Hello and welcome to another blog – post covid. Hope you are all keeping well and staying positive, what a 6 months it has been, as we have got used to a new way of living. What has the last 6 months been like, for some it has made us reflect on our own lives, embracing a lot of change, I know it has for myself. At times like this it makes us look at our lives and make improvements that we wouldn’t have made pre covid. Making the most out of life is what we are all doing, we have had chance to spend valued time with our families, to bond more with our children or family members, that we wouldn’t have had time to do previously. It has been very hard working from home and juggling childcare and trying to educate our children from home, I know it has been very trying for me too, with my 2 youngest teens, really pleased they are now back at school, I cannot appreciate teachers enough and what they do day to day, teaching students is a completely different ball game and one that I really appreciate and value.
This blog isn’t to give doom and gloom, so I am sorry if it came across like that at first, It’s about coming through adversity stronger and more resilient than before. I am finding this everywhere you go, people are more appreciative to life, more friendly, more supportive, so it really has bought about some positive changes to society. What we are finding at the academy is that a lot of people are now looking at their own careers and I know I focus a lot on careers in my blogs but it really is becoming at the forefront right now. We are getting a lot of enquiries coming in to the academy whereby people are looking to change their careers, they are just fed up and in a rut with what they are currently doing, people are now looking to re train in beauty therapy, we are seeing nurses wanting to come out of nursing, accountants wanting to change their careers, pharmacists wanting to get into aesthetics, these are professional careers that people are doing but are not happy in. This lockdown has done something to the world we are living in, we now want more fulfilment out of life, we are more empowered as a society, we know what we want, we just need a plan to go and get it!
How has the industry changed and how are we working differently?
Well we have had to adjust carrying out beauty treatments. We have always been an industry whereby ppe (personal protective equipment/clothing) has always played a role. We were one of the last to be able to open back up, due to close contact services. It has been very hard indeed for the beauty industry, I have seen beauty therapists having to go into other work during the lockdown, salons closing their doors for the last time, it has been such a struggle, now hopefully things are slowly getting back to a new norm.
Salons are only able to have 1 client in at any one time now, whereby previously you could have your next client sitting in a chair waiting for her treatment, she may have come 10 minutes earlier, now she would have to wait outside the salon. Clients now have to wear a mask due to close contact services. The therapist has to wear a visor and a mask now, aprons, gloves. We wore aprons before for certain treatments, gloves before for waxing, nail extensions, eye treatments, microblading etc but not for every treatment.
Work areas completely sanitised down before and after very client, this can take a full 15 minutes in between clients. Spraying down clients chairs they have just sat on, door handles, work stations, work surfaces, the list is endless, tools sanitised for every client which we have always done anyway. We now cannot use our own towels we need to use disposable towels, disposable headbands, the list is endless, therefore all of these extra costs soon add up, prices of treatments now need to be increased due to all of these added extras, whether you put an extra £2-3 per treatment to allow for this, my hair services have gone up in cost which I expected and so they should do. Don’t feel pressurised not to put your costs up to your clients, they will understand, the clients that don’t then do you really want them as clients? Ask yourself that, the majority of positive clients will understand, explain the extra costs to them so that they understand, also single use files can only be used per client, sanitise their file, place it in a plastic bag and place it in a draw with their name or send them home with the file, they should then bring it with them for their next treatment, if not you will have to re charge them for another new file, therefore keeping it safe yourself works better. We have adjusted to a new way of working.
What is the beauty industry worth in the UK?
Facial treatments were the very last to get the green light, although when perfoming any treatment on the face it is always done from behind the client the majority of the times, facials are done from behind the client not in front of the client, lash treatments carried out from behind the client, therefore we could not understand why the government wouldn’t allow these treatments to resume, I personally think they just did not understand how treatments were performed, I would like to thank Caroline Noakes MP who fought on our behalf throughout all of this, what we saw in the houses of parliament whereby male MP’s mocking our beauty industry, which upset many beauty professionals including myself in that matter. What our industry contributes to the british economy is 28.3 billion per year which is much bigger than the car manufacturing industry, this is such a big industry which is a predominantly female led industry. This amount increases year upon year. We love to get pampered, we need to feel relaxed to have our lovely facial treatments, our nails tendered and cared for, someone has to do that job, that could be you?
Contact trace
Also any client who visits your salon they need to complete a form with their details, the time they visited, the date, to keep details of contact tracing, if any of your clients have come down with the covid virus you then contact all of your clients after the time that client has had any treatments in your salon for them to get tested. For further details go on to the government website for more details.
What is expected?
Although we had been closed right up to the official date we could go back and teach beauty courses, we were so pleased to re open our doors again. All of our students have to have a temperature check upon arrival on site at the Custard Factory, hand sanitisers on all entrances to each building, in the lifts, in the academy. We have students spaced out at 1 metre each, we have 3 training rooms so we can accommodate a safe covid way of working. All of our students wear masks and visors when carrying out close contact treatments. All tutors wear masks and visors, aprons, gloves etc. All areas are sprayed down with sanitising and anti bacterial sprays, doors, chairs, etc. a one way in to the building and one way out of the building.
We have had such a demand in courses, we are working at full capacity but to a safety point of view which we would never compromise on in any way. Implementing the government safe working practices in the academy, so rest assured if you are training with us we will give you the new guidelines on working in this covid world of beauty. I have attached the link for the safe practices for you to read upon which will give you an in depth insight https://www.babtac.com/userfiles/files/BABTAC%2520Back%2520to%2520Work%2520Guidelines%2520.pdf
If you wish to train in our academy then call us now on 0121 794 0612 we would really love to help you on that beauty journey and to help you change career, what are you waiting for make that change today! We look forward to training you all.
Bye for now and take care, stay safe!
Lyndsey x
Academy Director