Two young stylists, both finalists in the Apprentice of the Year category in the Salon International Awards, share how they are keeping busy during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Variksha Harrychand from Blue Gel Hair Studio is spending her time very efficiently. “As I am still an apprentice, I am using this time to perfect my basic hair dressing techniques and also catching up on trending techniques that I find interesting and which I'd obviously love to try as soon as we get back into the salon.
“Staying motivated during this difficult time is easy to do when you love what you do. I stay motivated by completing the projects and assignments I was given, which become very interesting and help me to understand why hairdressing is done the way it is. This makes me even more excited to get back to work.”
Harrychand is staying connected to her colleagues and drawing inspiration from their motivation. “Social media is a great way to connect with other stylists but I miss the client interaction and letting my creativity flow. Keeping busy on mannequins at home is a good way to keep me on my toes, but it gets very limiting. I miss the vibe and the atmosphere that our salon is so famous for.”
Lee Van der Byl, also from Blue Gel Hair Studio, notes that her lockdown is a little more constructive than she thought it would be. She says: “I have an amazing boss who gave us homework, as future hair stylists, to complete and hand in once we are back in the salon. The assignment consists of product knowledge and different hair techniques to try.
“I’ve also been on Instagram looking at different hairdressers’ profiles to see how they are coping with the lockdown. As a result, I’ve come across lots of interesting sites to watch, as well as hair challenges that keep me busy. But I do miss being in an actual salon, consulting to clients and listening to their ideas on change for themselves.”
Blue Gel Hair Studio has group staff chats on WhatsApp, where they send each other news of their daily activities.