Trendy hair salons pose threat to barbers

Vijayawada: After assuming the ‘Capital’ status, the changing face of the City is clearly seen even in the hairstyling business. The hairstyling business seems to be growing by leaps and bounds in the Capital city. Haircuts that cost around Rs 100 are things of the past now. To get a hairdo from hair salons like Toni&Guy, Bubbles, women have to shell out at least Rs 400.

Depending on the kind of haircut and the hairstylist, the price can even cross a whopping 1000-rupee mark. But, the high-end prices do not seem to be a deterrent for the denizens, who are thronging these hair salons. The state-of-the art equipment and the elegance of the hair salons are calling out to the customers, who are willing to experiment with their hairstyles. “I spent Rs 700 to get a haircut. This is the first time I splurged such a huge amount on a haircut.

But, I feel it has given me a complete makeover. I think it’s worth the money,” K Roshni said in an excited tone. The excitement is not confined to young girls alone. Jasmeet Kaur, who moved from Delhi to Vijayawada, said she was happy to have ‘Tony and Guy hair salon’ in the City. The signs of acceptance of a higher standard of living are pretty clear from the willingness to spend large amounts of money on hairstyling and hair spa treatments.

Men are no exception to this trend. Be Enrich, a new entrant in the City, boasts of its ultra-modern equipment and highly professional and qualified hairdressers. The styling chairs, blow dryers, body spa machines and pedicure chairs that one may see in Be Enrich are all imported from China. Their Creative Director, a top-notch hair stylist, is reported to have undergone training from an institute in London.

Their prices for men’s haircuts range from Rs 260 to Rs 999, while for women, prices range from Rs 400 to Rs 1,500. Layers, Bob cut, Advanced cut, Classical cut, Graduated bob, fringes…the list of hairstyles that the hairdressers at this hair salon promise to offer are endless.

“It has only been two months since we opened our branch here in the City. Our customer base is increasing by the day. On weekends, our hair salon is crowded. If you plan to make a visit on a weekend, it’s better to take a prior appointment,” Ch Raj, salon manager, said.

The target group of these highly-sophisticated hair salons is mostly the educated young. While the young fashion freaks are happy to catch up with the changing trends in hairstyles, their high-end spending habits do not seem to go down well with parents. “I was taken by surprise when my daughter told me how much they charge for a haircut. I did not say ‘no’ as I did not want to disappoint her. It’s good to be trendy but I’m afraid this will mean a dip in my savings,” Pamela Thomas, a parent, said.

However, the untold story that remains behind the new highly appealing hairdressing salons, is the threat that they pose to the traditional barbershops and the community that depends on hair-cutting for livelihood. Speaking on the issue, Koribilli Yesu Babu, Andhra Pradesh Nayee Brahmana Welfare Association spokesman, said, “Barbers were treated with great respect in the olden days. Hair-cutting was treated as a service.

Nowadays, it has become business oriented.” Yesu Babu has been a barber for 34 years and now, he feels the threat of the new breed of technology-oriented, high-end hairdressing salons which are fast making their way into the business. Yesu Babu said, “The maximum I can receive for a haircut is Rs 75.

After paying for the rent, electricity and other things, it is difficult to break-even. I cannot switch to any other profession as this is all I have been doing my whole life.” He added that upper-caste people have entered the hair-cutting business, making it difficult for the traditional artisans.