Fragrantly Beautiful

A Visit to a Beauty Parlor in Nepal

Small businesses provide women with a social network and an independent income

Women are beautiful in themselves; but a little make-up does help. In the 21st century, beauty and make-up are like the wheels of a cart or the two sides of a coin.

Every woman wants to be pretty whether she's young or old so the beauty parlor is the place to go. Beauty parlors are also a temple; however, the difference is that we go to worship God in the temple and in the beauty parlor we go to be worshipped by the beautician.

In Nepal, beauty parlor culture has been in existence for approximately three decades and is centralized in the urban areas. In the beginning locals dared not go to the parlors but their popularity has become rampant over the last 10 years.

In Nepal, many cosmetics are imported from European countries like France, England and Germany. However, quality products are only available if the customers are able to pay for them.

Among modern housewives in urban areas beauty parlors have made an impact. Now they go there seeking independence and individuality.

Maya, a housewife, likes to go to the beauty parlor to have Wella Hair Color applied to lighten her hair. This practice is not easily acceptable in most Nepali households, but it is slowly spreading through society.

My friend Sangita Thapa has a beauty parlor and I like to go there from time to time. When I asked her why she is more interested in this field than any other she answered:"

As I left school after class 10, I can't get an office job. A beauty parlor can be opened with little investment and formal education, so I am interested."

According to her, this profession is one of the best for people who left education after school level. In addition she said, "Opening this parlor, I don't have to beg for pocket money from my parents." She doesn't feel regret over not having higher level education and she is fully satisfied with her parlor.

She has received training from renowned Nepalese beautician Kamal Shrestha, and has been operating Pogerpine Beauty parlor since 2000. In her beauty parlor, customers vary from the age of 15 to 56. It means that everyone from schoolgirls to women with white hair come into her parlor. She added: "

Mostly schoolgirls come to the beauty parlor for threading and hair-cutting and besides that women come for waxing, coloring their hair, massaging the hair, pedicures and manicures etc. Women over 30 tend to come in for facials."

I asked her about which types of haircut are preferred by girls nowadays. She said that Mongolian girls mostly want razor cut and normally other youngsters want step-cut, and generally parents want their children to have Thai-cut and mushroom cut.

Of course women go to the beauty parlor to be made beautiful but they also come to share news. Some come with mournful tidings and others with happy ones.

A woman named Rita, (we call her "Vauju" which means sister-in-law), comes to Sangita's beauty parlor with hot gossip as she is married. As she enters, the atmosphere in the parlor turns light with laughter.

Another, a widow named Jaya, comes to the parlor full of grief. Sangita, being a beautician, couldn't remain silent seeing Jaya's bushy eyebrows, and she asked if she could thread them. Jaya refused because she was afraid of her cruel mother-in-law and society.

A girl, a student named Upama, comes with gossip from her college. She has a boy there and as soon as she enters the parlor, she begins describing him. Sangita cannot resist adding oil to her fire to make her gossip more interesting.

Sangita charges (US$0.20) NRs 20 for threading, and depending on whether hair is thick or thin and how it is cut, she takes (US$0.40-$1) NRs 30 to 75 for hairdressing. Facials start from (US$2-$6.80) NRs 150 to 500 according to the cost of the cream. The cheaper the price of the cream, the cheaper will be the price of the facial and vice versa.

Not only customers but also three trainees come to her parlor. She gives them training for two hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The trainees come because they're interested in the profession and have little formal education. One of the trainees named Shila said, "I have passed only class 8 and for this training no more education is needed, so I am coming."

One proverb says: "Either skill or education is essential to do any thing." So having skill with little education, one can open a beauty parlor with a small investment and a limited amount of space. Running a beauty parlor is a good profession for Nepalese women.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 2:40 PM