back, eyes closed, in front of a large, vintage contraption with multiple nozzles, likely an early hair drying machine, in a sepia-toned photo.
MalibuHulaDuck/Reddit.com

7. Women Sit Beneath a Row of Early Dryers in a Beauty Parlor, 1920s

Four women sit in a row under large, vintage hairdryers with metal ducts in a salon, likely from the early 20th century. One woman reads a newspaper while the others sit quietly, towels draped over their shoulders.
eudice/Reddit.com

8. Because Why Not Give Fido a Perm as Well?

A black-and-white photo shows a large dog and a woman sitting side by side under vintage hair dryers at a salon, while a child sits nearby as the woman reads a book.
NelvisAlfredo/Reddit.com

9. Getting a Trim at Mrs. Wheeler’s Barber Shop in Colorado, 1950s

Two barbers cut the hair of two smiling men seated in barber chairs inside a barbershop. A sign on the window reads "Mrs. Wheeler’s Barber Shop." The scene appears to be from an earlier era, possibly mid-20th century.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

10. Perm Machine or Brain Scan? Getting a Perm in the ’50s Was No Joke

A young girl sits in a salon chair with curlers and wires attached to her head while a smiling woman stands nearby, operating a vintage perm machine in a retro beauty salon.
MyDogGoldi/Reddit.com

11. ‘Barber in Tijuana, Mexico, 1978’

A young boy sits in a vintage barber chair, covered with a white cape, while a barber trims his hair. Their reflections are visible in the mirror behind them, and the barbershop interior is warmly lit.
AxlCobainVedder/Reddit.com

12. ‘Woman and Poodle in a Beauty Parlor in New York City, 1964’

A woman sits under a salon hair dryer reading a magazine, with a fluffy white poodle beside her on the chair. Two other hair dryers are visible in the background. The scene is in black and white.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

13. Just More Terrifying Contraptions Seen at Your Average Beauty Parlor in the ’40s

A nurse adjusts a large, intricate machine with many wires and clips attached to a woman's head, likely for a vintage hair treatment or perm, in a black and white photo. The woman sits calmly beneath the device.
BaronVonBroccoli/Reddit.com

14. ‘Young Woman Getting Her Hair Done, 1960s’

A hairdresser styles a seated woman's hair in an elaborate updo. The seated woman wears a salon cape and has dramatic eye makeup. The stylist, wearing glasses, focuses intently while using a comb. Black and white photo.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

15. That’s One Way To Straighten Hair at the Home Salon, 1960s

A woman with long hair rests her head on an ironing board while another person uses a clothes iron to straighten her hair; curlers are visible in the background. The scene appears to be from a past decade.
jocke75/Reddit.com

16. ‘A Traveling Beauty Parlor in London, England, 1930’

Two women provide a roadside beauty service next to a car; one styles the other's hair while she sits in a chair holding a mirror. Signs on the car read "Stop Me! Roadside Beauty Service.
wadeybb/Reddit.com

17. James Dean Pictured at a Barber Shop in New York, 1955

A young man sits in a barber chair with a cape draped over him as a barber trims his hair in a busy, vintage-style barbershop filled with customers and mirrors.
jeremiah2911-/Reddit.com

18. Multi-Tasking Goals: A Row of Ladies Sit Under Hair Dryers While They Sip Coffee, Read Magazines, and Get Their Nails Done

Four women sit under vintage salon hair dryers; one reads a magazine while another gets her nails done by a staff member. Small tables in front hold tea and other items. The setting appears to be a mid-20th-century beauty salon.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

19. You Can Almost Hear the Gossip if You Look Close Enough

Three women sit in a row at a salon under vintage hair dryers. One holds a book, another looks sideways, and the third has her hands over her mouth. All have towels or nets on their heads.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

20. Elvis Presley Getting a Fresh Cut at Jim’s Barber Shop in Memphis, Tennessee, 1956

A young man sits in a barber chair reading a magazine while a barber trims his hair. The setting appears to be a classic barbershop with mirrors and bottles visible in the background.
zadraaa/Reddit.com

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A black-and-white yearbook photo collage featuring three men and three women, all with 1970s-style hair and clothing, posing and smiling for individual portraits.
Robloxianxs/Reddit.com

Meet the Writer

From Queens, New York, Alina has a Bachelors degree in Corporate Communications from CUNY Baruch and enjoys writing and creating content on a variety of topics, including lifestyle, politics, and, of course, wealth trends. Find her on X @atlasseventeen