As hair salons and barbershops begin the road to recovery, many of them are also being put to use for a slightly unorthodox purpose — educating their customers about COVID-19 vaccines. The Biden Administration recently admitted that it would fall short of its goal of getting at least 70% of Americans to take one shot of the vaccine by the 4th of July. This is due in part due to vaccine hesitancy and false information being spread about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Vaccine access is also a problem, especially for minorities and those in poorer areas of the US.
In order to tackle this issue, the Biden Administration rolled out a “Shots at the Shops” program in June. Under this programme, selected barbershops and salons will receive a stipend of $1000 to attend a four hour online training course. This course will train individuals to speak to “vaccine undecided” individuals and provide them with the necessary information to make an informed decision about the vaccine. Shops will also have relevant materials and vaccination site information available for customers in the shop. Selected shops will also be able to provide on site COVID-19 vaccinations with the help of local health officials. Organisers hope that the program will leverage on the trust that minority communities, especially Black communities, have in their barbers.
The initiative comes as more and more barbershops are beginning to open up after a long period of either being closed or being forced to accept fewer customers due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic, many men began to cut their own hair, either because their salon was closed or because they did not want to risk contracting COVID-19. This is part of a growing trend of men turning to DIY home grooming tools as personal hygiene awareness increased during the period of the pandemic. Sales of hair care products have increased during the pandemic as consumers have developed their own hair care and beauty routines.
The increasing popularity of self care also extends to solving traditional cosmetic problems for men, chief among which is hair loss. Balding has long been the number one concern for men, and many are turning to alternatives such as special shampoo which promotes hair regrowth for men.
Such shampoo often contains special ingredients which target dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is a hormone that causes hair thinning and hair loss. Shampoos contain ingredients like saw palmetto, which is known to target DHT and can lead to hair thickening. Saw palmetto is a natural herb which has been shown to be effective in preventing hair loss. Such shampoos can be used in conjunction with chemical treatments for hair loss such as finasteride and minoxidil, which have been clinically proven to block DHT.
Even as barbershops begin to reopen, many men are finding that self treatment is not only cheaper and more convenient, it is also as effective as external treatments. As such, the popularity of self-treatment items like hair thickening shampoo is likely to continue growing even as other options become available again.