Our very own Dympna Fitzgerald spoke about Modern Beauty in a recent issue of  Salon Magazine Ireland.

What is modern beauty? Has the aesthetics industry reborn yet? As someone who has seen the industry move forward for the last 30 years, Dympna Fitzgerald from Totalcare believes it’s more alive than ever.

I have seen major change in the industry since I started out when I was 19. Some changes have been positive, and some have been not so positive. Overall, I can see the Irish beauty salon being split into 3 distinct groups.

Firstly, you have the general beauty salon. These haven’t changed much since I’ve been in the industry and most are excellent at what they do. They generally work with nails, tan, makeup and cosmetic based facials, offering services to clientele in the low to mid-price range.

Secondly, we have cosmetics clinics who often work with injectables. This is a relatively new industry that has really utilised social media to promote themselves and get fantastic celebrity endorsements. While I personally have my reservations about invasive techniques, they certainly are showing the rest of us how to market ourselves. However, I have received distressing reports from salons who are working with clients that are suffering from neurosis and disfigurement from injectables like Botox® which can have permanent and negative effects on the appearance and confidence of the end-user.

Thirdly, there is a ‘hybrid’ model of salon who may not do the likes of nails and tan but use non-invasive and modern technologies to treat the widest range of conditions with excellent results and consumer satisfaction. Customers are always very loyal to these clinics and keep coming back because they want more of a system which works for them. I notice that word-of-mouth really works for these clinics, but they are getting onto the social media bandwagon, creating their own stamp on the industry.  I work in my own clinic which would be a hybrid model. We feel that targeting health conscious consumers is the way forward for these salons to grow. Many consumers are afraid of hearing ‘modern’ after seeing the sometimes-graphic content that is shared on social media of certain invasive treatments and injectables.

But what I’d say to the industry as a whole is that while ‘fast-fashion’ might be working for the textile industry, from what I experience, the Irish consumer wants a quality treatment with the best of natural products and excellent after care and support. They also want to be able to trust their salon, so any equipment you have should always be kept up-to-date and serviced. I feel this could be a reason why insurance has skyrocketed for our industry. I am convinced that if more non-invasive beauty was offered, insurance premiums would begin to stabilise. I know salons whose premiums have gone up around 50% over the last 5 years and my own has risen by about 30%. A safer and more regulated industry must happen from within so that we can all benefit from the synergy effect that can happen in the Irish beauty industry. If we all work together, we can all benefit from each other’s existence. The everyday client has no problem aging; but they want to age gracefully with as many natural elements as possible.

That’s why I love this industry, a vibrant community who want to help people be the best they can be. I can’t see why the industry cannot continue to grow and develop for the next 30+ years.