AMount Gambier beauty salon is one of many businesses in the Limestone Coast region being affected by the rising cost of living.

As a result, Vanity Face and Body has introduced a price increase for services as well as a three-tiered pricing system depending on how long the beauty therapists have been working in the industry.

The local business has reported an increase in costs across products and utilities including an increase of around 20% for electricity since the start of July.

Vanity Face and Body owner Mel Von Stanke said while winter was usually the quietest time for the business, she had noticed trade slowing down in May this year.

“It has been a little bit different the last few years with COVID, when people came out of lockdown they were looking to have things done but this year we noticed it hit a little bit earlier,” she said.

“I think it does have to do a lot with people not having as much money, the cost of living going up as well but also people being able to maybe travel a bit more and things like that again.

“We always find we are a little bit quieter this time of year because of netball, because of just winter in general.

“I think the price of living going up, these are the first sort of treatments to go, they might still get their hair done but they might shave their legs instead of wax them or they might cut down on the amount of times they have their toe nails done or things like that.”

Mrs Von Stanke said while clients might have opted to spread their beauty treatments further apart, there was no single category that observed a significant decline.

“Everyone prioritises things differently … so I think it is what they prioritise,” she said.

“We have just had to put a price increase on, obviously the price of everything is going up so for us it’s really hard too.

“We feel it but then … we unfortunately cannot carry everything and we have carried it for as long as we can.”