Hair down: Salons, barbershops and spas in the Capital Region and across the country report a ‘dramatic slowdown in customer traffic growth.’

Beauty has fallen on tough times in Baton Rouge. After experiencing a decade of double- and triple-digit growth, barbershops, beauty and nail salons, and spas have declined in number in the Capital Region since the economic downturn began in 2007. On some fronts, it appeared the industry was recession-proof. A recent U.S. Census Bureau survey