Madurai Beauty Parlour: Beauty Business

Based on 2004 statistics, there were 1500 beauty parlours in Madurai.
Can you believe it? Imagine, how many beauty parlors might be there in Madurai right now in 2008?

It is a human desire to maintain your body and skin. Since we lack both time and patience, most of us prefer that someone else does it for us as only then can we relax and enjoy.

It is estimated that there are over 1,500 beauty parlours in Madurai. This explosive growth has come about in less that a decade's time, says Indu whose family owns three parlours - one on Town Hall Road and two in Anna Nagar and is planning a fourth. She endorses that beauty business rakes in money if only you are able to give "superior and satisfying services" to your customer.

What scares the Jain family successfully running their salon in KK Nagar for almost two decades now is the mushrooming of beauty parlours.

"The problem is an unregulated business with no monitoring,'' says Mr.Rishabh Kumar Jain and shares that nearly 1,000 parlours in the temple town are run by either unqualified or inexperienced diploma holders from their homes.

"There are women who do not want to be seen visiting a parlour and are comfortable walking into the house of her friendly nextdoor neighbour or are known to enter a parlour after sunset to avoid being spotted easily,'' says Indu, who also feels that beauty clinics have undergone a sea change over the years. The big ones who can afford are fast converting into complete centers of fitness and personality enhancement than simply restricting themselves to beauty lifting services.

The low investment-high return feel good factor of beauty business lures young girls take up a career in beauty procedures and techniques. Madurai itself gets 60-odd students from the Women's Polytechnic besides an equal number from other crash courses every year. While some of them join the big parlours to acquire practical experience, many it seems start business straightaway from their homes and garages or even makeshift sheds investing as less as Rs.50,000.

Can you believe it takes Rs.6000 to Rs.10,000 for hair straightening in Madurai?

Multhani/Multhaani Matti!!