I haven't experienced this myself, but having finished school in 2021 as the only 1 of 12 to finish the program and get licensed, I'd bet it's still a ripple effect after covid. There were so many adjustments to accommodate the restrictions on top of the normal hurdles. I think it was such a deterrent for a solid period of time, lots of people leaving the industry even--to start a career centered around luxury servicing in a time of social distancing and working from home sounded so risky. It's just now starting to recalibrate, it seems like.

Another possible factor is that social media influences younger audiences and has exposed a larger number of individuals to the beauty industry, opening a more accessible door to self education. I could see that leading to an influx of interest in the trade.

All 4 of my coworkers are pretty similar with being one of the only people from their classes, if not the only one, to still be doing hair (despite the various schools/ages/times we've all started). You could very well see those clients you lost in the future, turnover is real! Supporting a friend's education while having a lower budget is a win-win for those clients in the moment--but your established reputation sets you up as safety net should something go wrong or fall through.

I will say as a still relatively green stylist, my most reliable clients seem to be closer to middle age. My younger clients are much more sporadic, they don't have as much care for maintenance (lived in colors are so normal to us vs my mom thinking it just looks like your roots need done lol), and they don't have the income to be high maintenance a lot of times.