Will a national register of therapists be welcomed?

The demand for regulation of the beauty industry has caused debate for years. Without a singular governing body, the industry is open to abuse from poorly trained people entering the market to make a quick buck.

So the news that Habia is launching a major new project to create a register and a nationally recognised and enforced code of conduct for therapists and nail techs is likely to be welcomed by employers and brands.

With so many independent qualifications available in addition to, or instead of, NVQs, it can be hard for employers and suppliers to know which are reliable. 

A register and a robust set of standards could offer a hallmark for identifying therapists who meet the minimum standards agreed by those working in the business and, ultimately, raise the profile of qualified therapists and salons and weed out bad practice.

However, the success of any self-regulation scheme is entirely dependent on buy-in from the industry and, equally importantly, from consumers. It will take time for such a scheme to gain enough recognition to carry weight with the salon-going public but Professional Beauty is backing the scheme and will host the trade launch at the Excel exhibition on February 24 to 25. The show is approaching fast and will also be a hotbed of product launches. Check out our full guide in this issue.

Keeping the focus on new trends, I’ll be hosting a panel debate at the show, covering the new technologies and marketing methods designed to fill quiet times in the slaon or spa appointments book. Along with panellists from major operators such as Saks and Urban Retreat, I’ll be exploring business tools such as online bookings, packages to increase spend per client and yield management. I hope to catch up with many of you there.