Here's why it's difficult to give an exact number and some sources to consider:
* Defining "Hair Salon": Are we including barbershops, individual stylists renting chairs, nail salons that also offer limited hair services, or strictly traditional hair salons? This greatly affects the total.
* Data Collection Challenges: Keeping track of every small business, especially those that open and close frequently, is a constant challenge.
Given these challenges, the number of hair salons in Illinois is in the range of 13,000-15,000 is a good approximation.