Taliban beauty salon ban: Three Afghan women mourn the end of a valued service

Hair and quality salons crossed Afghanistan volition adjacent connected Monday connected the Taliban's orders.

Their closure volition pb to the nonaccomplishment of an estimated 60,000 jobs.

Salons had been allowed to support operating since the Taliban retook powerfulness 2 years ago, but it reversed its presumption past month.

The determination further restricts spaces unfastened to Afghan women, who are already barred from classrooms, gyms and parks.

23-year-old Zarmina was successful a quality salon getting her hairsbreadth dyed acheronian brownish erstwhile quality of the approaching closures came through.

"The proprietor got a large daze and started to cry. She is the breadwinner for her family," the parent of 2 said.

"I couldn't adjacent look astatine the reflector erstwhile my eyebrow was being done. Everyone was successful tears. There was silence."

Zarmina lives successful Kandahar successful confederate Afghanistan, the Taliban's blimpish citadel wherever the ultimate person resides.

She says it's communal present for men to prohibition their daughters from wearing make-up oregon going for a quality treatment.

"Most women locomotion astir successful a burqa oregon hijab here. We person accepted it arsenic portion of our culture."

Zarmina was joined astatine 16. She says a chat astatine the beautician was capable to springiness her a uncommon consciousness of freedom.

"I wasn't allowed to permission my location connected my own, but I managed to transportation my husband, and was allowed to sojourn the quality salon 2 oregon 3 times a year."

She utilized to spell to the salon with a pistillate from her neighbourhood, processing a heavy relationship with 1 of its workers.

"In the past, women utilized to speech astir ways to power their husbands. Some were unfastened astir their insecurities."

But the economical situation had gradually intruded into their lives aft the Taliban retook powerfulness successful August 2021 pursuing the withdrawal of US forces from the country.

Women's freedoms person steadily shrunk since then.

"Now women lone speech astir unemployment, favoritism and poverty," Zarmina says.

Madina covers her caput with a scarf erstwhile she leaves home. Only her hubby and pistillate members of her household tin spot her coloured hair.

The 22-year-old lives successful Kabul, and keenly follows the latest quality trends online.

"Every pistillate I cognize loves to amended her style. I emotion the latest manner and wearing make-up."

She says going to the quality salon has kept her matrimony fresh.

"My hubby truly loves to spot my hairsbreadth successful antithetic colours and chopped successful antithetic styles.

"He ever takes maine to the quality salon and waits patiently astatine the door," she says proudly.

"He compliments my looks erstwhile I locomotion out, which makes maine consciousness good."

Her ambition was to go a lawyer but the Taliban stopped women going to university. She's been incapable to find enactment since arsenic women are besides banned from galore different roles.

Madina utilized to travel her mum to the salon arsenic a kid and vividly recalls however women would openly stock their beingness stories with each other.

"Women employees successful the salon nary longer deterioration skirts oregon jeans, they're each successful hijabs."

"No-one knows who is simply a Taliban protagonist and no-one wants to accidental thing astir politics."

In the past, grooms were allowed to ticker their bride get ready. Madina adjacent remembers immoderate men taking photos wrong the salon. This is each present banned.

But Madina says she astatine slightest has joyful memories of her "big day" to cherish.

"I went to the quality salon and got afloat bridal make-up earlier my wedding past year," she says.

"When I looked astatine myself successful the mirror, I was truthful beautiful. It transformed me. I couldn't picture my happiness."

For 27-year-old Somaya from the north-western metropolis of Mazar-i-Sharif, a quality salon is simply a necessity.

Three years agone she suffered burns to her face, losing her eyebrows and eyelashes aft a heater successful her country exploded.

"I couldn't carnivore to look astatine my face. I looked ugly," she says, her dependable afloat of emotion.

"I thought everyone was looking astatine maine and laughing astatine maine due to the fact that my eyebrows were gone. I didn't spell retired for a mates of months. I cried a batch during that time."

Medical attraction healed her wounds, portion the quality salon helped her retrieve her consciousness of self.

"I went to the quality salon and had micro-blading [a semi-permanent signifier of cosmetic tattooing]. It made maine look overmuch better," she says.

"When I looked astatine my eyebrows, I started to cry. They are tears of joy. The quality salon gave maine my beingness back."

Somaya has a master's grade successful science and works arsenic a intelligence wellness counsellor. She has seen the fig of women seeking her services swell since the Taliban imposed sweeping restrictions. She is not unsocial successful utilizing the quality parlour for "therapy".

"For us, salons are much than places to bash your make-up. It helped america fell our sorrows. It gave america vigor and hope."

Zarmina agrees. As she walked location that June day, from what would beryllium her past travel to the salon, she kept looking back.

She was afloat alert of what she was losing - her tiny stab astatine independence.

"I paid for myself astatine the salon and it gave maine spot and power. I person wealth but I can't walk it connected myself successful the quality salon. This makes maine consciousness poor."

(All names person been changed)