The Beauty Crisis: COVID-19 Continues To Wreak Havoc On The Industry
Do you miss your long, luscious lashes? Or is it your lustrous locks and a mani -pedi that you’re dying for? Whatever luxurious treatment it is that you’re missing, we feel you girl.
Since lockdown restrictions have become incorporated in to our everyday life in March 2020, it has been a long rocky road for beauticians everywhere.
Every time restrictions are lifted for a brief moment, people flock back in to the salons to get their addictive dosage of tender self care. But just when we think that we can get our routine back together again, this privilege is ripped from our grasp.
Although as loyal customers it is devastating for us that the unmatched feeling of a fresh beauty treatment is now a distant memory (again), beauticians are being forced to give up doing what they love most: providing us with that feeling.
On top of that, their income continues to diminish and the seemingly never ending struggle remains.
Despite most beauty treatments being performed on a 1 to 1 basis, and although salons have been enforcing the new rules regarding PPE and social distancing where possible very effectively, the future of the industry continues to hang in the balance.
A lot of businesses in this industry are self made and independent, meaning that getting help from the government throughout the pandemic can be a long and confusing process.
When speaking with self employed small business owner Holly Mae Bell, she admitted:
“by receiving only 1/5 of what I would normally earn in a month, I have really struggled. Luckily I had savings to rely on as it took the government three months to give me my first payment.”
Working in the private sector instead of the public sector in society is usually a blessing, but a pandemic can quickly turn it into a nightmare.
The UK’s beauty industry contributed a total of £28.4 billion to the nation’s economy in 2018. The popularity of the industry is also reflected in figures during the 2008 financial crisis which show that spending on beauty treatments and products only dipped slightly, before fully bouncing back by 2010.
There is no doubt that when cases begin to drop and restrictions are finally a thing of the past beauticians will make an immense comeback, as it is obvious we all need our fix.
With social media influencing a lot of us to try and look picture ready at all times and influencers holding the power they do, the beauty industry would never struggle under usual circumstances.
It is felt within the beauty community that the severe hardship that they have had to endure throughout the pandemic physically, economically and mentally is not completely justified.
Bell agrees that lockdown restrictions have had a serious effect on her mental health:
“I constantly feel on edge. Feeling useless was my main problem. It doesn’t just take your routine and things that you have worked hard for, or even your social life, I felt as though it took away my purpose in life.”
Although beauticians literally cannot do their job and make a living without touching people, the environment in which they do this is one where COVID-19 does not thrive.
An initiative by the Department of Health to increase transparency around the decision making process for closures was to release the scientific executive papers to the public to show their justifications.
In a paper published on 20th October it was specified that close contact businesses such as hairdressers and beauticians had to close for four weeks. Since then the industry was only allowed to open for a couple of weeks before the same measures were put back in place.
However the papers revealed that the move would have a low impact on COVID-19 transmission rates as it will only reduce the reproduction rate by 0.05. Ministers were endeavouring to reduce reproduction by 1.0, therefore it is very clear that the closure isn’t that effective.
Despite these facts, the executive papers acknowledge the high social and economic impact that this closure will have.
It would be extremely difficult for those within the beauty industry to not be frustrated with this revelation, as their livelihoods are quite literally on the line, and it is obvious that the government are completely disregarding them.
“If a mask is so effective that it is compulsory, why is it not good enough in a beauty room?”-Holly Mae Bell
Although I agree that a national lockdown does seem to be the most logical way to eradicate the virus, how is it fair that beauticians must close their businesses down again whilst fast food chains continue to operate, for example. I didn’t realise getting a Maccy D’s or a Nandos was a life or death matter!
Despite restaurants being takeaway only, employees still have to go to work in that environment with a number of others whilst interacting with customers and drivers all day. Surely takeaways are not vital during lockdown otherwise wouldn’t they have been open throughout the whole of the first lockdown too?
And up until the beginning of this year Boris Johnson was claiming that ‘schools are safe’ as he urged people to send their children back to the classrooms, even though in late November data from the NHS test and trace app showed that secondary schools were the second most common exposure setting followed by primary schools. Therefore it is inevitable that those in the beauty industry are becoming agitated with the continuous uncertainty.
Bell expresses her concern for others in the industry as she explains her situation:
“When applying for what you think you would be entitled to, you’re not. I am so lucky that I don’t have a shop or a harsh contract at the shop I rent a room in or this would affect me beyond belief — I’m lucky I live with my parents as I would be homeless.”
Just like Bell beauticians everywhere are calling for another full national lockdown as it is clear leaving some businesses and schools open as well as international travel is not working and is in fact stopping a lot of other people from being able to return to normality. If their businesses are constantly being shut down and the cases are not falling, doesn’t this show that the things that do remain open are the main problem!
Beauticians are eager to get back in the swing of things, as their job is not just an income, but a passion. Bell fervidly explains why she loves her career:
“It can be an escape for me. I am uplifting people and making them realise their true beauty; I love making people feel pretty and helping them embrace who they are and love the skin they are in.”
“I have noticed changes in some clients attitudes after pep talks they need sometimes, being the shoulder to cry on, the friend that they haven’t got and most importantly a good listener to make them realise that self love and appreciation is the most important thing.”
Everyone is in need of a self love pamper session right now, so come on Boris make your mind up!
