The global market for Hair Removal Products is expected to decline by -8.8% in the year 2020 and thereafter recover to reach US$1.4 billion by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 7.3% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has induced lifestyles and behavioral changes among consumers. The current uncertainty is driving consumers to seek different personal care modes to adjust to the guidelines of isolation and social distancing. On account of most consumers being at home, 'self-care' products such as at-home face masks, facials, lotions aromatherapy and essential oils are witnessing steady demand. In addition, improving or maintaining skincare is set to grow given the availability of more time to maintain healthy skin regimes. Furthermore, products that are capable of replacing or supplementing out-of-home services are expected to experience a positive growth. Mandatory physical distancing as the new norm until the arrival of a vaccine has massively impacted contact-intensive industries with a physical proximity index above 60. Consumers are skipping salon appointments and are depending more heavily on at-home products, for example at-home treatments for hair, hair removal and nail care. In other words, triggered by the pandemic, consumers have been shifting towards at-home or Do-it-Yourself (DIY) beauty treatments rather than visiting a salon in person.

A similar trend is also seen in several other categories, for example sunscreen, fragrance and hairstyling tools/products. Among such beauty products that can be personally used at home are the hair removal products, which affected demand for clinic-based hair removal treatments. Professional nail and hair salons which were forced to shut down amid lockdown restrictions still continue to face challenges of low customer footfall post re-opening. Severely impacting independent shops as well as bigger chains is the second wave of infections which are keeping consumers away from salons. Up until now dominated by professional services, hair removal is now rapidly shifting to at-home solutions. Unlike medical practice that can benefit from online consultations, aesthetic clinics are medical services where a therapist or doctor carries out procedures on one-to-one basis. These services offer people with an alternative to painful waxing or saving for hair removal from specific parts. While threading and hot wax at home are painful and may result in infection if performed in an inappropriate manner, professional services rely on advanced treatments for ensuring enhanced results, convenience and safety. For instance, laser hair removal treatments deliver lasting results, while electrolysis involves the use of small needles directing an electric current into the hair follicle. In addition, various treatments use different technologies such as galvanic energy, laser beams and intense pulsed light. Aesthetic clinics are therefore at a high risk of virus transmission.

Majority of these clinics are characterized by small-sized procedure rooms, lack of proper ventilation, inadequate distancing among therapist and patient and central air-conditioning units with single cooling. The infection risk is further escalated by repetitive use of equipment and procedures that generate aerosols. Aesthetic clinics are now required to follow specific guidelines to ensure high safety for physicians and patients coming for treatments. These clinics are required to consider advance scheduling through online or offline modes along with social distancing, limiting the number of attendants to one for avoiding overcrowding. Checking travel and medical history of unscheduled walk?ins and use of noncontact thermometers and handheld devices for patient screening is expected to help the staff in reducing the risk of COVID?19 for other patients and providers. Given the challenges involved in adhering and complying with the guidelines, demand for these services is declining. Women account for the largest users of hair removal products as personal grooming has traditionally been associated with women since times immemorial. The number of women's grooming products available in the market outstrips men's grooming products exponentially. However, men's hair removal products are gaining traction given the increasing focus on personal grooming among men as well as to the acceptance of hair removal among men. Men who take part in sports activities such as athletics, swimming, cycling, body building, and wrestling are attractive targets for these treatments.