Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire & Bedworth – Craig Tracey MP visits local hair salon to show support for the Personal Care Sector

Friday 11^th June 2021, Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women and Enterprise, Craig Tracey MP, visited The Hair Shack, a local L’Oréal partner salon, to show support for the sector as it reopens.

Much more than just a haircut – the British public have been returning to personal care services with the long-awaited and safe reopening of hair and beauty salons across the country. Hair salons – the heart of the UK’s high streets and a hub for local communities – have reopened their doors under robust COVID-19 secure government guidelines as they look to bounce-back from the pandemic.

Offering a professional local service – and one where the highest hygiene and safety measures have always been standard practice – hair salons offer a unique experience that cannot digitalised; with human connection and touch an essential part of all hairdressing experiences. It is therefore not surprising that a recent online survey revealed that 68% of British adults that get their hair done professionally agree that having their hair done supports their mental health and wellbeing.

Throughout the pandemic, L’Oréal UK and Ireland’s Professional Products Division (PPD) have been supporting their hairdressing salon partners of nearly 13,000 by helping them to prepare for a safe reopening; with hygiene and safety training courses, Business Bounce-back Salon Support Guides, over 100,000 hand sanitizers, amongst other measures.

Béatrice Dautzenberg, Managing Director, L’Oréal UK and Ireland Professional Products Division, said:

“Hairdressers and salons have always been at the heart of our high streets and local communities – and over the past 12 challenging months – have highlighted this important service more than ever. Not only a service that supports physical beauty and grooming, but one that goes much deeper by supporting the nations mental health and wellbeing through the power of human touch and connection – and of course, one that can never be digitalised or automated.

“We are delighted to see the support of influential MPs such as Craig Tracey for the Personal Care Sector, especially as a sector that is women-led and playing a crucial role in recovery of the UK economy. We look forward to continued support for all hair and beauty professionals who still face many challenges, and we at L’Oréal are committed in supporting all of our partners, as well as welcoming more apprentices and hair professionals into this highly-skilled and important industry.”

Craig Tracey MP, Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women and Enterprise, said:

“It was great to meet Leanne and her team at The Hair Shack today to discuss the business and the challenges they have met during the Covid 19 pandemic. This industry is an incredibly important part of the UK’s economy, so it’s great to see them back open and looking after their communities again. It is clear that a visit to the hairdresser or beauty salon for many is more than just about the service that they are going in for. For many it is often about the overall experience, not only from a physical grooming and hygiene perspective, but also for the additional benefits of self-confidence, mental health and wellbeing.”

“As Chair of the APPG for Women in Enterprise, I am delighted to support the industry as it bounces back from the challenges of the last year. Especially considering over 88% of the people who work in the Hairdressing and Barbering sector are women. I think during lockdown, we appreciated more than ever the excellent job these businesses provide and how much we miss them when we can’t make our regular visit!”

Leanne Pardoe, salon owner of The Hair Shack, said:

“The Hair Shack is at the heart of the community supporting our client’s physical grooming but also their wellbeing. It’s great to receive the support from local leaders and we have been working very hard as an industry to put in place hygiene and safety measures above and beyond guidelines to care for and welcome back our clients. We are delighted to have reopened safely, but we now need continued support that will help to ensure our long-term recovery.”