No warts please, we're air hostesses
Mumbai: Beauty can sometimes come with a sky-high price tag. Ask any of the pretty young things who looked impeccably manicured even on a sweltering October afternoon as as they protested their sacking by Jet Airways. Off the record, they will tell you a warts-and-all tale of battles with acne, moles, hair loss and, the most shadowy enemy of them all, dark circles. These youngsters punish their bodies and spend lakhs of rupees to achieve the exacting Barbie Doll beauty standards that the industry demands. Their justification? What option do they have in a scenario where attendants have been grounded for streaking their hair or sprouting a pimple?
I have spent over Rs 1.5 lakh over one year to treat the dark circles under my eyes, said an air-hostess, all of 18. I went for ayurvedic and homeopathic treatment and any number of visits to a dermatologist. Another spent nearly one lakh rupeesRs 35,000 a sittingto remove unwanted facial hair through laser treatment. It was meant to be permanent. Dr Jamuna Pai, who is cosmetic consultant to Jet Airways, said that girls queue up for Spanish skin lightening treatment, a procedure that costs Rs 13,000.
The other terror that can strike any time is acne. Depending on the severity, treating it could cost anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 55,000, but many employees swear that it is worth it. A pimple is enough to get you grounded if youre cabin crew. Both male and female flight attendants recounted how they were told to stay home. I was grounded for a month after a pimple appeared on my forehead, said a purser.
Moles on the face even if it sits tantalisingly above the lip like Cindy Crawfordsare treated like unwanted foreign objects. Many hostesses go in for mole excision, a surgical procedure that costs anywhere from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,000 and leaves only a faint mark that can be hidden with concealer.
But while all this primping and plucking may ensure short-term beauty, the long-term effects on skin and hair can be disastrous, warn beauticians.
Of course this is absurd, said a 48-year-old air-hostess with Indian. I have never heard of anyone being grounded for pimples. I have never felt the need for exorbitant skin treatment. According to her, frequent skin treatment and surgery coupled with working at high altitudes and odd working hours is a sure shot way to get stuck with dull hair, sallow skin and puffy eyes. That will get you grounded well before the pimples will, she laughed.
22/10/08 Times of India