Category: Industry News

The industry is ever changing here are some various topics in the Industry! Good and Bad

Clients Have Changed Since The Government Lock Down

~ Joseph Kellner

Inflation and/or stock market volatility are not causing a slowdown in spending from salon clients. Those that did report a decrease in spending (47.1 percent) said they’re experiencing less frequent visits, a decline in add-on services, a delay in appointments and less spending on retail. And, of course, some clients have opted to take their hair routine into their own hands, coloring at home or embracing their grey. Those who are seeing an uptick in services said they are mostly conditioning treatments, smoothing services and color upgrades. Yes this industry will be changing. Especially if we see a depression in the future. Right now a lot of consumers have to worry about the increase in gas, rent, mortgages, food etc. In the next few months we will see new elections come arising and people will vote for there choose. A lot of citizens are very unhappy with the current administration and there handling of nationwide matters. Maybe the tide will change for the better for our nation. But to me there is a change in priority in beauty needs. Basic survival is the constant now. Not hair.

  • Clients are expressing more creativity and spontaneity, and especially a willingness to try new services.
  • Clients are booking standing appointments as far out as a year.
  • Clients are seeking low or bald haircuts to spend less on maintenance.

Salons Need Employees/Employees Need Pay

~ Joseph Kellner

I Have been a Hairdresser/Makeup Artist in the Beauty Industry for 30 years now. And I have never, ever seen a industry that takes advantage of there employee’s before in my whole professional life. The sit and wait policy is still going on in the industry. Which means you will wait for a walk-in client and get no pay what so ever. Not even a salary for someone first starting out in the profession. Owners will ask you to answer the phone, fold towels, sweep the floor, dust the retail shelves and all sorts of free labor they can get out of you. It’s called taking advantage of a human being. Getting what they can for nothing. Is the usual norm in the Beauty Industry. Look at Great Clips they are a tip based company and nothing more. You are required to clean the salon, answer the phone, fight with others for a walk-in customer, dust shelves, do laundry and close the store for only tips. And they will say they give you $9.00 a hour which if you go through your payroll check you are just getting tips. If they gave you $9.00 a hour plus tips you would be getting something to at least pay for your gas and electric bill.

In no other professional industry are you required to work for free. And they are expected to do free labor. Employee’s need to stop this way of abuse. With the Covid Virus running throughout the United States a lot of Beauty Industry Professionals decide to sit and wait it out and receive federal and state unemployment. Which for some was close to $800.00 biweekly. Finally receiving a decent wage for once, they took the time to really look at re-training and moving into a better profession. Having taken the time to see value in there work and taking professional responsibility in there training and advanced training. What more could a employer ask for. In the beauty Industry to a employer it means nothing. How can a person go to work worrying about there rent, insurance, daycare, food, etc. Beauty Industry owners do not care, they have to over head to worry about and will categorize you a a commission employee to stay away from tax’s. But will expect from the employee to do the responsibility’s of a paid employee.

So having a commission employee means nothing to a salon owner, they have to pay no salary, and will not worry about YOU. Even if you have to pay for your mortgage or buy groceries. The salon owner simply collects profit from the hair dresser. Simple scheme. And if you are going to get a salary you will be doing everything and even see your hours cut. And probably let employees go. The times need to change for all.

If you go on Indeed.com you will see a abundance of Beauty Industry jobs posted by Sport Clips, Great Clips, HairCuttery, JCPenneys, Regis Corporation, Hair Masters. They are on a constant basis asking for Stylists, Asst Managers and Managers. WHY? Because they do not pay there employee’s at all. Not even nickels and dimes. Stylist have gotten wise to the profession and come to the conclusion you cannot make a living in it anymore what so ever. Maybe 30 years ago but not anymore. And if you cannot afford to take care of your employees, don’t open a business you will not last long. Restaurant Corporations have become wise now, Hourly wages and higher benefits are abundant, Just look at Target, Walmart, Aldi’s they start there employees at $13.00 hourly now. And if you need a job they are “HIRING” signs all over.

Job’s are plentiful for all now. Wages are better now. But don’t count on making living in the Beauty Industry. The corporations are in control of it all. And they have completely raped it of everything.

