Why can men have eyebrows groomed but women can’t?
THE phased release of lockdown reached farcical levels last night after it emerged that men can have their eyebrows styled – but women can’t.
Although barbers are offering to trim beards and eyebrows, there is still a ban on beauty salons offering facial treatments when they reopen tomorrow.
Critics have seized on the ‘horrendous double standards’ and say it highlights that the Cabinet is overwhelmingly made up of men.
Beauty experts say that while the loophole remains, brow bars and salons offering mainly facials will be forced to stay shut, putting livelihoods at risk.
Tory MP Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, said she plans to challenge Ministers over the ‘galling’ decision. ‘It’s definitely not a level playing field for female beauty versus male grooming,’ she added. ‘We’ve seen barbers trimming brows and trimming beards.
‘Even if it looks like I could get my eyebrows done at a barbers this weekend, I’ll wait until it’s deemed OK to go to a salon.’
A critic of the policy, Chloe Stanhope, told of the difference between how she and her boyfriend were being treated. ‘He went to get a haircut and they trimmed his beard and did his eyebrows using an electric shaver,’ she said. ‘Neither had a mask on.
‘I’m really frustrated this is able to happen and that women aren’t able to go to a hygienic salon where the beauticians are wearing full PPE. This shows nothing but sexism.’
One industry source said it was possible to pluck or thread eyebrows from above a customer who is lying backwards, similar to the way a hairdresser would wash a client’s hair.
They added it was safer than a beard trim because both participants could wear masks.
Experts say the restrictions on offering work to the face could devastate the beauty sector, which employs largely women and is worth £30 billion a year to the economy.
Lesley Blair, Chair at the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, said: ‘There’s no doubt that it will have a devastating effect. We can’t underestimate what this will do to brow bars and facialists.’
The row comes as nail bars, tanning salons and tattoo parlours were yesterday making final preparations to reopen after 112 days.
Tattooist Scott Mclaren, who has inked the likes of David Beckham and Ed Sheeran, said: ‘I’m so excited. I’ve been in the studio since 5am on Friday to get it ready in time.’