The Influence of Middle-aged Men’s Appearance Perception on Their Usage Attitude Toward Men’s Specialty Hair Salons: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Hair Salon Selection Attributes

This study analyzed the effects of the sub-factors of middle-aged men’s appearance perception, namely “personal interest” and “social influence,” on attitudes toward using men’s specialty hair salons, while also examining the mediating effects of salon selection attributes (store image, marketing, and location convenience). The survey was conducted on 330 middle-aged men aged 40 to 59. The analysis revealed that appearance perception exhibited partial mediating effects on attitudes toward using men’s specialty hair salons through salon selection attributes. However, location convenience did not show a mediating effect in the relationship between “personal interest” and usage attitude. These findings suggest the importance of developing differentiated services that simultaneously address personal interest and social influence as key motivators for middle-aged men’s appearance management. Particularly, the lack of a mediating effect for location convenience in the relationship between personal interest and usage attitude indicates that customers with stronger personal motivations for appearance management may value premium services or personalized spaces over accessibility. Therefore, strategies enhancing location convenience may be more effective for socially driven customers, while personalized premium services should target customers prioritizing personal motivations. This study provides foundational data for establishing differentiated services and marketing strategies reflecting middle-aged men’s appearance perceptions, contributing to the operation of men’s specialty hair salons and the development of the beauty industry.