Why do we make such an effort to look good for Valentine’s Day?
Photo: GettyWhat do you associate Valentine’s Day with? Romantic dates and candlelit dinners? Or pressure to do something and last-minute panic? On the surface, V-Day might seem like it’s all about sharing the love but a large part of it is acgtually spending for love, with millions of pounds being spent on this annual phenomenon.
In terms of beauty, there’s nowhere you see the effect of Valentine’s commercialism more than the salon. In the run up to Valentine’s Day and often on the day itself, beauty salons are inundated with requests for services – possibly more than any other holiday.
What are we getting done?
It won’t surprise you that waxing is a firm Valentine’s favourite. Vanesha Moustapha, Head Beauty Therapist at Colournation notes that there’s definitely an increase in demand for waxing at this time, “Brazilian and Hollywood style bikini waxes are a hugely popular treatment just for this occasion – the requests definitely die down after Valentine’s Day. It’s not just bikini waxing either, we’re doing plenty of leg waxing, underarms and eyebrows too.”
For the hair-removal haters amongst you, the good news is that the hairless trend seems to be slowing down. Au natural is on the rise according to Tiff from 3Thirty salon. “I think being completely hairless in our *ahem* nether regions is slowly phasing out. Requests for a more natural tidy up is on the rise, with more women requesting only the sides and front to be tidied up instead of a ‘landing strip’ or the hairless look.”
Why do we feel the need to suddenly glam up specifically for one day? And how has a bikini wax translated into ‘I love you’? Societal pressure and constant marketing messages to look and act a certain way have a lot to do with it.
First of all – if you’re not in a relationship you’re pigeonholed into either the ‘Bridget Jones with Ben & Jerrys’ type or the ‘single and ready to mingle serial dater’ category. Can the world handle us being neither? And, if you have got a partner, the barrage of adverts and billboards querying your plans for Valentine’s Day may as well say ‘if you’re not doing anything special, you clearly don’t love each other enough’.
So many of us try make an effort, although some more than others. When asked about some of the most extreme Valentine’s requests, the 3Thirty salon once had a client requesting a heart-shaped bikini wax. Serious waxing skills from 3Thirty.
All the additional grooming may pay off for one evening but in the long term, these treatments can have irreversible effects on the body. “Clients fail to realise that if they keep up with these treatments your hair follicle becomes weaker and thinner” says Vanesha. ”Eventually, the hair can stop growing as a result of continued waxing.” And that’s before mentioning the ingrown hairs, rashes, bumps and bleeding that can sometimes accompany a full body wax. Ouch.
So why put our bodies through this intense grooming process? Perhaps these efforts are all about us being the best version of ourselves for our significant other? Some would argue that we should be doing this every day but in reality, do we have the time (or the inclination) for regular full body grooming? Vanesha notes that many of the waxing treatments requested should probably have been done more regularly.
Instead, many of us are turning to treatments that require a bit less commitment and pain. Nails, manicures and pedicures are requested throughout the year at Colournation but in the last 2 years, there’s been a lot of demand for nail art for special occasions. Tiff agrees, citing that the most requested services after waxing are eyebrow threading and gel polish treatments.
One thing is undeniable – it’s all very last minute. At 3Thirty salon, Tiff has people walking in and asking for availability there and then. The rise of Tinder and online dating means that many of the dates themselves are last minute. “Many dates are spontaneous, so lots of women come in straight after work desperate for a quick-fix mani or eyebrow threading – groomed nails and tidy brows are one of the first things a date notices.”
So we’re mainly last minute and we’re rushing to the salon for quick fixes that we wouldn’t normally be as bothered about. Are we battling with an inner decision, knowing we don’t ‘need’ to be hairless and perfect, but having a go anyway to please both society and our partners?
Or, more realistically, maybe we’ve just forgotten about this god-forsaken day and getting our nails done at the salon is just easier than trying to think of something with real meaning, with only 2 hours to go.
What do you think? Are you not fussed about Valentines Day or do you try and do something nice? Tweet us your thoughts @YahooStyleUK.
