As life returns to a version of ‘normal’, over 14 million Brits are worried about being reunited with their friends and family due to gaining weight in lockdown.
Research from leading savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals the impact of the last year on the nation’s feelings towards their appearance, in particular their weight. Despite conversations encouraging body positivity becoming more and more prevalent, a shocking 17% of people are actively trying to lose weight before they see friends and family.
Women are much more likely to feel anxious about weight gain, with over a quarter (26%) worried about catching up with friends in comparison to only 17% of men.
Gen Z and millennials are more likely to be concerned about the extra pounds than other age groups, with nearly a third (31%) of 18 to 34-year-olds worried, compared to just 12% of over 55s.
But it’s not just weight that Brits have on the mind; having gone months without professional beauty services, people are keen to get back to the experts, which is also having an impact on our wallets. Nearly a third (32%) admit they will spend more money on their appearance than before the pandemic hit and consumers predict they’ll fork out £393 on their appearance on average in the first month of lockdown easing.
Over one in five (21%) plan to get their hair done before socialising again and since restrictions on hairdressers and beauty salons have lifted, nearly a quarter (24%) have already had their hair cut or coloured.
Top 10 professional services people will pay for to prepare for ‘normality’
| Rank | Professional service | Percentage |
| 1. | Haircut | 53% |
| 2. | Hair colouring | 18% |
| 3. | Eyebrows | 17% |
| 4. | Manicure | 13% |
| 5. | Pedicure | 10% |
| 6. | Facial | 10% |
| 7. | Waxing | 7% |
| 8. | Threading | 7% |
| 9. | Hair extensions | 6% |
| 10. | Lip fillers | 5% |
New clothes are what consumers are spending most of their money on in a bid to look the part during those first social outings, at £62 on average. This is followed by dining out at a restaurant (£54), going to the pub (£43), and having their hair cut or coloured (£42).
Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, commented: “Despite the great work being done by the body positivity and body neutrality movements to help reshape the conversations around body image it’s clear from this research that the pandemic and lockdown has had an impact on how people think about themselves.
“It is exciting being able to see friends and family and enjoying social occasions again, but after a year of not being able to and living very differently, it is understandable that for many of us it may cause a new source of anxiety.
“As we transition into a new ‘normal’ it’s natural that people will focus their attention on their appearance, and the fact that consumers plan to spend nearly £400 on the way they look shows this is front of mind for many. While you might want to go on a bit of a spending spree before seeing people for the first time, however, it’s a good idea to take a sensible approach to this spending and focus on quality time.”
