As bars, restaurants, hairdressers, retail, outdoor fitness classes, and hotels (in NSW at least) start to enjoy an increase in customers, there’s one industry that’s starting to simmer with frustration.
The beauty industry is yet to be given a “relaunch” date in some states and territories, and they’re not happy. Their profession is considered part of “stage two” of the national roadmap back to normality, and at the moment most of the country is still settling into stage one.
Dr Naomi McCullum runs cosmetic clinic The Manse in Sydney, where you can get everything from lip fillers, brow lifts, anti-wrinkle injections, facelifts, nose jobs and micro-needling. Throughout lockdown, her patients have been itching to get back in her chair.
“Our social media had the highest level of engagement ever,” she said. “We had many requests for secret home treatments. We even had one girl who asked us to come and inject a large group of her girlfriends at her home. Obviously all were denied.”
WATCH: Here’s a little peek at what Dr Naomi does. Post continues after video.
Dr Naomi’s experience mirrors that of top New York plastic surgeon Dr Steven Levine, who wrote for The Cut about the requests he’s received in the last few months.
“I’m shockingly busy. I’m… doing virtual consults all day,” he wrote. “The demand from wealthy and celebrity clients to get work done — face-lifts, tummy tuck, breast augmentation — while no one is looking, while they have nowhere to be, is extremely high.”