No More Professional Licenses

~ Joseph Kellner

Mississippi no longer requires professional licenses for people who offer low-risk beauty services, a change that will save residents thousands of dollars and hours of time spent on training. House Bill 1312 was signed by Gov. Tate Reeves April 9, and it became law immediately. It removes certification requirements for people who work as eyebrow threaders, eyelash technicians or makeup artists.

The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology previously required people who receive money for these services to earn an esthetician license. The license requires training and exams, but none of the training deals with applying false eyelashes or eyebrow threading, the technique of using a single strand of cotton thread to remove hair. The legislation was prompted by multiple lawsuits against the board. The first was filed in 2019 on behalf of eyebrow threader Dipa Bhattarai by Mississippi Justice Institute, the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, which advocates for free markets and limited regulation.

Bhattarai, now 26, was forced to close her eyebrow threading business in early 2018 after she received a citation for not having a license. She started her business while studying for an accounting degree at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, as a way to help pay for school. Bhattarai learned eyebrow threading growing up in her native Nepal, where her aunt owned a salon. Bhattarai said there were few beauty service providers offering eyebrow threading when she opened her business. She started in a mall kiosk and soon expanded to two storefronts, in Starkville and Columbus. She served more than 3,000 customers in two years of business. When she had to close, four employees lost work. Bhattarai, who had just begun graduate school, lost thousands of dollars of business, all the while continuing to pay rent for her stores, which were under lease.

Mississippi Justice Institute director Aaron Rice said these kinds of regulations disproportionately impact the poor, minorities and young people. “A lot of times the people who are trying to get their start in life and get into the market or the workforce are young people who may not have an occupational license,” he said. “That barrier may be more than they can overcome in order to get into a work setting.” In 2020, Madison eyelash technician Amy Burks threatened litigation against the Board of Cosmetology after it threatened to shut down her business of five years because she had no license. Another lawsuit was filed by Fulton makeup artist Karrece Stewart in 2020.

Stewart said she was inspired to push for the law after hearing about Melony Armstrong, a Black woman who fought to get a law passed removing licensure requirements for hair braiding 15 years ago. “She told me what I needed to do to make my dream come true,” said Stewart, who said she spoke with Armstrong when preparing to file her lawsuit. Standing in her salon on Wednesday, Burks said she is grateful to be able to continue her work legally now that the law has changed. “For me personally, it was an integrity issue. It really bothered me to think that I was doing something illegal,” she said. “We have so many clients, and this has just been so overwhelming all the support that we have gotten.”





L’Oreal Class Action Lawsuit: Shampoo Doesn’t Contain Keratin

~ Joseph Kellner

A L’Oreal class action lawsuit claims that the beauty giant’s shampoo and conditioner deceive customers into thinking they contain keratin.

According to plaintiff Tammy DeVane, the L’Oreal Paris EverSleek Sulfate Free Keratin Caring products are labeled, named, and advertised to trick reasonable customers.

The L’Oreal shampoo class action lawsuit claims that based on label representations, customers assume that the products contain keratin. However, the hair-nourishing ingredient is allegedly not present in the shampoo and conditioner. “Saying the products are ‘Keratin Caring’ when they contain no keratin, and repeating that representation with additional statements on the product labels and in a uniform advertising campaign, is unlawful,” DeVane claims. “Defendant’s mis-branding is intentional and renders the products less valuable, or even worthless.”

Keratin is a protein that naturally occurs in the hair, skin, and nails. The protein protects these parts of the body from damage and stress, creating a healthy, attractive appearance. Keratin is often used in hair care products due to its nourishing nature and many consumers look for keratin when purchasing shampoo and conditioner. L’Oreal allegedly takes advantage of the keratin reputation through marketing and advertising their “Keratin Caring” line in a deceptive way.

Product descriptions reportedly state that the Keratin Caring shampoo and conditioner “[care] for the essential protein and keratin that is found in hair.” These representations about the products’ keratin benefits are reportedly reflected in websites, promotional materials, and commercials. DeVane argues that L’Oreal heavily represents their products as containing keratin and that consumers trust the company’s advertisements. This reportedly results in consumers purchasing L’Oreal Keratin Caring shampoo and conditioner based on the belief that they contain keratin.

