Looks do matter

When surrounded by glamour, which is the name of the game in segments like hospitality, aviation, FMCG, fashion and entertainment, it's pretty essental for the urbane to look and feel beautiful. Hyderabad Journal gets a touch-up as well...

'Beauty in the flesh will continue to rule the world,' - Florenz Ziegfield.

The aphorism does fit with the Gen-Y, who doesn't hesitate shelling out thousands on 'good looks' to turn heads. And, making most of the situations are salons and parlors in the city, multiplying in numbers by the day.

"The surge in demand for beauty services has the size of industry grow at 15-20 percent annually (a turnover of Rs 2,000 crore) in India this year," informs Ch Anuradha, director, Anoo's International Beauty School (AIBS).

Right from hair coloring, manicure, facials, waxing and body massage to electrolysis, chemical peels, micro derma, weight management treatments and aromatherapy... you just name it, the salons have it.

A cursory glimpse at the parlors in the neighborhood would give an inkling of the ever-growing beauty 'requirement', which was hitherto a choice, of the conscious-self in the recent times. Twenty-eight-year old Sandhya Rani Panigrahi, lecturer in Chemistry at a city college says, "To be the center of attraction is every individual's desire. Since people tend to pay attention to minute of details, it is a 'must' to project oneself the right way."

Not so extravagant though, as she underlines, Sandhya does get a touch-up every now and then. "I've good many followers among students," she winks.

Dr Fathima, a cosmetologist with Not Just Skin Deep Clinic at Banjara Hills quips, "India is a country where beauty ages back to ancient times. However, it caught the fancy of one and all, irrespective of gender and age, only just. After all, looking beautiful is a feel-good factor that helps boost one's confidence levels."

Certainly, chips in Anwar-ur-Rehman, a 37-year-old pilot. "Beauty has its charm spread all over. And, the Hyderabadi men too are unflinchingly going for a 'metro' look."

Not to forget, beauty is directly proportional to the healthy living of individuals. "So staying close to nature is much important. Hence, I study physiology and anatomy of an individual before going for treatment," states Vijayalakshmi, proprietor, Mirrors Spa & Salon at Banjara Hills.

Meanwhile, the foray of corporate and international players has added to the demand. "The industry will require five lakh beauty specialists in the next four years, making beauty a hot pursuit for all," points out Monica Bahl, Head (National Operations), VLCC Institute of Beauty Health and Management.

The sprouting parlors in every nook and cranny of the city testify to the same. "So, please visit a trained beautician," cautions Vijayalakshmi. Point taken!

In order to create better opportunities for the prospective talents, the IGNOU joined hands with the VLCC (has academic link ups with Doncaster College-UK and Cengage Learning-US) recently to offer beauty and nutrition courses in a face-to-face mode. Also, AIBS (affiliated to the City and Guilds, UK) launched a two-year MSc in Cosmetology in collaboration with the JNTU... these, apart from other career-oriented short and long-term courses.