Ten years ago, the average Indonesian man owned a single bar of soap, a bottle of anti-dandruff shampoo, and — if he was particularly vain — a generic aftershave he had received as a gift. Skincare was something his girlfriend did. Beard care did not exist, because beards themselves were largely seen as a sign of laziness. Hair styling meant a quick comb and a dollop of pomade from the warung next door.
Today, that same man — particularly if he is between 22 and 38 — is likely to own a facial cleanser, a moisturiser with SPF, a beard oil, a matte clay, and a styling powder. He visits a barber every two to four weeks. He has opinions about fade lengths. He watches grooming content on TikTok. Southeast Asia is in the middle of a men's grooming boom, and Indonesia — the largest market in the region — sits at the centre of it. For barbers, brand owners, and industry observers, understanding what is happening and where it is going is not optional. It is the difference between riding this wave and being washed away by it.
Market Size: The Numbers Behind the Boom
The Southeast Asian men's grooming market was valued at roughly USD 4.8 billion in 2024, with analysts projecting it to exceed USD 7.5 billion by 2029. That is a compound annual growth rate of around 7-8% — significantly faster than the equivalent women's grooming market in the same region, which has been maturing for far longer.
Indonesia alone accounts for nearly a third of this regional spend. Euromonitor and Statista estimates put the Indonesian men's grooming market at approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2024, with growth concentrated in urban centres — Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and increasingly Makassar and Denpasar. The barbershop industry specifically — distinct from salons and at-home grooming products — has grown even faster. Estimates from Indonesian industry associations suggest the number of registered barbershops in major Indonesian cities grew by roughly 35-45% between 2020 and 2025. In Jakarta alone, the figure is believed to exceed 12,000 active barbershops, ranging from street stalls to high-end boutique studios.
"What we are seeing is not a fad. Indonesian men did not suddenly become vain. They suddenly had the income, the role models, and the access to products that let them care about their appearance the way women already had for decades."
— Industry observer speaking to BarberBox.id at a 2025 grooming trade show in Jakarta
What's Driving the Change
Several forces are converging to push Indonesian and Southeast Asian men toward grooming.
Rising middle class. Indonesia's middle class has more than doubled in the past 15 years. As disposable income grows, discretionary spending on personal appearance — once seen as frivolous — has become normalised, particularly for young urban men who see grooming as part of professional presentation. A Jakarta office worker in 2026 expects to spend on haircuts and styling products the way his father spent on cigarettes and petrol.
K-pop and Korean drama influence. The single biggest visual influence on Indonesian male grooming in the past decade has been Korean pop culture. The clean-shaven, glass-skin, perfectly-styled aesthetic popularised by BTS members and K-drama actors has filtered down through Indonesian Gen Z and younger millennials. Korean-style men's skincare brands now compete openly with Western brands in Indonesian Sephora and Sociolla stores.
Social media. Instagram and TikTok have made grooming visible. A young man in Bandung can watch a barber in Los Angeles do a skin fade in real time. He can follow a skincare routine recommended by a Jakarta-based influencer. He can see what his favourite local celebrity's morning routine looks like. Visibility creates demand.
Post-pandemic self-care. COVID-19 forced many Indonesian men to confront their grooming habits — or lack thereof — during months of working from home. Many emerged from the pandemic with a heightened interest in personal care that has not faded. The barbershop, in particular, became one of the first "normal" outings men returned to after restrictions lifted.
The Product Categories Growing Fastest
Three product categories are driving the bulk of the growth in Indonesian men's grooming.
- Skincare. Cleansers, moisturisers, sunscreens, and serums formulated for men. The Indonesian market has historically been underserved here — most products were either repackaged women's skincare or generic supermarket brands. Growth is being led by brands like Menskin, Kiehl's Men, and a wave of local startups targeting the Indonesian male consumer directly.
- Beard care. Beard oil, beard balm, beard wash. Five years ago, these products barely existed in the Indonesian market. Today, they are standard shelf items in any mid-range barbershop. The growth reflects a broader cultural shift: beards are now seen as a style choice, not as a sign of neglect.
- Hair styling. Matte clay, styling powder, pomade, sea salt spray. The Indonesian market was once dominated by cheap, greasy pomades from local brands. Today, Indonesian men are educated consumers who understand the difference between a water-based and oil-based pomade, and who are willing to pay Rp 80,000-200,000 for a quality styling product.
How Indonesia Compares to Its Neighbours
The men's grooming boom is happening across Southeast Asia, but the dynamics differ by country.
- Thailand: a more mature market, with stronger Western influence. Thai men have been regular users of skincare for longer, and Bangkok has long had a premium barbershop culture catering to professionals and expatriates.
- Philippines: heavily influenced by American grooming culture, with a stronger emphasis on fragrance and frequent barbershop visits. English-language media makes Western trends land faster here.
- Vietnam: rapidly growing, with strong Korean influence. Vietnamese men are increasingly brand-conscious, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where boutique barbershops have proliferated.
- Indonesia: the largest market and one of the fastest-growing. Distinguished by a strong local barbershop culture (the tempat cukur tradition), a young population, and a rapidly maturing local brand ecosystem. Indonesia is also more price-sensitive than Thailand or the Philippines, with mass-market products dominating volume even as premium products grow.
The Rise of Indonesian Male Grooming Brands
Perhaps the most striking development of the past five years is the emergence of Indonesian-founded male grooming brands. Where Indonesian men once had to choose between cheap local products and expensive imports, a middle tier has emerged — quality products at accessible prices, designed with Indonesian skin types, climate, and budgets in mind.