However, the L’Oreal class action states that because the products do not contain keratin, consumer purchases are proven to be worthless. DeVane claims that she and other customers would not have purchased the products if they had known that they didn’t contain keratin or would have paid less for the hair care products. “The absence of keratin and the failure of the EverSleek Keratin Caring Products to provide the claimed benefits of keratin leave no reason to purchase these products at all, since other proven and less­-expensive products exist,” the L’Oreal class action lawsuit states.

DeVane seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased L’Oreal EverSleek Keratin Care shampoo and conditioner. She also seeks to represent two sub classes of consumers from New York and Florida, respectively, who purchased EverSleek Keratin Care shampoo and conditioner. The L’Oreal class action lawsuit seeks actual damages, statutory damages, restitution, disgorgement, interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees. DeVane and the proposed Class are represented by Taylor Bartlett and Caroline Hollingsworth of Heninger Garrison Davis LLC.

The L’Oreal Paris EverSleek Sulfate Free Keratin Caring Shampoo and Conditioner Class Action Lawsuit is DeVane v. L’Oreal USA Inc., Case No. 1:19­-cv­-04362, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

UK Government to Help The Hairdressing Industry

~ Joseph Kellner

The hair industry has been one of the most affected sectors from the pandemic and the National Hair & Beauty Federation’s (NHBF) latest report shows turnover falling by 45% in 2020, compared to 2019.

Due to social distancing restrictions, salon capacity fell to 70% of what it was before the pandemic began, with hair businesses losing on average two hours of appointment time per stylist per day, the report found.

The average cash loss to a business in 2020 was £17,000, with those over the VAT threshold taking an even bigger hit, and one in 10 businesses did not return any income or dividend to their owners or managers, the data revealed. Full-time employment in the sector is also down 21% on 2019 figures.

As such, the NHBF states that there are now many hair and beauty businesses which are acutely vulnerable to failure in the next 12 months, especially as 2021 is expected to be just as tough a year as 2020. Without further support from Government, most expect to survive two-to-three months (from January 2021) if coronavirus lock-down continues, the NHBF’s report states.

The report also revealed that the Covid-19 crisis has a disproportionate impact on women and those in deprived communities – for example, hair and beauty business owners are 82% female, with an 88% female workforce.

There is also a higher proportion of personal care businesses than any other sector in the most deprived areas of the UK, with closure of these places posing a risk to those in the local community who are most likely to be employed at these salons.

Reducing VAT to 5% would add £16,000 to the average VAT registered business, closing the cash gap by one-third, states the report. This would reduce to 6% the proportion of businesses not returning anything to their owners or managers.

If 18% of the businesses which would have otherwise failed survive as a result of reducing VAT to 5%, then the policy pays for itself through the taxes they will pay.

Talking about the NHBF’s report findings, chief executive Richard Lambert said: “While the future could be bleak for the personal care sector, intervention now and immediately following reopening will have a life-changing positive effect. There’s nothing coming in, but the overheads still have to be paid. When we are closed, we are closed. We can’t diversify into takeaways and online sales.

“The personal care sector is calling for a specific grant to support businesses through the immediate cashflow crisis, in line with similar funds that have been afforded to many other sectors, including the arts, hospitality and leisure, and the aeronautical industry, among others.”

He added: “We also need support after reopening to keep cash in these businesses so they can recover. The bigger businesses have been hit the hardest and are now the most vulnerable to failure. A targeted VAT cut to 5% would allow them to re-build, invest in staff and apprentices, and once again be the heart of their high streets and communities. We’ve shown this move will pay for itself, so it’s a cost-effective solution for the Government.

“Right now, it feels like we are last in line for support, flippantly disregarded within Parliament and overlooked by Government, despite the billions of pounds we contribute to the economy each year.”

The NHBF has been working with the British Beauty Council (BBC), British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetologists (Babtac) and the UK Spa Association (UKSA) to lobby the Department for Business (BEIS), the Treasury and the Cabinet Office for an urgent Personal Care crisis fund and a reduction in VAT.