India, Nov. 21 -- Long before the pandemic pushed salons to offer at-home services, women worldwide were craving them, not for safety, but for convenience. At-home alternatives - few and far between a decade ago - promised convenience but often fell short on quality, hygiene and transparency. Products came in unmarked bottles. The tools looked dubious. And pricing was negotiated on the spot.

Essentially, home salon services saw the same flaw persist for years: A striking lack of standardisation. The quality of beauty and wellness offerings leaned heavily on individual excellence rather than replicating processes that would guarantee best outcomes all the time. Rising operating costs and an informal workforce only deepened the cracks.

In...