How is the Nail Industry in the US after Covid-19?

Vietnamese people and Vietnamese Americans have contributed significantly to the development of the nail industry in the United States. In California, up to 80% of nail salon owners and technicians are of Vietnamese descent. The nail industry is a large business, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year, but it is also the hardest hit industry by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Unemployment and No Way Out

Nail salons have been closed for a long time due to Covid-19 and racial discrimination against Asians has made life difficult for many Vietnamese Americans.

Difficulties after the pandemic and the impact on business

During the Covid-19 pandemic period, all businesses had to shut down, meaning that nail salons also had to close. The prolonged closure has made the business situation worse and it has been impossible to pay all the expenses, forcing many nail salons to close and resulting in unemployment not only for the business owners but also for many nail technicians.

Without work and without creating wealth, many Vietnamese people in the US are struggling to make ends meet and have not found a way out of their lives.

Difficult Life and Finding a Way Out

According to VNExpress, Kathy Pham – a single mother who was a nail technician and opened her own nail salon before the Covid-19 outbreak. She loved her job and was devoted to it despite the sacrifices such as rude customers and irregular working hours. But now, after the pandemic, she has become unemployed. The unemployment benefits have been reduced, and this amount is not enough to cover her life in the United States.

According to a study conducted by the UCLA Labor Center and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative (CHNSC), 81% of nail industry workers in the United States are women, of which 79% were born abroad. About 3/4 of immigrant nail technicians are of Vietnamese descent. Once nail salons are closed for a long time, this has a significant impact on everyone, especially Vietnamese people in the US.

Economic burden weighing on shoulders

Reopening is a good sign for nail salon owners and technicians, but being able to generate income as before the pandemic is extremely difficult. Everyone will no longer be too concerned about beauty needs like before, and the number of customers after the pandemic will also decrease. This means that nail salons need to try harder to create income.

Many technicians have had to take on many other jobs to earn extra money to support their already difficult lives here. The economic burden is indeed a difficult problem for them.

Changes in regulations and safety

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the nail industry in the US had to face changes in regulations and safety standards. Previously, nail salons already had some hygiene and safety regulations, but after the pandemic, these regulations may become stricter and more strictly enforced.

The nail industry in the US and safety standards after Covid-19

One of the important factors is hygiene and disinfection. Salons must follow hygiene rules such as using clean and disinfected tools and equipment after each customer, using appropriate boards to distinguish between clean and unclean tools, and complying with regulations on the use of safe and effective disinfectants.

Measures to Prevent Infection

In addition, nail salons need to implement measures to prevent infection, including wearing masks, washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizers, and recommending that customers and staff maintain a safe distance. The salons can also limit the number of customers at the same time to ensure that the business space is not overloaded and to create a safe distance between customers.

Training employees on safety and hygiene

Moreover, training employees on safety and hygiene regulations has become more important than ever. Salon owners should ensure that employees are trained on hygiene, disinfection, and the use of safe products. This may include instructions on how to clean tools, distinguish between clean and unclean tools, use disinfectants, and follow infection prevention procedures.

Struggling to create additional income

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has passed, the aftermath it left behind is not small. To keep customers, many people have employed various methods in the hope that customers will not abandon them.

The development of nail services has become more diverse after the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to traditional nail services, nail salons can increase other services such as nail carving, gel nails, and other beauty methods to attract customers and increase revenue.

Many salons have kept in touch with customers during difficult times, asking about their well-being and encouraging them like family members. In addition, the owners have created more promotional programs to attract customers, such as offering a discount voucher to customers who have visited the salon 10 times. For customers who are still students, nail salon owners offer a 10% discount when using their services.

However, many people are afraid that in the future, COVID-19 will return with more mutations, and then what will their lives be like? How can they make a living? This is also a question for many people working in this industry in the US.

Conclusion

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the nail industry in the US has undergone many changes and faced many challenges. Despite many difficulties, this industry still has potential.

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