'Grace'ful grooming that goes a long way...

Leela Chandy owner of `Allana', a chain of beauty clinics.

THE birth of my twins saw me dropping out of MSc Nutrition and a trip to the USA that soon ensued, changed my life and my career. Despite having done a couple of courses on beauty and grooming I really didn't think I would have a full-fledged career as a beautician. Though I was keen on heading home after our short stay in the US, my husband had plans to stay on. His employer ensured that I stayed put by making sure he got me a job, and introduced me to the owner of `Allana' USA a renowned electrolysis clinic.

During the short interview that followed I was asked if I had any experience or knowledge of electrolysis. When I replied in the negative, the owner replied that I was just the type of person she wanted! Someone who was a fresh hand to master the technique right! In a short span of twenty-one days I finished my training and got my first client as well. Since all my colleagues were whites, I feared that American clients who do not prefer a non- white or `coloured' person to work on them wouldn't accept me. To my astonishment things worked just the opposite end, I soon became the most popular person at the Allana clinic. I was in demand that I was overbooked and my clients had to be on a waiting list to get me to see them! Of course, I immensely enjoyed all of it! I also helped in the training division and I gained valuable experience in how to train people to be experts in electrolysis.

Since my parents and children needed me back home in India I decided to return. My boss offered me a lucrative proposal - to go into a partnership with her in California, but I was firm in my decision to take the technology back with me.

Though many thought I was a fool to turn down such an offer, I felt I had to do what I had to, and that God was on my side backing me up. I started out small, but with my first newspaper advertisement onwards there was no looking back for me. My husband returned from the USA to join me, when I branched out and it was one steady climb up - Bangalore, Cochin, Dubai, and the most recent one at Abu Dhabi.

People are apprehensive of electrolysis because of bad experiences like scarring, intense pain and re-growth of hair. `Allana' has overcome all the three shortcomings. It is just that people are still not aware of the fact that there need not be any problem. The task of helping hirsute women getting rid of their problem is quite a challenge.At `Allana' we believe in results, all the branches that I operate provide a life long guarantee to customers - something that is not given anywhere in the world including `Allana USA'. We also provide a `come-back in case of failure facility' - we haven't had even one client coming back till date!

All the workers at these centres are well trained and responsible for their clients. After one year of training, any ordinary girl can become a professional in electrolysis, through training and use of custom made equipment at Allana. My aspiration and future ambition is to see the girls working for me going abroad and getting well settled, thus improving their prospects and helping them to be financially stable. I plan to set up new centres to reach many other people in different places.

Family is my priority and I arrange my work in such a way that I am around whenever they need me most. I have been able to juggle work and family pretty efficiently. I travel once in two weeks for a couple of days to check on the clinics at the other locations.

I engage in a lot of social work and I love gardening and redoing my home as often as I can. I think this comes naturally to me after being in beauty business for so long! One instinctively tends to make things and people look more beautiful!

ARCHANA JAYAKAR