Notable names include:
- Pomade Co.: one of the early movers in Indonesian-made hair styling products, with a strong presence in barbershops across Java.
- Sugarpilot: known for styling powder and matte clay, popular with younger Indonesian men and a staple on many barbershop retail shelves.
- Menskin: focused on male skincare — cleansers, moisturisers, sunscreens — designed for Indonesian skin and climate.
- Cröhms: a smaller but well-regarded brand focused on beard care and natural ingredients.
These brands are not just competing on price — they are competing on cultural relevance. They understand Indonesian hair textures (often thicker, straighter, and denser than Western hair), Indonesian skin (which tends to be oilier in the tropical climate), and Indonesian budgets. They are also increasingly visible in barbershop retail, where they compete head-to-head with imported brands like American Crew and Uppercut Deluxe.
The Barbershop Industry's Growth Spurt
The barbershop industry in Indonesia has grown on the back of all of this. Industry estimates suggest the number of mid-range and premium barbershops in Jakarta has roughly doubled since 2018. Average ticket sizes have grown from Rp 35,000-50,000 per cut in 2018 to Rp 75,000-150,000 in 2025 for mid-range shops. Premium shops in areas like Senopati, SCBD, and Kemang regularly charge Rp 200,000-400,000 per cut, with some master barbers commanding Rp 500,000 or more.
The growth is not limited to Jakarta. Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Bali have all seen significant barbershop growth, particularly in the mid-range and premium segments. The boutique barbershop — coffee served, music curated, Instagram-ready — has become a fixture of urban Indonesian life. Canggu and Seminyak in Bali, in particular, have become hubs for both Indonesian and foreign barbers serving tourists and digital nomads.
What This Means for Working Barbers
For barbers themselves, the boom is a double-edged sword. On one hand, demand has never been higher, prices have never been better, and the public perception of the trade has shifted from "low-skill work" to a respected craft. On the other hand, competition has intensified, client expectations have risen, and the skills required to succeed have expanded.
The barbers who are thriving in 2026 are those who have:
- Invested in skills beyond basic cuts. Skin fades, beard sculpting, scissor work, and increasingly services like scalp treatments and eyebrow grooming.
- Built retail into their revenue. Selling products — pomade, beard oil, styling powder — to clients is one of the highest-margin activities in a barbershop. Top shops earn 20-30% of revenue from retail, not from cuts.
- Developed their personal brand. A barber with 30,000+ Instagram followers can charge a premium and choose their clients, rather than taking whoever walks in.
- Diversified services. Beyond cuts, services like men's facials, scalp massages, and grey blending are increasingly common in premium Indonesian barbershops.
Trends to Watch in 2026 and Beyond
Several trends are emerging that barbers and brand owners should pay attention to.
- Men's skincare as a barbershop service. A growing number of premium Indonesian barbershops now offer basic facials, eyebrow grooming, and skincare consultations alongside cuts. The margin on these services is significantly higher than on cuts.
- Eyebrow grooming for men. Once considered taboo, eyebrow threading and shaping for men is growing fast, particularly in Jakarta and Bali. Many shops now offer it as an upsell.
- Scalp treatments. With male pattern hair loss a growing concern for Indonesian men, scalp treatments — exfoliation, massage, serums — are emerging as a high-margin service.
- IV drips for men. Outside the barbershop itself, the broader men's wellness industry is booming. IV drip clinics targeting men — promising energy, skin improvement, and hangover relief — have proliferated in Jakarta and Bali.
- Premiumisation of grooming products. Indonesian men are increasingly willing to pay premium prices for premium products, particularly in fragrance, skincare, and styling.
Challenges Holding the Market Back
The boom is real, but it is not without challenges.
- Price sensitivity. The mass-market Indonesian consumer remains highly price-sensitive. Premium products and services remain out of reach for the majority of Indonesian men, limiting the addressable market to upper-middle-class urban consumers.
- Counterfeit products. The Indonesian market is flooded with counterfeit grooming products — fake Andis clippers, counterfeit Wahl trimmers, imitation pomades. These undercut legitimate sellers and erode consumer trust.
- Talent shortage. The rapid expansion of barbershops has created a shortage of skilled barbers. Many shops train their own apprentices, but the quality of training varies widely, and poaching of skilled barbers between competing shops is common.
- Regulatory ambiguity. The barbershop industry in Indonesia operates in a regulatory grey zone — many small shops are unregistered, hygiene standards are inconsistently enforced, and consumer protection is limited.
The Next Five Years
Looking ahead, several predictions for the Indonesian men's grooming market over the next five years.
- Continued growth at 7-9% annually, with skincare and beard care as the fastest-growing categories.
- Consolidation in the barbershop industry. The current fragmentation — thousands of small independent shops — will give way to small chains and franchises, particularly in Jakarta and Bali.
- Further expansion of Indonesian-made grooming brands, with several likely to expand regionally into Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
- Increasing integration of services — barbershops offering facials, scalp treatments, and skincare retail as standard.
- Growing importance of social media and personal branding for individual barbers, with top barbers becoming genuine local celebrities with their own followings and merchandise.
For barbers and brand owners paying attention, the next five years represent the most significant opportunity in the history of Indonesian men's grooming. For those still operating as if it were 2015 — relying on walk-ins, selling cheap pomade, treating Instagram as optional — the window is closing. The mirror has been discovered. The question is who will rise to meet it.