Beauty salon

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A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides cosmetic treatments for people.^[1] Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and medical spas.

Hair cut is generally offered in beauty salons. Massage for the body is a beauty treatment, with various techniques offering benefits to the skin (including the application of beauty products) and increasing mental well-being.^[2] Hair removal is offered at some beauty salons through treatments such as waxing and threading. Some beauty salons also style hair instead of requiring clients to go to a separate hair salon. Some also offer sun tanning via tanning beds.

Another popular beauty treatment specific to the face is known as a facial. The perceived effects of a facial mask treatment include revitalization, healing, or refreshment of the skin. They may yield temporary benefits depending on environmental, dietary, and other skincare factors. Although customers seek out these services for anti-aging or anti-inflammatory results, there is little to no objective evidence that there are any long-term benefits to the various available facial treatments.^[3]

Specialized beauty salons known as nail salons offer treatments such as manicures and pedicures for the nails.^{[citation needed]} A manicure is a treatment for the hands that involves trimming and filing of the fingernails and softening the cuticles in preparation for the application of nail polish. A pedicure is a treatment for the feet that involves trimming and filing of the toenails in preparation for the application of nail polish, as well as the softening or removal of calluses.^{[citation needed]}

There were thousands of beauty salons in Afghanistan before the Taliban outlawed them in July 2023, mandating their closure within a month.^[4][5]

Beauty parlors employed 3.4 million people across India in 2013.^[6] The industry was expected to employ 12.1 million workers by 2022.^[6] Services typically include facials, skin-lightening bleaches, waxing, hair coloring, and hair straightening.^[7]

Beauty salons have been a recession-resistant industry across the United States. Although sales had declined^[when?] from 2008 highs due to the Great Recession, they remain robust with a long-term positive forecast.^[8] Despite the tendency for consumers to be more price-conscious during recessions, spending continued to increase. With rising per capita incomes across the United States since 2015, beauty salons boomed, generating $56.2 billion in the United States. Hair care was the largest segment, with 86,000 locations. Skincare was expected to generate $21.09 billion in revenue by 2023, growing annually by 3.91%.^[9] This growth was driven in part by increasing awareness of the importance of skin care among American women, but also specifically due to an increase in the market for men.^[10] In 2020, the market was distributed widely across America, with a concentration in the Northeast and Midwest. There was also a growing trend in boutique salons popping up and leveraging online marketing to gain customers and compete with the franchise chains.^[11] In 2014, the US Labor Department estimated employment in the United States increased 20% between 2008 and 2014, with the greatest employment growth from skincare specialists.^[12] Beauty salons employ cosmetologists specializing in general beautification techniques. Cosmetology licensing requirements vary from state to state and depend on which specific license type is desired: general cosmetologist, hair stylist, esthetician, manicurist, barber, electrologist, or other.^[13]

According to the Ministry of Health, as of December 2023, Vietnam has a total of 11,752 establishments providing aesthetic services.^[14][15] Of these, only 598 establishments are licensed to operate in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are 7,087 establishments providing aesthetic services,^[16][17] of which only 598 are licensed to operate.^{[18][19][20][21][22]} In Hanoi, there are 2,044 establishments providing aesthetic services, of which only 200 are licensed to operate.^[23][24]

People who work in beauty salons include hairdressers, nail technicians, and other licensed cosmetic workers. Those who work at beauty salons are at risk of being exposed to infectious disease.^[25] Reasons for this include the direct physical contact between worker and client, and the amount of and the use of tools that can lead to breaks in the skin, increasing exposure to infectious pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.^[25] Studies have shown that beauty salons are often breeding grounds for infections, such as antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and fungal infections, which can easily spread through cuts or abrasions that can occur from beauty treatments.^[25] Further, infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes, chronic fungal infections, hair lice, and eye and skin infections have all been attributed to beauty salons.^[25]

Several risk factors contribute to the vulnerability of beauty salon worker’s health in their professions. Beauty salon workers directly touch and use tools on client’s bodies, such as metal combs, that can create nicks, cuts, or abrasions on the skin.^[26] Various cosmetic tools are also known to be ideal environments for pathogens, creating an opportunistic environment for disease spread.^[27] Unsafe sanitation practices, such as the reuse of unsterilized or improperly sanitized tools and poor hygiene protocols are prevalent in many beauty salons.^[28] Sanitation is very important in preventing disease transmission in beauty salons. Regular disinfection of tools, the use of disposable tools, personal protective equipment, and maintaining clean workstations are all outlined by Sanaat as essential practices for avoiding infectious disease spread.^[29] Additionally, personal protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, can significantly reduce exposure to infectious agents in the workplace.

Another risk factor that beauty salon workers and clients face is contamination of beauty products used in beauty salons, such as moisturizers, lotions, lipsticks, eyeliners, powders, and mascaras. Cosmetic products provide the ideal environment for microbial growth and have been found to be contaminated with several pathogens such as bacteria, funguses, and yeasts in beauty salons using these products.^[30]

To lessen the risk of acquiring infectious diseases in the workplace, Mancini et al. recommends implementing strong infection control measures and ensure that nail technicians receive proper training on hygiene practices.^[31] By prioritizing sanitation and disease prevention, the health of both nail technicians and their clients can be safeguarded, creating a safer work environment. Overall, the sheer amount of biological hazards in beauty salons creates a complex risk environment for workers and clients.

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