Bring Your Own Towel - A New Routine at The Wax Factor

Ladies and Gents,

Last year a client of The Wax Factor suggested clients bring their own fresh towel - it wasn't a cost saving exercise but an ecological one - it made sense that instead of a fresh towel being used once then washing in the salon laundry ;) that client could reuse at home - like a lot of suggestions with limited time this was not rolled out oops!

Forward a year and we have a different world we live in and it made total sense for this to be rolled out at The Wax Factor and in turn I felt it was a more hygienic option as well as ecological especially when PPE when used in a salon environment cannot be recycled.

I am pleased to say 95% of clients since we reopened on Wednesday last week have remembered their towel and going forward it will become second nature.

I am hoping for clients who take part every month with BYOT we have a special surprise in January 2021 hoping we are open then so pleased stay tuned!

Best wishes as always

Isabel x

When you have to start asking - when will we be back open?

Ladies and Gents - I truly believe the Beauty Industry has been forgotten about in the relaxing of the lockdowns and received many messages from clients on why some sectors can open but beauty salons cannot got me thinking - what is the science behind this decision?  So I took the bull by the horns and wrote to senior members of the Scottish Government, Health professionals, my local MSP  and the opposition leader in Scotland unfortunately I got the first minister email wrong lol but now corrected and sent

Its an emotive email, from the heart and all true  :) but I'm only one voice

From: Isabel McRobbie <isabelmcrobbie@hotmail.com>
Sent: 25 June 2020 17:58
To: firstminister@gov.scott <firstminister@gov.scott>; CabSecHS@gov.scot <CabSecHS@gov.scot>; Jackson.carlaw.msp@parliament.scot <Jackson.carlaw.msp@parliament.scot>; gregor.smith@gov.scot <gregor.smith@gov.scot>; alex.neil.msp@parliament.scot <alex.neil.msp@parliament.scot>; Jason.Leitch@gov.scot <Jason.Leitch@gov.scot>
Subject: Beauty - where is the science?

 

I am Isabel McRobbie – Owner of The Wax Factor - a home business since 2009. I’m super busy with many loyal clients who have become friends. Over the last 11 years I have built up a thriving business based on hard work and dedication to providing an excellent personal service.

On 22^nd March I felt like Alice going down the rabbit hole when I closed my business – to say I was devasted was an understatement. However I recognised that the health of my clients, my family and myself was paramount.

 I have a Salon insurance policy with business disruption cover included  but it appears the insurers are unwilling to pay.

 Mr Rishi Sunak gave me hope til I found out I didn’t qualify for government assistance because my (non-related) part time job took me over the 50% of month's earnings threshold making me ineligible for any government assistance – no furlough scheme, small business grants or bounce back loans for me. Since lockdown I have survived on savings which are now depleted. 

Hairdressers have now been told they can return on 15^th July – if this is scientifically based can you please provide me the evidence? I do not remember any hairdressers with long enough arms to be over a meter away from me and still cut hair. So why no mention of the beauty industry? Beauty salons have extremely high hygiene factors -higher in fact than hairdressers. For example, my premises have been inspected by the local council as I have a skin piercing license.  In fact I would argue that because I am a home salon (one in and one out) my footfall is lower and therefore hygiene is much more manageable. 

I would be absolutely delighted for you to visit my salon socially distancing or virtually and would be happy to go through the hygiene routine we have always had in place for contact with clients– I am always gloved up. Pre-covid I always put on a mask if I had a cold and I clean and disinfect the work area in between appointments. I can easily adapt to any new protocols. My clients can wear masks through most treatments and very often treatments are often not face to face i.e. leg waxing.  If some treatments could create more of a risk, surely it is better to suspend those treatments rather than keep salons closed. (Eg when restaurants open they can't do buffets but can still operate).

Just now I sit and wait for someone to decide my businesses fate. Or maybe I could show you first-hand how this home salon operates? You would then see that I am a lesser threat of infection than the local barber.

However the stark reality is that if we are not open soon I will not be able to reopen my salon. Although  overheads are smaller than a separate business premises, they are still there. With a young family to bring up I have to put them first and try to find some other income.

The simple question is, how do the services I provide (with the appropriate protocols) form a higher risk to health than a hairdresser? And when can I welcome back my clients?

Isabel McRobbie

To Shave or Not to Shave - That is the question

Today (Sunday) marks three weeks that The Wax Factor closed. We will reopen but only when the UK Government give me the OK. I deliberately purchased a lot of wax in case there were supply issues post a potential lockdown so we have plenty of wax!

I'm receiving lots of enquiries on when the salon is reopening and what to do in the meantime so my advice, if it helps is as follows :)

We don't know how long we are in lock down for but through the years of waxing these observations on waxing, hair growth etc might help make up your mind:

For optimum hair length for waxing I recommend 4 weeks - shorten than this means shorte hair and repeat waxing which is uncomfortable, broken hairs and a few left behind. Long term waxers (several years of regular monthly appointments at The Wax Factor can get away with every 6 weeks)

Longer than 6 weeks all hair will likely be removed but after 6 weeks of non waxing the hair root started to enlarge because its been so long since waxing so this can be an uncomfortable appointment.

Shaving - shaving doesn't produce an even cut of hairs - some left longer and some shorter so when you are waxed after shaving its very likely some hairs will be shorter (under waxing length) than others which means despite my best effort to remove in waxing  they will be left unwaxed

What will make your waxing more comfortable is regular exfoliation and moisturising of the waxing area - I cannot emphasise this more - before we closed lots of clients had dry skin being waxed - this is not comfortable and also needs waxed several times (really uncomfortable and bad for your skin) as the dry skin covers the hair or grabs hair for moisturise so hard to wax - so if you do anything in the lock down moisturise!

Keep safe

Isabel