‘Beauty industry lacks quality now’

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Making people beautiful is a rewarding art. Not everyone has the talent and the skills necessary to indulge in this field as it requires expertise. Her family recognized the capabilities in her from young age as she was fondly called ‘the vanity box’.

Selina Samarawickrama today is a reputed hair and beauty care specialist who runs a successful salon and an academy.

She was interviewed by Daily News Business. Excerpts of the interview.

Q. What business are you engaged in and how do you set about it?

A. Hana Salon is in the business of hair and beauty. Although we wouldn’t call it a business it is more of a service bringing international standards in hair and beauty to Sri Lanka. I had been interested in the makeup and fashion industry since my childhood and eventually I would say that I didn’t find hair and beauty, but it found me. I had my initial training in Sri Lanka, when I found that there was more to it than what I learnt. My husband and children supported my decision to go to Singapore and Malaysia for further training and then finally to London where I studied in The Morris School of Hair Dressing.

I learnt finer techniques in hair dressing and beauty there. Upon my return to Sri Lanka, I set up my first salon and training academy under the name, “The Princess Salon and Academy” which was based in Nugegoda. This salon was fully equipped with the most modern equipment and training facilities.

We offered our students a most comprehensive curriculum in hair and beauty, which I would say that was the best available in Sri Lanka. Our focus was not on the number of students, but the quality of training we offered. With these humble beginnings, we ventured to establishing further salons within Colombo.

Q. How do you balance your family and business?

A. This is a sacrifice most women have to make in following their professions.

In balancing between my profession and family, I was fortunate to have a husband and two sons that supported me and pushed me to achieve that dream and continue for over two decades. My children pursued their higher studies and it was a difficult time for me.

This made me focus more on my work and spend more time in developing my salons and teaching.

I would say that my key success in this competitive profession was my passion and commitment to what I was doing in both the Salon and School.

My goal was always to ensure 100 percent customer satisfaction and to ensure that my students gained the best knowledge to develop their future.

In addition the support and guidance which I received from my own family gave me greater strength to pursue this career further.

Q. What are the challenges you face?

A. The hair and beauty industry in Sri Lanka is extremely competitive and sadly lacks quality to a great extent.

This is due to the fact that there are no proper standards or a regulatory body to monitor this industry. People can establish salons and schools with the minimal qualifications and experience and eventually it is the customers and the students who get a raw deal.

In this context one must understand that in international markets, a professional Hair and Beauty course would cover four to five years whilst in Sri Lanka such courses are structured in some instances for just six months. Certainly one cannot be a professional in hair dressing and beauty in such a short period.

It is sad to note that some international certification is being offered in this country where they claim that training could be done in a short time.

This is due to the fact that there is no regulatory body to monitor and set standards. The end result being that the students are totally ill-qualified for the industry.

Hair and beauty is a part of medical science - one needs to know the theory in order to practise.

In the field of Beauty Therapy many things can go wrong if one is not trained in the proper theoretical knowledge.

This is why our students are highly prized as they have both the vital theoretical knowledge combined with practical experience.

So I think if one asks me what is the greatest challenge I face - I would say it’s the declining professionalism in hair and beauty which makes it difficult to compete if one is doing a sincere job.

Q. What are your goals?

A. My passion is for teaching and I would like to share this knowledge which I have acquired, with many people as possible.

I would certainly like to see proper standards and legislation being brought into this industry. After all students deserve the best training for the money they spend and it is the responsibility of the trainer to ensure that firstly they are adequately qualified and skilled in training, and secondly that they impart their knowledge considering more the student than the financial rewards.

I’m sure if this is done, no student would need to go overseas for training and we could have high quality professionals in every salon in the industry. My goal is to set up an academy where students who have a real passion for Hair and Beauty can come to gain theoretical knowledge and the practical techniques needed in order to become a true professional and for them to pass this knowledge on locally.

Q. Being a woman was it an advantage to be in business?

A. In Sri Lanka at the inception it was mostly women who took to the industry.

However, over the years we have seen a great number of males who have entered the industry and they have been found to be very successful.

I would not say that there are special advantages of being a woman in this industry.

Q. What is your advice to women in business?

A. I am a firm believer in equality.

I believe women could do as good as men in most areas and I think women in Sri Lanka need to change their perception of themselves and stop thinking that they are inferior to men. Historically Sri Lanka can be proud of its women and the pinnacles they have reached.

At present we have some fantastic women in every spectrum of business and politics.

Women have reached the highest office in Sri Lanka and others have won international acclaim for their service and professionalism. I think two qualities or traits that are needed would be perseverance and dedication in order to be driven in achieving ones goals. However support instead of pressure from family is also a key factor I believe.

Q. What are your achievements in family and business?

A. I am privileged to have a family who value principles and this has helped me to bring up my children with a sense of responsibility and dedication to what they do.

So I would say that this has been one of the greatest achievements in bringing up my family. In business I have been privileged to be able to have the best international training and qualifications.

I am a member of the World Hair Dressing Federation, The Hair Dressing Council of London, HABIA and the Guild of Professional Beauty Therapists. I also hold the Master Craftsman Diploma and am a State Registered Hair Dresser in the UK. All these make me very proud in terms of having been able to balance my work and family over the years.

Q. What is your contribution to society?

A. I prefer not to talk about my social work in public. But areas I do try to take part and help out include education, poverty and helping the aged.

The academy also has done courses for underprivileged children who end up learning skills in terms of hair and beauty to better their future.