The British Beauty Council, UK Spa Association, NHBF and BABTAC have collectively been talking to the Government, championing the positive effects that professional hair, beauty and spa services have on wellbeing and mental health.

At the request of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for further supporting evidence to support this finding, the British Beauty Council commissioned the report to support this argument and demonstrate the hugely positive economic impact the sector has on our economy.   

Key findings include: 

• The introduction of touch and massage therapy could reduce sick days by 1.76 million, reduce sick days related to menopause symptoms by 1.4 million, reduce mental health problems by 10% and save the UK £10.5 billion
• A growing health crisis for some time, mental ill-health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, contributing up to 22.8% of the total burden, compared to 15.9% for cancer and 16.2% for cardiovascular disease
• Massage therapy forms part of mainland Europe and Asia’s healthcare but is less supported in the UK

Helena Grzesk, COO of the British Beauty Council, said: “This last year has been challenging for many of us. The negative effect Covid-19 has had and continues to have on mental health and wellbeing is an inevitable and growing concern. It probably won’t surprise anyone to hear that research has shown that mental health problems have increased by 8% during the pandemic.”

She continued, “Not only does the report demonstrate the numerous benefits of personal care services on mental health, but also the positive economic impact and opportunity to consider our sector as part of the toolkit for solutions and social prescribing within existing medical services to support the NHS,” she said.

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