By Aliyu DANLADI
Some hair stylists in Abuja have expressed concern about what they describe as a lull in hair-do business in recent times even as their customers are making up to celebrate Christmas and a new year.
“In the past, by this season, I would not call my customers by phone to solicit patronage, but now, I waste money on calls.
“Yet some will not come; complaining about the economic situation’’, one of them, pleading anonymity, said in an interview at Wuse Market, Abuja, on Friday.
Also, a hair stylist, simply identified as Blessing, explained that her income between January and November was very low unlike in the previous years.
“I am not happy with the way things are going this year, I cried recently when I calculated the income I realised for 11 months.
“It was not even up to half of what I usually make yearly; things are getting worse each year government should help the masses in such a situation.
“This was exactly what happened last year and year before; it seems as if things are getting worse each year.
“I ran a lot of advertisements to see if I can increase my income, but I was devastated by the result I got after all my investments’’, she said.
But another hair stylist, Mrs Anthonia Oma in Karu near Abuja, traced the low patronage to usage of wigs by women that could last longer than hair-do.
“When wigs started trending, I made a lot of wigs for my customers and it has really kept them away from the salon for a long time because they don’t need to do much again.
“Most of my customers only come in to wash their hair, mat it all back and pay me a token while some would even expect that for free.
“If anybody wants to remain in this business, she needs to learn wig-making or remain making children hair which is not as easy and does not yield a lot like adult hair’’, she said.
She further explained that hair-do had been her source of livelihood, saying “if things continue like this for another six months, to make a living may become difficult.’’.
