A woman having a facial in a salon 18 December 1965. TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

By Mark McConville

 

BRITONS may not always have had Botox but that has not stopped the long-standing love affair with the beauty parlour as revealed in a series of stunning retro pictures from the Swinging Sixties.

A client relaxing in a beauty salon whicle the beautician operates equipment for treatment .
15 April 1967.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

The incredible images show women in the 1960s chatting to each other as they have their hair done, wearing cucumber face masks and have a full body wrap in their quest for beauty.

Facial : Mr Pegoff applies the specially-prepared lotion
23 November 1963.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

Other remarkable photos show women taking part experimental treatment including an electric face mask, hot wax being applied to help sweat weight off and ultra-violet treatment.

Chatting as they get their hair done.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

A beauty parlour is an establishment that deals with cosmetic treatments for both men and women. There is a distinction between a beauty salon and a hair salon and although many small businesses do offer both sets of treatments; beauty salons provide extended services related to skin health, facial aesthetic, foot care, nail manicures, aromatherapy, — even meditation, oxygen therapy, mud baths, and many other services.

An assistant applies hot wax on a client to help with weight loss by sweating it out , this is one of the many treatments at Pelham Lodge beauty farm at Knebworth , Hertfordshire. The beauty farm , a residential clinic , is owned and run by Madame Leida Costigan , an Estonian-born beauty expert . Her exclusive clientele is rapidly growing and Madame Costigan plans to move into a bigger house soon
25 June 1960
TopFoto / Retronaut / me

 

In the 1950s, with the advent of colour film, the beauty industry got a colourful make-over with bright rouges all the rage. With men returning from war and the resulting baby boom, all emphasis was on family life. Women came back from work and resigned to life as housewives. With so much time on their hands, they spent a lot of time pampering themselves to look glamorous.

Electric face mask.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

In the Sixties our idea of beauty was transformed by the introduction of the mini-skirt, bikinis, and by style-icons such as Twiggy, who se the standard for later models with her skinny and androgynous look.

Chatting as they get their hair done.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

These days, massage for the body is a popular beauty treatment, with various techniques offering benefits to the skin (including the application of beauty products) and for increasing mental well-being. Hair removal is offered at some beauty salons through treatments such as waxing and threading.

Girl office workers wishing to look their best for a special occasion can now take advantage of a special service recently introduced by Gala’s Beauty Salon of Burlington Arcade in London. Annette, a London typist is wrapped in a warm blanket while having a facial. Meanwhile packing creases are ironed out of the skirt of her evening dress in the background .
1953.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

Some beauty salons style hair instead of going to a separate hair salon, and some also offer sun tanning. Other treatments of the face are known as facials.

Some clients feel that added stimulation is derived from vibro massage. 16 July 1951.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

Specialised beauty salons known as nail salons offer treatments such as manicures and pedicures for the nails. A manicure is a treatment for the hands, incorporating the fingernails and cuticles and often involving the application of nail polish, while a pedicure involves treatment of the feet, incorporating the toenails and the softening or removal of calluses.

Beauty by ‘ Mass Production ‘ methods . Beauty treatment has been organised on the lines of ‘ Big Business ‘ in America and ‘mass production ‘ methods introduced to the salons . Though the client is not actually placed on a moving belt , she moves from one department to another for each special treatment , as this series of pictures , made in a Fifth Avenue , New York , salon , shows.
Photo shows , wearing a special mask designed to restore youthful contours to the face , the client takes a milk bath . Compressed air forced into the milk makes the foam.
13 March 1937.
TopFoto / Retronaut / mediadrumimages.com

 

The UK beauty industry is worth £17 billion and employs around one million workers nationwide, making it one of the most lucrative industries in the country.