‘Double standard’ in beauty and the beards

Ministers face a challenge over the “double standard” that allows men to have their beards trimmed but women forbidden to get their eyebrows waxed in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions. Caroline Nokes, the Tory MP, plans to urge ministers to rethink the “serious gender divide” as the Government reopens the beauty sector. Treatments involving work in the “highest risk zone”, such as face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials, are still banned.

A LEADING Tory MP plans to challenge ministers over a “horrendous double standard” which means men can get their beards trimmed but women cannot have their eyebrows waxed as lockdown is eased.

Under government guidelines for reopening the beauty industry, men can have their facial hair styled, but comparable treatments for women such as facial waxing are still banned.

After consulting with business owners, Caroline Nokes, the chairman of the women and equalities committee, plans to urge ministers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to rethink their decision.

Ms Nokes told The Daily Telegraph: “There does appear to be a serious gender divide here. I’m really pleased the Government has opened up parts of the industry and I have been relentless in pursuit of this to date but you see these double standards creeping in.

“We’ve seen barbers trimming brows [and] trimming beards and we still have a range of facial practices that can’t be done on women.”

While the former Home Office minister admitted that the Government was in “uncharted waters”, she added: “Women’s voices are not in the room so they’re not being heard.”

On Thursday, Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, said the beauty sector, including nail bars and beauty salons, could reopen on July 13.

The Telegraph “Why Can’t I Work” campaign has been calling for the sector to reopen, and for clarity over which treatments can be performed.

The Government has banned treatments involving work in the “highest risk zone”, meaning face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials are still not allowed.

However, beard trimming can go ahead as long as it is limited to “simple trims, thinning or removing bulk or length which can be done using clippers or scissors”. One industry source said it was possible to pluck eyebrows from above with the customer lying back, similar to the way a hairdresser would wash a client’s hair. But this is also not allowed.

Dr Tijion Esho, an aesthetic medicine specialist, said: “The Government has conducted a blanket response and it is causing lots of people to lose income. There’s a deep lack of understanding. Most treatments are one-to-one, with high levels of sterilisation and never completely face-to-face.”

Ms Nokes said the industry had been “marginalised and trivialised”, adding: “I’ve seen some very flippant comments from people saying this is just vanity but it’s not.”

A government spokesman said: “Treatments, for example eyelash extensions, which require the practitioner to be very close to the client’s face for an extended period of time, put workers and customers at a much greater risk of transmission. These should therefore not take place. The guidance is clear that intricate detailing,

‘It was frustrating to learn we couldn’t open but it was when I realised you could trim beards that I lost it’

outlining or shaving of beards should also not be provided.

“This guidance was developed with industry to enable them to reopen in a Covid-secure way.”

Caroline Dinenage, the culture minister, said: “Of course I want these services opened as quickly as anybody; I haven’t had my eyebrows done in months. But we just have to err on the side of caution and keep people safe.”

However, Vanita Parti, CEO and founder of Blink Brow Bar, warned that if firms were not given a date to restart, “we might not have a business to reopen”. Ms Parti, who employs 250 beauty therapists across 13 sites, said: “It was incredibly frustrating to hear we couldn’t reopen as planned on Monday but it was when I realised that it was possible to trim beards that I lost it.”