Could Touchless Wellness See the End of Traditional Salon Services

I’ve noticed a big pivot recently when people mention beauty treatments or trips to the salon. Traditionally these visits would evoke images of dressing gowns, eye masks and relaxing music, however these days it tends to be a combination of machines, lasers and injectables – with many opting for results over pleasure in the pursuit of improvements. As technology advances I wonder if we are losing touch with many of the old ‘hands-on’ services and I can’t help but wonder what this means for the industry as a whole.

I have long been an advocate for using beauty as a self-care tool, not only to help you relax, but also take the time to connect with yourself, and your therapist. There has been a lot of research into how nail services benefit your mental wellbeing, as well as the anecdotal evidence of just how meaningful our relationship we have with our hairdressers can be. This makes me wonder if we remove the human relationship and instead place machines at the forefront of the services if beauty becomes less about self-care and more about transformative services.

Experts Featured in This Article

Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai An aesthetic and reconstructive oculoplastic surgeon.

Dr Miriam Adebibe A UK-trained cosmetic and regenerative surgical doctor with over 15 years of medical experience.

Lesley Blair MBE CEO of BABTAC and CIBTAC

According to Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai, aesthetic and reconstructive oculoplastic surgeon, the move towards this era of ‘touchless wellness’ is down to multiple factors. “Firstly, our desire, or need, for instant gratification is so high that the industry has had to adapt to clients needs,” she tells PS UK. “This has come from iPhones and the world wide web, where patients are continually seeing images of results on social media and they want the same results. That’s the expectation.”

However, it is important to remember that the growth also comes down to our capabilities. “Look at science and innovation, in the past scientists were only interested in saving lives,” says Dr Shah-Desai. “Now they are interested in enhancing lives.” Therefore these advances in technology mean that sadly, the hands-on skills aren’t needed as much as the machines and injectables can do all the heavy lifting.

We are also continually being told that celebrities are maintaining their looks thanks to technology, such as Lyma laser, loved by Sienna Miller and Kate Beckinsale, or Morpheus 8, a laser treatment, loved by Kim Kardashian. With social media constantly putting these beauty standards on a pedestal it is not surprising that many want to emulate the results, and if they can as more and more salons are beginning to offer the same machines it is no surprise that the demand is shifting.

This had me thinking about my own expectations when I book a beauty treatment, as someone who has always advocated for positive ageing I have avoided injectables thus far, however I’ve also been privileged to visit some of the best skin experts in the world and have access to the latest topical treatments and regularly get the opportunity to try out at-home devices. If someone asked me for my favourite treatment right now I would have to say its my LED mask, which kind of makes me part of the problem too. It also makes me think of the exceptional technique of some of the facialist I know who can offer knowledge and experience beyond anything a machine can offer, however, if I am honest their hands alone will never get the same ‘insta-ready’ results. I think this is why so many of the top salons have had to work with machines, rather than against them and maybe it is the combination of the two that is the sweet spot.

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Cosmetic and regenerative doctor, Dr Miriam Adebibe agrees, “Assessing and planning treatment is a complex decision making process between doctor and patient,” she explains. “My patients often have specific concerns with their unique feelings and beliefs. I feel this needs the intuition and experience that only an expert practitioner can bring. While common skin conditions could be initially assessed through touchless wellness, aesthetic-led treatments should always be human-led.”

Another factor is that as technology becomes more widespread, the cost of machine-based treatments start to decrease, making them accessible to a broader audience. It also means you can receive the same standard of treatment throughout the country and not just in London – which tends to have the most experienced and sought after ‘hands-on’ facialists and skin experts.

However, there is a drawback as more salons start to invest in machinery, does this also mean they won’t need to invest in staff in the same way? This is raising concerns within the industry, although these developments open opportunities for many, Lesley Blair MBE, CEO of BABTAC and CIBTAC, is concerned about the safety. “In this age of technological advancements there really are few limits in terms of what is possible and trending– both in the products available and services and techniques provided.” she shares. “The concern is that these rapid advancements in beauty are not currently reflected by that of improved regulations or standardisation of fit for purpose training.”

I also wonder what this means for using beauty treatments as a self-care tool. For years when people have been stressed or looking to treat themselves they have booked a facial for how it makes them feel rather than how it makes them look. As someone who believes beauty can be valuable to your overall mental wellbeing, I really hope we will continue to see the value in therapists and it won’t be overshadowed by our desire to fix something via a machine.

Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.