From behind PPEs, beauty industry tries to find its style, and customers

Isha was scrolling through her social media feed when a text message from her salon immediately caught her attention.
‘Open from today,’ said the text that she received this week. Isha, only too aware of her unruly eyebrows that reflected more than two salon-less months spent in lockdown, thought for a moment. Then she called.
The salon gave her a time slot. It also ran her through its new safety practices that minimised contact. Gone are the days when one could kill time in the lounge, sipping herbal tea and flicking through glossies while waiting to get their hair blow-dried by their favourite hairdresser. Now, a visit to the parlour or salon is appointment-only, and the hairdresser is barely recognisable as he plods around clad in a cumbersome PPE (personal protective equipment).
This is the wellness and beauty industry but not as you knew it -- a craft so reliant on the touch that must now reconcile with the fundamentally opposite principle of social distancing. “Working with masks, face shields and disposable uniforms has its limitations but we will get used to it in a few days,” says Monica, much of whose business comes from visiting residents in Noida. “I run a parlour too but I am getting more calls for at-home services as people are less anxious in their homes,” she adds.
At Pachouli Wellness Clinic, an employee said, “We feel uncomfortable, it’s hot and sometimes when customers come in for body laser therapy, we have to wear PPE for five hours at a stretch.”
But customers have also been restricting their visits to only the essentials. “Many customers have been asking us in detail how each of the services will be implemented. We assure them our staff is well equipped with safety gear and we will be using disposable towels, capes and bodysuits,” says Harsimran Singh, who runs a salon in Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave.
Beauty services like facials, threading and waxing, all of which require physical proximity, are being offered using disposable tools. “For threading of eyebrows, we have sourced bands that do not require any contact with the mouth,” insists Harsimran. Pachouli avoids threading entirely, recommending threading bands, eyebrow razors or peel-off wax instead. A disposable spatula is used to apply the wax, disposable strips were used anyway and whatever wax is left over is disposed.
“As of now waxing, pedicure and facial services are available but we are letting customers in only by appointment,” says Mukesh Sharma, manager at Affinity in Sector 4, Gurugram. At Pachouli, each personnel has been given a separate set of cleaning equipment. “Recyclable and non-recyclable waste is segregated and the premises fumigated at the end of the day,” said Pooja Kohli, spokesperson for Pachouli.
In Gurugram, salons opened on May 15 but it was only last week that beauty services resumed. At Looks in Sector 46, the air-conditioning is turned on sparingly and each staff member is formally scanned. If their temperature is below 99C, they are allowed in, but if it is above, they are advised to take the day off.
“Our staff wears safety kit that has been sterilised, and even clients have to go through hygiene protocols. Each chair, mirror and bed is sanitised after every visit,” shares K D Rai, the man-ager at Looks. “Our staff is being trained to provide all services with gloves on, including facials.”
The process of maintaining hygiene is tedious and time-consuming, and some customers wonder if it’s at all worth the risk. “Business has definitely suffered; in two weeks we have realised that our clientèle is down by almost 50%,” Rai says.
Out in Sapphire Market, the management at Affinity salon is also observing personal sanitisation protocols, for employees and for every service. Here, too, all staff is clad in PPE kits, complete with gloves and shower caps. And you’re charged an extra Rs 50 for the disposable cape used during every haircut. “Customers prefer bringing their own tools and towels,” says the manager, Mukesh. Hair tools are disinfected after every use, with an alcohol-based solution, after removing all visible hair and debris. Wooden and plastic combs are sanitised using UV rays.
Some salon owners wish the protocols were clearly spelt out. “We have not received any guidelines from the government as such. So, we are following safety procedures with a basic understanding of sanitisation,” says Sohni Juneja, a popular makeup artist who runs a studio in South Delhi.
Facing up to a new reality
For makeup artists, however, it isn’t practical either to put on PPEs or use the same cosmetics and tools. “We cannot wear PPEs for applying makeup because the nature of our work requires close proximity with the client. However, I have invested in functional kits thatinclude disposable masks, gloves, capes, shoe covers and face shields,” explains Juneja. “We are trying to include disposable mascara wands for each use, and applying lipstick using a makeup brush and spatula — there are cleaning alcohol-based solutions available now in the market for each makeup product.”
Still, while they are taking all the necessary precautions to stay safe from the virus, makeup artists say there is little business. Most of those in the beauty gig economy who would combine to get a bride ready for her big day are now out of work. “All my April bookings were cancelled, and those who have called to enquire about November weddings can’t be confirmed,” rues Juneja. “We have had to cut down on our teams because we cannot crowd the studios anymore. I don’t see makeup costs coming down either, though the demand is low at the moment,” she adds.
Indeed, grooming will likely no longer come cheap now (if it ever did), with the customer being also billed for the disposables – the gear the staff wears and the tools they use. Some establishments are demanding Aadhaar cards and other personal details to help in contact tracing, yet others are making customers fill consent forms (this is alongside the mandatory temperature checks and shoe covers).
And then, there’s this: a certificate pasted on a salon window in Gurugram that assures customers that the owner/manager has “completed the Covid-19 awareness and prevention program for health, safety and hygiene of beauty & wellness industry” (organised by the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council). The clean bill of health, the salon hopes, will convince Anushka and Sahil that they’re in safe hands the next time they drop in.