«The hairdressing category represents a cornerstone of our society. Hairdressers have always helped people feel more beautiful and feel good about themselves. Like in no other European country, 50 million Italians over 12 years of age regularly attend a hairdressing salon at least once a year. Technically very good, they were confidants and friends as well as points of reference for entire families and city centers. But they paid, even in the eyes of their own customers, the price of a self-taught training handed down from craftsman to craftsman without a clear methodology. This has led the category not to have a clear identity leaving, to its experts, the culture of the I and not that of the we “.
Speaking is Giuseppe Gennero, CEO of Wella Company – active in the professional channel of hair cosmetics – who has decided to support the universe of about 100 thousand hairdressing-barber salons that employ 230 thousand people by submitting to the Chamber of Deputies a bill for the establishment of the register of professional hairdressers.
“The register – explains Gennero – was born with the dual purpose of giving credit to the category, hoping for a leap in quality that could lead it to be considered more a profession than a trade and, at the same time, to legitimize those who are truly ready compared to those who is improvised. Furthermore, the objective of Wella Italia, as a leader in the sector on the industry side, is to support its supply chain in overcoming two Italian anomalies that impact on the tens of thousands of legal activities in the sector, almost always made by family micro-enterprises. : illegal, which produces a huge problem of unfair competition towards which it operates with a regular license, and 22% VAT reserved for ancillary services while, just like catering, those of personal care precisely because they cater to such a large slice of the population should be able to benefit from a lower VAT ” .
If promoted, the bill – which is now being examined by the Productive Activities Committee – would give customers and employers the assurance that hairdressers meet the necessary requirements, such as the passing the technical-practical exam required by law, training and internship; and provides for a system of professional refresher courses, under penalty of cancellation from the register.