It goes without saying that the Personal Care sector, along with the Tourism and Entertainment industries, has been one of the hardest hit sectors throughout the pandemic.
So many beauty salons, hairdressers, massage therapists, nail salons, gyms, yoga and pilates studios, and the like, shut down due to Covid lockdowns – for very good public health reasons. Some businesses, such as yoga and gyms studios, have been able to transition to online classes; however, those who deliver up close and very personal contact as part of their service are out of work while we endure lockdowns. And it is mostly women who have had their livelihoods completely disrupted.
Many have re-trained or had to get jobs in unrelated industries to keep an income, out of those, some might go back to the personal care industry once restrictions are lifted and the vaccinated economy is in full swing, and some might not.
While a lot of media attention and government support has been given to the construction and building sector, a mainly male dominated industry, represented and highly unionised sector, nothing much is being discussed in the media about the Personal Care Sector and the impact COVID restrictions are having on both service providers and clients, not just financially but more broadly when it comes to the often unrecognised community service work many of these small business providers deliver to people as a matter of course. There is a lot to be said for the positive mental health and community benefits of seeing our personal care providers.
A lot of the heavy lifting of our society’s wellbeing is done by these professions.
Personal grooming is not a new a trend, it existed in the earliest civilizations. There are plenty of studies that validate the fact that humans need human contact and touch, and conversely, the lack of touch can have dire consequences on a person’s mental health. For many people, our regular trip to the hairdresser, massage, beauty therapist, etc. is a vital part of our wellbeing, a special treat, a time out, a ‘me time’ event that keeps us going.
Grooming and comforting each other are core to being human. Many of us love having our hair brushed or our feet massaged, someone doing our nails, or just holding our hand or giving a hug.
The mental health benefits of personal care and attentiveness
October is Mental Health Month and there is a lot being discussed about the rise of mental health issues due to lockdowns.
I wonder how much of this is attributed to many of us missing our hair and massage appointments, our yoga classes, our nails being done and so on, as well as the connection to community via our sports, arts, and community activities.
I desperately miss having my hair cut and my beauty treatments, my weekly massage, gym session and so on. It’s not the just physical touch that I miss, I really miss the opportunity of seeing and sharing my life with my personal care team – those people with whom I share intimate aspects of my life and they with me. I am not the most extroverted person and do not like to socialise much, but I treasure greatly my regular catch-ups with these people in whom I trust my personal care. They are part of my extended family, my tribe.
That they are attentive to my physical, mental, and emotional needs cannot be underestimated at all. I wonder then if many others, like me, are missing this attentiveness in our daily lives. I would imagine so.
Who is caring for the beauty and personal care sector?
The Personal Care Sector is largely the domain of small businesses dotted along the high streets and from what I can tell it is not unionised or has industry group representation like other sectors. It’s more fragmented and therefore likely to not get the attention it truly deserves.
So who is representing and caring for these business owners and workers?
While the beauty and cosmetics industry is a multibillion dollar industry, and much has been written about the exploitation and negative impact of the beauty sector on our mental health, especially women, I’m not talking here about the cosmetics and skin care conglomerates who’ve seen products flying off supermarket and pharmacy shelves. It’s the small and medium businesses I’m worried about. I wonder how seriously media commentators, governments and business groups are taking the Personal Care sector and not just from an economic standpoint. I mean “it’s just a haircut” isn’t it, or is it?
This sector provides services beyond the haircut. They provide comfort and care, a space to re-centre, rejuvenate, talk or stay quiet, a space for genuine human connection.
There’s sure to be both economic and mental health costs associated with the lack of personal care human contact services many of us have gone without and many service providers are missing delivering.
Business isn’t and shouldn’t be just about the bottom line. Sectors like Personal Care deliver way more than GDP. These client interactions are much more than just a transaction – a task completed. They provide a community service that cares for people in ways that probably cannot be accounted for on a balance sheet. This sector, the Personal Care service providers specifically, deserve way more respect and acknowledgement for what they deliver for us and to the wellbeing of our society.
I write this in honour of my Personal Care Tribe: Amanda, Judy, Isaac, Bernadette, Steve, Lee, and Mel. Know that I care for you and miss you deeply. Looking forward to seeing you all very soon. Thank you for everything you do.
Remember, everybody lives by selling something.
*Photos credit: MBody
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