Ayar from Face and body beauty Salon

Ayar is 33 years old and is from Mingaladon Township, Yangon region. She has her own beauty salon in Sanchaung Yangon since 2016. Her beauty salon is my favorite in town and Ayar is one of the amazing Myanmar women I had the chance to meet here! I could not start this blog without presenting her.

How did you come to create your own beauty salon?

I have been interested about beauty since I was a kid. I started working in a beauty salon at 12 years old during my summer holidays and after passing grade 10^th I started working full time. At that time, I really wanted to attend a professional training but Myanmar beauty industry was not well developed. So I tried my best to get a job in Singapore. I worked there during 8 years. After 3 years working with her, my boss agreed to send me to a beauty therapy. I worked very hard during my time in Singapore: I just had 4 holidays per year!

Why did you decide to come back to Myanmar?

My country is living an important transition period so I thought I should come back now and set up my own business. But also for personal reason, I wanted to be closer to my parents because they have health problems.

Has it been easy for you to come back and to open you own business?  

I never worry about anything! I was so excited to start my business that I opened it in 2 weeks. But coming back to Myanmar was like going to a new country and I had to adapt…, I had a lot of doubts but I forced myself to finish my first year.  No matter what, I had to continue! And finally it worked well! The clients keep coming back! In July, I celebrated my first anniversary in a new place with all my clients.

Personally, it was also challenging. I am very different from when I left. All my childhood friends are married and have children now. I am the only one focusing in my job.

When I arrived in Yangon, I was really surprised by the high number of beauty salons. How can you explain this? The competition is not too hard?

In my street there are 4 or 5 beauty salons! Everyone want to open a beauty salon because people think it an easy way to make money. Burmese people love beauty salons and especially to have hair wash shampoo. Burmese style is particular: you lay down and you will get a massage! It is not expensive, so everyone can afford.

You have 2 young girls working with you now. Is it important for you to teach other people?

Yes! I want to share my skills! Those girls never went to school so they need to learn a job. Thanks to this job, they also can save money and help their family back in the village. In the future, they would like to set up their own beauty business in their village.

How would you describe Myanmar women?

I think, nowadays, Myanmar women are really brave and are working very hard. Most of the industry are leaded by women. I think it is because women can work more than men! We are becoming modern and open-minded women. Especially, when we got a good education, when we spent time abroad, when we work… We realized that we can do like men and that we are not one step aside from them. We will also always be attached to our tradition and culture.

You came back in Myanmar in 2016 after 8 years in Singapore. What do you think of your country after that time abroad?

The country improved a lot. We got access to a lot of things, like buying a car, travelling, internet… But at the same time we lost our peacefulness. People mindset changed a lot also. I am sure in the good way. I feel that people were warmer and more helpful. We are becoming more individualist, especially in Yangon. Yangon is getting very expensive so people are struggling. My Burmese clients always say that life was easier and safer before. We were not developed but maybe happier.

We are moving, hopefully in the good direction… I wish Myanmar will improve for the next generations, especially in education and work opportunities. I know that we are in a transition period and we have to be patient. It is not easy to change people habit, especially old people. It is like we have been in a cage for a long time. One day, I read in a newspaper: if you really want to improve Myanmar, you have to kill everyone above 5 years old. (Laugh). I think if we want to change our country we all have to change. Each and everyone has a responsibility. People complain that nothing has changed but they don’t change themselves…

One day one foreigner ask me a question that is still bothering me: Why Myanmar is a poor country? Is it because it is a Buddhist country? 

And what did you answer?

I thought a lot about it… I think we are poor because we have a poor mindset. If everyone follows what Buddha teaches / taught us, we will be a peaceful and happy country. But, most of us we don’t really do.

According to you what is the main challenge for you country?

It is really difficult for small businesses. Our main problem is the staff turnover. Employees don’t stay at one place for a long time. If they are not satisfied, they just leave, even for small things. It is not good for businesses because we spend time training our staff and it causes labor shortage. It is not good for employees either because they don’t take time to develop their skills.

Last question: what is your favorite place in Yangon?

Sanchaung Township is very nice!  There are a lot of good street shops with traditional Myanmar food!

Address: 9 Gandamar street, Sanchaung township, Yangon