From salon floor to global executive, Tracey Hughes has operated at every level of the hairdressing industry, and she still maintains a stylist’s mindset.
“Every decision I make is about what’s best for the hairdresser,” she says. “I think like a hairdresser. I see like a hairdresser. I act like a hairdresser.”
It’s this combination of creative and commercial thinking that defines her work as an educator.
Today, Hughes serves as Global General Manager for the Haircare Division at DermapenWorld, leading the launch and strategy behind the EXO-GROW brand.
For her, the category represents much more than a technical challenge. “Our brand is centered around hair loss and hair thinning, and that is a deeply emotional conversation that stylists have with their clients,” she says.
"There’s so much conversation around scalp health right now in the industry, but we need to look at solutions and how we can empower people to get their confidence back as the hair grows back as well.”
Even in the boardroom, Hughes’ perspective remains rooted in the salon, a mindset shaped early on.
Starting her career in the United Kingdom before relocating to Australia, she built her reputation behind the chair before founding the award-winning salon Mieka Hairdressing.
Opening Mieka with no capital or safety net forced her to master the business side of the profession as well as the craft.
That experience marked a turning point. Hughes realized that sustaining a career requires a clear understanding of how a business functions.
In her experience, too many stylists embrace the creative side of the profession but avoid the spreadsheets. Understanding profit, team dynamics, and what drives growth ultimately allowed her to grow her salon business to more than 33 percent profit before selling it and transitioning to corporate roles.
Those lessons now inform how she teaches stylists to approach complex client concerns, including hair thinning and hair loss, and her commitment to education and support also extends beyond the classroom.
During her time working in the United States, Hughes founded Leading Ladies, a nonprofit designed to empower women in the beauty industry through life events such as career challenges, health issues, and loss. “The sign of success is how you can help others,” she says. “What’s your sense of purpose?”
Its success helped shape her thinking about what the industry needs today. Through initiatives like the Regen Roadshow, Hughes is expanding that community-building model, uniting hairdressers, barbers, aesthetic professionals, and medical experts to share knowledge and resources.
She hopes to strengthen collaboration while helping professionals better address sensitive client concerns. “We’re going to talk about the synergy of solutions for skin and hair. We’re also going to have the conversations around the psychology of losing your confidence when your hair gets thinner or you’re starting to lose your hair.
“But the most important thing for us is, we want to build community again.”
Another goal is rebuilding professional confidence and strengthening the relationship between stylists and their clients.
As consumers become increasingly knowledgeable about ingredients and products, she says, stylists must reinforce their role as trusted experts. “Only a stylist can offer that level of professional knowledge to their clients.”
After decades in the industry, Hughes continues to blend executive strategy with hands-on experience. Yet growth has never meant losing sight of the salon floor where she started.
For stylists navigating an evolving industry — from business pressures to deeply personal client concerns like hair loss — her message remains clear: education, empathy, and community are the foundations of lasting success.
Tracey Hughes is teaching “Hair Loss Decoded: Science, Solutions & Client Care” at the Be+Well | Beauty and Wellness Show New York (formerly International Beauty Show–NY), taking place March 8–10. Registration is here; use promo code EDSALON20 for 20% off education classes